Ben Dackiw’s pursuit of a TV sports anchor/reporter job became frustrating enough that he considered adjusting his goals. “I thought about making a new reel dedicated to my news work, but decided to stay the course and stick with sports,” he recalls. “I just stayed hopeful and kept putting my name out there. All it took was that one bite to get this first job.”
That first job for the December 2023 University of Oklahoma grad is as a sports anchor/reporter at KFYR TV in Bismarck, ND.
“After applying to jobs all over the country, I applied to this opening and got a response the next day. Getting a sports reporter job fresh out of college is a dream come true for me.”
Dackiw appreciates all that his new opportunity has to offer. “A lot of people who work in this field have to do news for their first job. I get to report and anchor for my first real reporting job in a part of the country I’ve never seen before. It’s a brand new adventure.”
Sportscasting has always been Dackiw’s goal. “There’s never been a plan B and there’s never been anything else I’ve wanted to do.”
As comfortable as Dackiw is on camera, he admits that self-confidence has sometimes been a challenge. “It might sound silly, but looking at myself on camera felt weird. It wasn’t until I was deep into my senior year of college when I realized I can really do this.”
Dackiw joined STAA in October at the suggestion of his college friend and fellow STAA member Matt Bowling. “Matt told me about the opportunities and just the know-how that comes with STAA,” Dackiw states. “I don’t think there was a single job opening in the country I didn’t know about.”
Dackiw’s perseverance through his early sportscasting job market frustration has paid off.
“I never gave up hope and had great people around me.”