Last month, Kathryn Tappen JMS’03, a sports journalist who has covered the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the Stanley Cup Final, and many more of the world’s most-watched sporting events for NBC, the National Hockey League (NHL), and TNT Sports, returned to SC&I to visit the Critical Issues in Sports Media class taught by Professor of Professional Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies Steven Miller.

Tappen told the aspiring journalists about her journey as a sportscaster, and she discussed the importance of credible journalism, how to cope with professional rejection, and current issues in the media industry.

She stressed honesty in reporting (don’t make up quotes!) and she cautioned students to learn to accept professional rejection, because it takes time to break into the sports journalism field. She said, “It just takes one person to believe in you” so “surround yourself with people who support you.”

When asked what she enjoyed most about coming back to Rutgers to speak to Miller’s students, she said, “Anytime I can come back here I am always excited. It brings back so many memories of when I was a student. I was just so impressed with the questions that everyone had for me today, the pure curiosity and the intrigue of what I do for a living, and the fact that we were able to have really thoughtful conversations was inspiring for me. I hope it was for the students too.”

Tappen currently hosts “NHL Now” for the NHL Network and is covering the Stanley Cup Playoffs for TNT. As a journalist who has continuously covered a wide variety of sports, she stressed that to be successful, it’s important to surround oneself with other hard-working professionals.

While majoring in journalism and media studies at SC&I, Tappen was also an athlete: she was a member of the Rutgers track and field and cross-country teams. She told the class that her experiences as a Division One athlete helps her approach the athletes she interviews with more understanding and compassion.

In our conversation with Tappen, learn more about why she chose to attend Rutgers, the professors and classes that had the greatest impact on her, and what it’s like to cover major sporting events.

Why did you choose to attend SC&I and major in Journalism and Media Studies?
KT: I knew when I was a little girl I wanted to be a broadcaster. I knew journalism was always going to be my course of study. I chose Rutgers because I was being recruited as a cross-country/track athlete, and Rutgers offered the best of so many worlds: a great school of journalism to pursue my dreams, close to home so my parents could attend my cross country and track meets, and a wonderful opportunity to pursue athletics at the Division One level, which I never believed would be possible. My uncle, Thomas Tappen ’63, is a HOF’er in the Rutgers Athletics program (football), and he was very proud when I decided to attend RU! 

Steve Miller was my very first journalism professor at RU, teaching a large 101 class my freshman year. He will always be the first one I remember as having an impact on my studies. 

What classes/professors had the greatest impact on you during your time at SC&I and why?
KT: Steve Miller was my very first journalism professor at RU, teaching a large 101 class my freshman year. He will always be the first one I remember as having an impact on my studies. I had to get up so early and bus to another campus just to make his class on time! But the enthusiasm with which he taught, and his true passion for the subject matter, combined with his love of his students, made Prof. Miller one of my most favorite and memorable. Another professor with great impact on me was the late Roger Cohen RC ’65. Prof. Cohen developed and taught Rutgers courses in broadcast news, writing, radio production, and TV programming, many of which I took. He would always tell me stories about my uncle, whom he attended RU with and called many of his football games for WRSU radio. Roger continued to stay in touch with me until his death, and I will forever be grateful for his mentorship and support.

What’s the day-to-day reporting process like, and how do you prepare for covering each sport?
KT: Each sport I cover is different, and no two weeks are alike. That being said, my preparation never wavers. Preparation to cover the many sports I do requires discipline and constant research. I always have my eyes on the sports I cover, even in their off season when I am covering another in-season sport. Communicating with valuable sources in each sport helps me prepare and stay on top of the latest big stories.

Each sport I cover is different, and no two weeks are alike. That being said, my preparation never wavers. Preparation to cover the many sports I do requires discipline and constant research.

What was it like to cover major events like the Super Bowl, The Olympics, etc?
KT: There’s nothing like covering the biggest events on the grandest stages.  I actually did something for my first Olympics that I did at the starting line of an NCAA cross country or track meet at Rutgers: took a giant deep breath! You want to soak in the moment, enjoy it, and know that you did everything you can to prepare right up until that red light goes on and we are LIVE.  Preparation for a Super Bowl, Olympics, Stanley Cup Final, is no different than the way I prepare for every other event I do, but the feeling that this is BIG is certainly in the air. You feel that, and thrive on it. It’s an honor to be a part of these huge events. You see what a mass production it is, and how the many people who are your teammates come together to make a great show. 

What’s your favorite sport to report on and why?
KT: I am blessed to cover many of my favorite sports, and I love the fact that I cover a multitude of them, rather than focus on one. It keeps me sharp, provides a challenge for me, keeps me entertained, and keeps me versatile to any employer who may want to hire me. I love the thrills, the sounds, the smells, the people, in all the sports I cover. There’s nothing like primetime kickoff for Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC, and there’s nothing like the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There’s great joy seeing a PGA/LPGA Tour player grind out their first career win on tour, and there’s pure humor and fun covering "The Match” with some of sports biggest stars. Each event makes me appreciate what I do for a living, and I am so grateful I cover such a variety of amazing moments in sports.

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major at the School of Communication and Information on the website.

Photo: Used with permission from Kathryn Tappen and Steven Miller