By Erik Hall
Kwani A. Lunis is the social media coordinator for NBC Sports Boston
What made you interested in sports journalism?
Kwani A. Lunis: I think it was the summer before senior year [of college]. I realized that broadcasting even existed, or media even existed. I had been managing the [Boston College] women’s basketball team at the time. … Then, I found a conference where I was able to meet more people, and I realized it was attainable.
What made you know about sports journalism then?
KL: I think I had an idea that it existed.
The National Association of Black Journalists, one of my friends she came from Miami, and she remembered the conference being in Florida one year, in Orlando. She said, “Why don’t you look up NABJ and see what they’re about. I’m not really sure, but I have an idea that you might be interested.”
And when I looked it up, that year they were actually in Boston. It was perfect because I was staying on campus for the summer, so I wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel. I got some kind of registration assistance. I just signed up and went to it.
Obviously, I was scared the first day because I didn’t know anyone and was just throwing myself out there, but after meeting people that I had seen on TV and writers and all kinds of people that were covering sports or just doing journalism in general, I was like, “This is cool, and this can actually happen, so let me try to give it a shot.”
Why do you think your friend thought you’d be interested in NABJ?
KL: She knew I loved sports, but I don’t know. I wasn’t involved in journalism at the time.
I was a communications major, and I started taking
production classes, because those were things that were fulfilling my major anyway. After racking them all up, I kind of came to the conclusion — I don’t know if I ever had that “Ah hah” moment, where I was like this is what I want to do — but I think there was point where I was clear I wanted to do sports journalism. And I guess I was telling a lot of people to the point where they were just looking out for me.
Why did you want to be an APSE Diversity Fellow?
KL: When I found out about APSE, obviously, I was curious about it.
Someone who didn’t grow up really knowing the behind the scenes of print in general. It was an opportunity for me to explore that side but also just learn from journalists. Obviously, broadcasters and photogs, everyone is a journalist when it comes to what we do, but especially with the conference and the judging that we’ve had so far, I’ve really come to appreciate print more because I see their grind. I’ve learned so much about how stories are told via print, especially during judging. I was taken aback by all the good stories that there were.
They say print is dying, and I’m like, “I hope it’s not dying because all these good stories, no one is able to read because they’re not taking chance to find them.”
It was a great opportunity to see a different side of the industry, and honestly, I’m not disappointed. I’ve learned so much from it.
It is different, but I feel like writing and print is where a lot of those stories get lost because people aren’t willing to give the time of day to those stories.
What would be your dream interview?
KL: It would be Beyoncé. I know that’ super cliché.
And I’m not a part of the Bee Hive or anything. I’ve just admired the fact that she has stayed relevant for so long and been able to master her craft for as long as she has.
If you could fix something about journalism, what would it be and why?
KL: It’d be the diversity. I really believe that when you have different voices telling stories that there are a lot of different things that could come from it.
There is a difference between, for example, a black male athlete talking to a while male and a black athlete talking to a black male trying to tell his story, because they come from different backgrounds.
Not to say that the black man always comes from the same background as the other black man. But I think if that is the case, maybe that man is able to get story from him versus a guy who doesn’t really understand his experiences and doesn’t know what questions to ask because of it.
