by Molly Chaple
The College of Journalism and Mass Communications welcomes Assistant Professor John Shrader, who will serve as coordinator of the new Sports Media and Communication major. He comes to the CoJMC with a background in all aspects of sports media and broadcasting presentation, reporting and writing.
Shrader received his bachelor’s degree at the CoJMC before working in television in Kearney and Hastings, Nebraska. Shrader returns to University of Nebraska–Lincoln after 30 years of working in the San Francisco area. He also taught for six years at California State University in Long Beach, where he taught journalism, sports and broadcast classes.
His Bay Area resume includes 15 years at KNBR, one of the top sports radio stations in the country, where he was one of the first radio reporters to cover a professional football team full time. Shrader covered the San Fransisco 49’ers year-round for nearly a decade, while also fulfilling his duties as anchor, reporter and talk show host. Shrader covered a number of Super Bowls, World Series and Major League Baseball All-Star Games throughout his career.
On television, Shrader was an announcer for teams such as the Oakland Athletics and Golden State Warriors. In 2009, he won an Emmy award for his work as host and reporter on a Stanley Cup playoff game. He also produced an award-winning documentary film, “Conflicted: The Barry Bonds Home Run Chase,” about the media coverage of Bonds’ chase for the all-time home run record. Shrader’s other documentaries include “Baseball’s Social Gathering,” an examination of the new digital and social media reporting responsibilities of those who cover MLB.
As a long-time observer of sport, Shrader’s scholarship focuses on broadcast presentation and representation, national identity of sport, ethics and social media. Shrader will be teaching sports and broadcasting courses this year at the CoJMC.
"I'm excited to be here with faculty and staff who are so committed to the student experience, to work in a college with great resources and an impressive reputation," Shrader said.
Shrader has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the CoJMC and and a master’s degree in mass communications from San Jose State University.
