Media for the Movement with JR Jackson Starts at Springfield College | Springfield College

Media for the Movement with JR Jackson Starts at Springfield College

Media for the Movement with JR Jackson Starts at Springfield College

Media for the Movement with JR Jackson Starts at Springfield College.

 

JR Jackson is more than just an on-air sports personality, he's a favorite amongst fans, athletes and anyone who meets him. As the founder of JR SportBrief®, Jackson is teaming up with Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (SOUCS) to host "Media for the Movement," a twenty-two-college tour that targets students pursuing careers in sports information, journalism, broadcasting, advertising, and photojournalism. Experian® is supporting this program in connection with JR SportBrief®.

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"Media for the Movement" kicks off Monday, September 20th in Massachusetts at Springfield College followed by September 22nd at Bentley University. Other stops include University of Georgia, Morgan State University, Columbia University, Fordham University, Point Park University and many more.

The 11-week tour is designed to educate and inform sports media students on the changing landscape of digital, television and radio, while highlighting inclusion and equality as part of the shifting media environment. Jackson will share best practices on programming and producing, networking, obtaining work, building a resume/reel, brand strategy, social media power, etc.

Campus stops will feature a daytime lecture/Q&A where students will hear from Jackson as well as local professional and Special Olympics athletes about the state of sports and media. In the evening, Jackson will broadcast his JR SportBrief® show LIVE, nationwide on CBS Sports Radio from campus, with select students and athletes participating in pre-production and on-air interviews. In addition, during each show, Jackson will feature an "Experian Financial Fitness Player of the Day" to encourage consumers to focus on financial fitness as well as physical fitness.

"I'm always asked by students and entrepreneurs about how I started the JR SportBrief® show on YouTube with millions of views and then transitioned to television and now have my own show on CBS Sports Radio," explains Jackson. "I love sharing what I've learned about sports media and its evolution whether it's digital or traditional mediums. This is an excellent way for me to give back, while also encouraging diversity and inclusion along the way. Fostering an inclusive environment in the sports media space doesn't stop with gender or race, which is why I'm proud to team up with Special Olympics, who I've been involved with for many years, to spread the message of inclusivity for all."

"JR is more than a friend of the Special Olympics movement, he's an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities through an unwavering message of inclusion," said Jason Teitler, SVP, Global Communications and Brand Lead at Special Olympics. "This tour is proof of his dedication towards changing attitudes and behaviors across the nation, campus to campus. We are thrilled to take the message of inclusion on the road with JR to further open eyes through stories of Special Olympics programming in sport, education, health and leadership."

As part of the tour, Experian will work with Jackson to help educate students about the role credit plays in unlocking their financial future, which is a critical step in every young person's development.

"Learning about credit is one of the best ways to protect your financial health, yet many young people transition to adulthood without having learned the important role credit plays in unlocking financial opportunities," said Jeff Softley, President of Experian's Direct to Consumer Business. "We applaud JR's work and are thankful for the opportunity to reach college students and sports fans with credit education."

For years, Jackson has been a sports media leader all while giving back to the community. In 2009, he turned a love for sports, music and the internet into a full-time career delivering interviews and content from a fan's perspective while amassing more than 80 million views online. In 2015, while attending the Special Olympics World Games as a member of the media, Jackson was awestruck by the participating athletes, level of competition and overall entire event and quickly became a fan and supporter of Special Olympics.

Jackson has shared his perspective around the world while covering multiple Olympic Games, Super Bowls, Final Fours and has interviewed world class celebrities, athletes, and leaders, including Pelé, Usain Bolt, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, and the late Kobe Bryant.

The JR SportBrief® show airs weeknights on over 300 CBS Sports stations nationwide from 10:00 p.m. -2:00 a.m. ET and Saturdays afternoons on WFAN New York. Additionally, Jackson has been a contributor for V-103 and 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, CNN Headline News, SNY TV, Bleacher Report, while serving as a basketball analyst and fantasy expert for NBA TV.

For more information on the "Media for the Movement" college tour, please visit http://jrsportbrief.com/media-for-the-movement-tour.

About Special Olympics

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics in a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than six million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries and territories and more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics deliver more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us at www.SpecialOlympics.orgTwitterFacebookYouTubeInstagramLinkedIn and our blog on Medium.

SOUCS is a program for schools' Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments. SOUCS is composed of nearly 8,000 schools across the U.S., including over 300 colleges and universities. Learn more at GenerationUnified.org.

About Experian

Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments — from buying a home or a car to sending a child to college to growing a business by connecting with new customers — we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime. We have 17,800 people operating across 44 countries, and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people, and innovation to help all our clients maximize every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the Group.