Sports Writer, Rocky Mount (N.C.) Telegram

The Rocky Mount (N.C.) Telegram, an award-winning daily, seeks a talented journalist with strong writing, reporting, editing and design skills for its Sports department. This position is for an aggressive, hard-working individual who regularly meets lofty goals. The position requires someone who is versatile, able to handle an assortment of different duties. We cover all levels -- recreational to professional -- and have beat writers for North Carolina State, North Carolina and Duke who also cover 11 high schools, the local Division III college, Double-A Carolina Mudcats, Carolina Hurricanes and Carolina Panthers. The staff also shares page design duties. There are three full-time and three part-time members of the department. Must have strong grammar and fact-checking abilities, and must be familiar with AP style. InDesign experience is a plus. Must work well on deadline and be ready to work nights and weekends. Must have a college degree. Must have a good understanding of the digital movement and how to prioritize the Internet as a medium. Multimedia experience is a plus. Most alumni have moved on to larger, prominent newspapers/publications.

Send resume, cover letter, references and four to six diverse clips to show a spectrum of writing skills. Two to three tear sheets, showing design skills, is preferred as well.

Feel free to e-mail with any questions.

Ben Jones
Sports Editor
Rocky Mount Telegram
1000 Hunter Hill Road
P.O. Box 1080
Rocky Mount, NC 27802
bjones@coxnc.com

 

Ben, heard that there was a freeze here a few weeks ago, good to hear that things seem a bit better.
Rocky Mount is a good gig with a GREAT reputation of moving writers on to other places.
The town is not bad, and I've spent many an evening at the Outback there.

 

Roy --

I appreciate the kind words. No freeze, though the higher-ups have been cautious with hires for several months now. Like most companies, our executives are watching the trends and market forecasts with a close eye. We continue to produce the best product possible.

 

And a well-deserved GREAT reputation, at that. Lot of talented writers have honed their skills at Rocky Mount, including some I'm proud to call friends.

 

If you are not one of Mizzou's studs, this is the best job in the country for persons in their first two years in the business.
You have a high school culture that actually wants news, not fluff. You can write just about whatever you want, and rarely will you hear complaints.
The opportunity is there to do some great stuff with the ACC. One of Ben's big pushes when he came was for the section to become a player on Tobacco Road, and that has happened. Rocky Mount was the first paper to report on chemistry problems with N.C. State's basketball team and also wrote probably the definitive feature on Duke's Kyle Singler during his freshman year.
Ben will push you. Like most good editors, he's not going to be easy on you. But he's fair, and demanding. That's good. It made me a better writer, and reporter.
Yes, you're going to have your fair share of layout responsibilities. But, in this day and age, it's only going to make you more valuable. I have my current job in part because the editors knew I could handle a desk shift or two a week without the quality of the section suffering.
Former Rocky Mount staffers (in the last four years) are now working at the Orlando Sentinel, Sporting News Today, NASCAR Scene, the Myrtle Beach Sun News, the Fayetteville Observer and the Bloomington Herald-Times.
As should be fairly obvious, I am familiar with this paper. Feel free to pm.

 

this job was posted in the early summer...should it be assumed that candidates who applied the first time shouldn't bother throwing their hat in again?

 

What kind of travel with the ACC teams?

 

You'll never know unless you try.

The Telegram went to the ACC tourney in Tampa, and covered the ACC tournament and NCAA tournament until the Final Four this year.

 

So if you are, is this supposed to be beneath you or something? Stud or not, I don't think anyone in their first two years could afford that attitude.

 

Idea being that the "studs" start at the 100k and up. If you can do that, why start at a 15k in eastern North Carolina?

 

Fair enough.

 

This is not the same position as the one we had open in late spring/early summer. We have a different opening in the department. The duties are exactly the same. If you applied to the previous position we had available, you will need to contact me (bjones@coxnc.com) and let me know that you are interested. I'll let you know if I still have your materials, though I'll ask for any updates/fresh clips.