Who Am I
My name is Emma Cain and I am a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am a Journalism major at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC, concentrating in sports broadcasting. I believe that sports create a community, connecting people and bringing them together. I strive to strengthen that sense of community and the passion fans have by connecting them with the players and teams that they cheer for.
I have always loved both participating in and watching sports. I remember being five years old, sitting in my PJs at 6:00 a.m. watching my brother and his teammates play hockey. I knew all the players on my brother’s team, their positions, numbers, nicknames, and favorite foods. I found myself falling in love with hockey, determined to attend and learn from each game. My love for the game eventually transitioned to watching the Carolina Hurricanes. I enjoyed watching the professional games and I soon realized that my favorite moments were when the broadcasting team would make me feel connected to the players, just like the connection I had to my brother’s teams.
The Canes’ broadcasters would tell a small story, a joke, or even something simple like calling a player by his nickname, anything that turned the professionals into real people. This drove me to want to become that bridge, to be the reporter that helped to connect the athletes to their cheering fans. My dream of being a sideline reporter has only grown since having been accepted to one of the best journalism schools in the country, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
Wanting to get real world experience along with taking classes, I interviewed and earned the position to be a host and reporter for the UNC Hockey team. I interview players and deliver intermission reports shown on Instagram that help to connect fans to both the game and the players. I have also worked to increase UNC Hockey’s social media presence, helping their TikTok grow by 4,000 followers, and have doubled their Instagram followers (now over 10,000). This summer, I will be interning with The Burlington Sock Puppets baseball team, ready to experience another sport that I love. I will be interviewing coaches and players as well as promoting their social media. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to help connect fans to the game. Since being at Carolina, I have found love for both football and basketball, it is hard to be at UNC without feeling the magic of both. I look forward to working in sports, helping to connect fans of all sports to the athletes they idolize. A team would not exist without its fans and I want to foster a true connection between the two.
My Experiences
Sports Xtra Reporter
Sports Reporter for student-led bi-weekly sports broadcast covering UNC athletics. Creating proposals, conducting interviews, filming, editing and producing on-air sports packages. Filming and writing scripts for on-air production covering all UNC Sports. Working in the control room with an understanding of Inception, Xpression, cameras and teleprompter. I am the head baseball reporter. I have produced our Friday’s show.
Media Intern Burlington Sock Puppets
December 2023- August 2024
I create content for all social media platforms to promote the team and items we sell. I have collaborated on ideas for promotion nights and helped integrate each idea with the team jerseys, game day music, special food offerings, interactive stations.
Sideline and Intermission Reporter for UNC Hockey
August 2023- Current
I interview players and coaches during and after the games to foster a connection between the fans of the team and the players. I act as a bridge by hosting pregame and intermission reports, communicating important moments of the game to people who are unable to be there in person.
Social Media Manager and Sideline Reporter ACCHL All-Star Weekend
April 2024
I worked to promote the social media presence for the team to gain more followers and awareness for the ACCHL (Atlantic Coastal Collegiate Hockey League) organization and the All-Star Weekend. I interviewed players and created graphics for intermission score updates and final game score posts. I posted Instragram reels to produce engagement and excitement. I also edited photos for the ACCHL webpage and Instagram.
