Sports journalism student applies multi-faceted training at Liberty to internship with NBC Sports

Thanks to her love of sports, eagerness to make use of every opportunity to grow, and her trust in the Lord, Liberty University senior Annie Cory carried her training and enthusiasm for sports journalism into a yearlong internship with NBC Sports.

Cory applied for the internship in the Digital and Editorial division of NBC Sports and after multiple interviews was hired in Fall 2022. Throughout the fall and spring, she worked remotely while continuing to study residentially at Liberty. Her main projects included waking up early to make video clips out of that morning’s “Pro Football Talk” program, watching games and assembling a highlight reel, and creating compilations or montages. Her work was posted either on NBC Sports’ website or YouTube channel. In the spring, she was able to expand into the editorial side by writing web articles and was invited to conclude her internship this past summer by working in-person at NBC Sports’ office in Stamford, Conn.

“It was very surreal to see my name under the heading of a company that I have loved for so long,” Cory said. “‘Sunday Night Football’ (NBC’s NFL game coverage) has always been one of my favorite things, and I’ve watched so much that NBC puts out, so to be able to see my name on their website has been crazy. I feel so blessed that God would create these opportunities for me; it’s so incredible. It’s cool to be a part of something like sports that makes people happy, and I’m one of those people that loves it too.”

She said her coworkers were helpful in allowing her to explore and grow her skill set.

“Getting to be (in Stamford) in person was great because I got to meet my coworkers who I had been talking with over Teams for almost a year and also be introduced to so many more people,” she said. “I was really blessed to have an amazing manager who would always check in on me and helped me get connected with the editorial side. Everyone there was so welcoming and willing to help me, and I feel like I left with so many tools and pieces of advice I can apply at Liberty and in the rest of my career.”

She said all of her experience at Liberty, from her classes to her work with Liberty Broadcast Experience (Liberty’s broadcasting team) and the “Liberty Champion” (the university’s student-run newspaper), formed a great foundation for her internship. Starting behind the camera with LBX, Cory is now primarily in front of the camera as a sideline reporter at the Flames ACHA Division I Men’s Hockey games. She is in her second year as the sports editor for the “Liberty Champion.”

“Liberty gave me that base understanding that I was then able to apply to the internship, and I grew from there,” Cory said. “I was able to show them that I’m capable of a lot of different things, that just because I’m studying sports journalism doesn’t mean I’m limited to that. Liberty does a great job of making sure that we are multi-faceted and versatile in our skills. Going to NBC in person, I didn’t feel like there was anything they showed me that I hadn’t already been introduced to at Liberty. I told the people at NBC about everything that I’ve been able to do just as a student here, and even they were blown away by the opportunities we get.”

Sports journalism has a special place in Cory’s heart. Out of her own fandom of the San Francisco 49ers, Cory runs a personal website and social media accounts where she posts news about the NFL team. She said she cherishes the interactions she has with Liberty’s players and coaches who, like her, are able to freely express their faith at Liberty while engaging with their passion for athletics.

“I love interviewing people, and I love the process during the week leading up to the game of getting to call the away coach, talk to our coach, get the players to talk too, and having it all come together,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be able to tell the stories of these athletes who are doing amazing things for God. The athletes here inspire me to make Christ evident in everything I do, even if I end up working somewhere where I can’t explicitly talk about Him.”

Cory has continued to be involved in NBC Sports as she has begun her senior year, now working part time with the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) department to create content for college athletes who have a deal with NBC. She will also continue contributing to the digital video team that she met through her internship.

When it comes to plans after graduation, Cory said she is remaining open to whatever God has in store for her, noting that He has already done so much.

“I’m excited to see what’s next. It would be a dream to work at NBC, but I keep praying about it and I know that God has blessed me so far with a path that’s best for me,” she said. “I’m just going to keep following God’s guidance and see what He has for me.”