Reporter for a day is a new initiative by RCS Sport that aims to bring secondary-school children closer to the world of journalism and sports writing, by involving them in cycling races and looking at those cycling brands that informed and thrilled cycling fans for many years.
The first edition of the project was organised last year, focusing on the Giro d’Italia. From this spring onwards, however, the project will also cover the Classics that are organized, just like the Corsa Rosa, by RCS Sport: Strade Bianche (6 March), Tirreno Adriatico (10 – 16 March), Milano-Sanremo (20 March), Milano-Torino (6 October), Gran Piemonte (7 October) and Il Lombardia (9 October). The Giro takes place between 8 and 30 May.
The initiative (which was originally called “Chroniclers for a day”) will eventually select one student to participate in one of the stages of the race, giving them access to the press room of Giro d’Italia or another cycling Classic. From their own workstation, students will enjoy a chance to write a piece (either an article or a sports essay) narrating their experience of the race, written through the lens of a young reporter. At the end of the stage, or day-race, they will see their work published on the official website of the Giro d’Italia.
This 2021, RCS Sport aims to consolidate the “Reporter for a day” project, extend its duration (from March to October) and involve the starting cities for all its races, too. The new format will be modified from its original set-up and enriched with new content and experiences.
For starting cities, where there are no press conference rooms (which are only located at the finish line of each stage), the contest will focus on photography rather than writing.
In preparation for racing events, teachers will encourage children to reflect on the importance of images in media and communications, and show them how to use phones and/or cameras for this purpose. The winners for each day of competition will see their photos published in the dedicated section of the official website of the event in which they take part.
Reporter for a day represents a unique opportunity for those who want to develop their interest in journalism and sports photography.