When the World Cup arrived in the Kansas City region this summer, a group of students at the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications got a front-row seat to history — and a special opportunity to tell stories that extended far beyond the pitch.
KU Professor and Interim Sports Media & Society Chair Steve Bien-Aimé and KCUR Director of Journalism Lisa Rodriguez came up with the idea this spring: leverage the university's "Sports on the Beat" capstone course for journalism students to focus specifically on the World Cup.
The course was taught by Patricia Weems Gaston, the Lacy C. Haynes Professor of Journalism at KU and also a member of KCUR's Community Advisory Board. Weems Gaston recruited faculty members to work with six student journalists, and the students worked directly with editors and reporters from KCUR's newsroom.
They spent the tournament reporting on how Lawrence welcomed the Algerian men's national soccer team, the thousands of soccer fans and newfound Algeria supporters who cheered them on, and the impacts of the World Cup on the town itself.
"For KCUR, the students showcased the power of local journalism while also gaining real-world reporting experience," said KCUR News Director Madeline Fox. "They captured how sports can bring people from all over the world together in really special ways."
The students reported and wrote multiple digital stories, as well as developed multimedia content like photos and social media videos. Their stories captured the excitement of international audiences, and highlighted the local people and organizations that worked to make Lawrence feel like home for visiting players and supporters.
As well as covering local watch parties and the success of Team Algeria, students dug into an array of stories happening beyond the game scores, highlighting initiatives such as restaurants learning basic Arabic and French phrases to cater to visitors, and the local high school creating a welcome video for players. Their work was regularly featured in KCUR's Soccer City '26 newsletter, and in NPR's Soccer Edition coverage.
"They told stories of connection, culture, and community, and how this global event reshaped Lawrence during what is typically a 'sleepy time' — summer in a college town," Weems Gaston said.
Weems Gaston also noted that the process was an example of true teamwork.
"The students, faculty mentors, KCUR editors and the leadership at KU — specifically Interim Dean Scott Reinardy — all came together to make this a 'win' for the community," she said.
@kcur893 Students at Lawrence High School had just one day to shoot a welcome message for the Algerian National Team making their way to Kansas for the World Cup. Just before leaving for summer break, the school’s orchestra, cheerleaders, color guard, soccer team, other athletes and student clubs packed their football field to share how honored they were Lawrence had been chosen as the team’s base camp. Naomi Sui Pang, a sophomore at the University of Kansas spoke to the students and staff who put the welcome message together. KCUR is partnering with KU’s sports journalism capstone students for World Cup coverage this summer. 🎙️Interview and production by Naomi Sui Pang 🖥️ Editorial review by Zach Perez & Madeline Fox
♬ original sound - KCUR - Kansas City
