ESPN Deportes Dream Job: El Reportero Kicks Off Nationwide Search
October 25, 2013
ESPN Deportes announced the return of Dream Job: El Reportero, the nationwide search to find the final member joining the network’s team of soccer experts in Brazil to report from the world’s biggest soccer stage, World Cup 2014. The contest will launch at a live casting event in Los Angeles November 3 at the Regal Theater at L.A. Live starting at 2:00 p.m. PST.
Returning for its third installment, ESPN Deportes will give aspiring sports journalists across the nation the chance to compete for the opportunity to serve as a social media reporter for ESPN Deportes in Brazil. Different from the previous casting tours, this year’s search will be driven by social media participation and supplemented by TV studio programs, the network’s top soccer talent, ESPNDeportes.com and ESPN Deportes Radio.
“As we prepare to provide unmatched coverage from Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, we embark on this search to find natural talent that will accurately reflect the passion of our sports fans,” said Rodolfo Martinez, Vice President, Production, ESPN International and Deportes. “Dream Job: El Reportero is a great opportunity to further connect fans with the ESPN Deportes brand while generating excitement and awareness of our news and information coverage around the most important soccer event.”
The live casting event in Los Angeles will provide an opportunity for fans to enter the contest in person by completing sports reporter challenges – some with ESPN Deportes talent. Following the event, all contestants from across the nation can participate by uploading their video submissions by December 16 at www.espndeportes.com/dreamjob
Beginning November 4, there will be six weekly challenges issued and eight finalists selected by December 20. Contestants will be judged by ESPN’s top sports commentators and production group on four main criteria: soccer knowledge, on-camera presence, reporting style and social media grasp. New challenges and finalists will be announced on the following dates:
Challenge Announcements:
• November 4 – Challenge 1
• November 11 – Challenge 2
• November 18 – Challenge 3
• November 25 – Challenge 4
• December 2 – Challenge 5
• December 9 – Challenge 6
Finalist Announcements:
• November 22 – Finalist 1
• November 29 – Finalist 2
• December 6 – Finalist 3
• December 13 – Finalist 4
• December 20 – Finalists 5, 6, 7 and 8
From January through March, the eight finalists will compete in various challenges and weekly online assignments; there will be four rounds of eliminations. During this time, #Redes, ESPN Deportes’ social media-driven show, will host segments in which finalists will participate in a lightning round of soccer trivia via video conference.
Following two rounds of elimination, the four remaining finalists will move on to the Mentoring Week, in which they will each be matched with a popular ESPN Deportes show, receiving real-world experience and professional training from talent and producers.
The winner will be announced on April 15, 2014. More details on the contest and key dates can be found on ESPNdeportes.com beginning November 3.
Past winners’ stories attest to the success of the Dream Job: El Reportero contest. Mauricio Pedroza began his sports journalism career with ESPN Deportes after winning the Dream Job contest in 2006. Pedroza had the opportunity to cover the World Cup in Germany, which prepared him for a successful career in the network. He currently serves as a SportsCenter anchor and commentator for Fútbol Picante and other shows. Another Dream Job winner, Daniela Rodriguez, traveled to South Africa to cover the World Cup in 2010. She currently hosts her own radio show Café ESPN on ESPN Deportes Radio in Houston.
Opportunities also presented themselves for those who participated in the competition up until the final stages. Jose Del Valle, a 2006 semifinalist, is part of one of the most renowned teams at ESPN Deportes, sitting alongside Jorge Ramos. Today, he serves as a commentator for Jorge Ramos & Su Banda, one of the network’s most watched programs which is also simulcast on ESPN Deportes Radio. Prior to this role, Del Valle was a writer for ESPN Deportes La Revista.
Participants must speak Spanish, be at least 21 years of age and be a legal resident of the United States with the ability to travel in and outside of the country in order to participate. No previous professional on-air experience in television or radio is required. Further show details, rules and eligibility requirements will be available on http://espndeportes.com/dreamjob on November 3, 2013.
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