As a young African-American journalist, it is always a blessing to meet other young journalist who share similar paths in the journey of life. I was introduced to sports and entertainment journalist Landon Buford via a mutual friend and since I’ve begun to tune into his journey, I decided to share his life with you.
I caught up with Landon to find out what sparked his love for writing and how he broke into the industry. Read and checkout my Q&A with Landon Buford.
*Terrell Thomas questions in Bold
*Landon Buford answers in Italic
1.) How did your journey begin? What sparked your interest to become a sports journalist?
I have always been a fan of sports, but I learned at a young age that I was going to be a professional athlete. So, I wanted to still be close to sports in some type of way and reporting on them was closest thing I could come up with. I actually began as a music journalist and switched over to covering sports.
2.) Covering the NBA is dream job for many but there is a lot of work to make it to that level. What was your most challenging experience in this journey?
The most challenging thing for me was getting credentials the platform I work with had the following but had never been credentialed by the NBA at the time. Once I was able to convince the right individuals it open the door for people behind me.
3.) You cover the Dallas Mavericks. What are your thoughts on the Mavs 2019-20 season?
I think they will surprise a lot of people this season. The combination of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis is going to be a problem for opposing defenses and will provide open looks for their teammates. I think they will end up in the 7th or 8th seed in the west this season.
4.) You have done freelance work for several publications. How do those opportunities present themselves?
A lot of cold calling emails to editors at different publications. I got a lot of no’s, but I also got a lot of yes’s as well.
5.) This could be the most interesting season ever in the NBA. Who do you have meeting in the NBA Finals?
I think the Los Angeles Lakers in the West barring any injuries and in the East the Milwaukee Bucks I think they are too stacked this year.
6.) What advice would you share with up and coming sports journalist?
Start your own website to build your resume and your own brand. It will be beneficial in the long run.
7.) What do you think is holding up the Cowboys from signing Dak Prescott to the big time deal?
I think deep down the Dallas Cowboys don’t think he is their quarterback of the future. I think they will place the non-exclusive franchise tag on him in the offseason and collect draft picks.
8.) You also write in the Entertainment field. What has been your favorite story from your entertainment work?
I tell people this all the time my favorite entertainment story is when I interviewed What’s Trending’s Co-founder Shira Lazar. She began her career under the CBS umbrella, but a hoax story involving the late Steve Jobs a couple of years ago caused Lazar and CBS to part way in fact she didn’t find out that CBS was letting her go until she landed at her destination. At the time the hoax was that Jobs had passed away and one of her writers picked up the story like a lot of other publications and it turned out it wasn’t true at the time.
What intrigued me about her story is that did not discourage her from her journey. It also taught me to build my own brand that way if something happens that is out of your control, you will always have something to fall back on.
9.) What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Continue to build my brand and running a business that features a full-time staff covering news that they enjoy discussing throughout the day.
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