Nacho Martín, Video Journalist at EFE news agency and professor at the Master's Degree in Communications and Sports Journalism, tells us the keys to enter and develop into an industry as dynamic as sports journalism.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen during your career as a camera man?
I’ve been able to witness a wide range of all kind of situations, however, more than choosing one specifically, I always think about the greatness of witnessing first hand a lot of incredible things, both good and bad.
What do you think that are the key skills that a good TV camera man should have?
I would say that at the moment, the professional landscape has changed a lot. I don’t consider myself a TV camera man, in fact, I don’t work for TV, I work for a news agency that uses the multimedia format to broadcast the information. That transformation has made me be more versatile and be able to learn how to use new working tools. Now it is not only about the video camera, it’s about photography, mobile phone… I’ve also been editing videos for over two decades.
Overall, I would say that I needed to evolve in order to continue being a valuable professional in a digital environment.
What is it that you demand of your students during the practical case in the master?
More than a demand, I try for them to understand how digital convergence makes you work with tools in a transversal way: video, audio, photos, text…
Have you ever meet a public person who has had a big impact on your way of seeing the world?
I’ve met countless public people, however, the one who had a bigger impact on me was Carl Sagan, an astronomer, astrophysicist and educator. His TV programme, Cosmos, was for me, back in the 80s a motivation to see and explain things.
What’s the tip you’ve never forgotten?
I don’t think that there’s a unique tip… But there are some that were given to me a few years ago that helped me face new challenges when I was already a “veteran” and it was basically to combine my experience with a young attitude when it came to learning new things and being curious. This is key for my career.
Which tip would you share with the students joining this academic year at the school to study Sports journalism?
I think what I mentioned yesterday that learning and curiosity is key, but also to learn how to work in a team, and to keep learning talents and skills of their professional environment, which in many cases is a bit individualistic and commercialized.
Do you want to know more? The Master in Communication and Sports Journalism teaches what sports journalism is about and how it works, by analysing how the industry’s professional and social dimension has evolved nationally and internationally