Aiken (S.C.) Standard, sports writer

Description:
The Aiken Standard, a 17,000 circulation daily in historic Aiken, S.C., is seeking a sports writer. The ideal candidate will be skilled in writing sports stories and features on a variety of athletic pursuits. InDesign (Quark acceptable), experience is desired but not required. This position will include reporting on high school and college sports in the area, designing pages and working to continue the strong product the sports staff has established. Interested applicants should send a resume and clips to sports edtior Cam Huffman at chuffman@aikenstandard.com.

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=824197

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The paper's sports section gone downhill since the sports editor left to go to across the river to the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle. But there's an opportunity to get good clips. I worked here twice (once in sports, once in news). PM me for details.

 

Turnover is high here but could be thre right fit for the right person.

 

Aiken is a pretty decent place and it's close to Augusta, which is a great mid-sized city. The nightlife in Augusta is first-rate.

The paper itself is part of the small chain owned by the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier. All of their papers are good quality. I looked on the Standard's Web site and they have a three-man sports staff, not too bad for a 17K paper. As for the pay, I haven't a clue.

 

If I had to guess, pay would be less than $25K probably.

 

And remember that 99 percent of SC is extremely cheap. 25 ain't great. But you're not going to be eating ramen either.

 

Well, the sales tax in SC is 5%, or it was when I lived in Augusta.

Aiken has a Div. II school, USC Aiken, an independent baseball team, the Foxhounds, who play at the USC ballpark, which is a nice stadium. The baseball coach pays for other teams to travel there out of conference and used a lot of his travel money to help build the stadium.

They have some horse races there as well.

Augusta is about 20-30 minutes from there, Columbia is about 40 minutes, Atlanta is there hours and Charlotte is probably an hour and a half, so you have some variety. Charleston isn't too far either and you have Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach not that far either.

Some great courses in the area as well.

 

I spent almost 3 years at the Standard and it is a good gig in many ways. I agree the sports product has slipped some since the former sports editor left.
SC as a whole is not too expensive to live in, but Aiken can be a pricey addy as there is a lot of money in that little town.
The area coaches are good folks and Brad at USC Aiken the SID is as nice a guy as you could ever want to work with.
The newsroon has changed a good bit in the almost 2 years that I have been gone, but the managing editor and city editor are pretty good guys.
Be prepared to work hard, as you will take photos, layout pages, print plates at times and even become a computer tech at other times.
But you will learn a lot that you will carry over to any other job. It is a good place to get clips as you get to cover a thriving youth sports scene as well as rowing, powerboat racing and all the golf you could ever want.
Just be forewarned, if they say you have to cover the Dixie Jr. Boys World Seris, run for the hills.
If you have an questions about the job feel free to pm me I will help as much as I can.

 

An offer has been made, according to their editor

 

I take it you haven't lived in Augusta? Maybe been there for Masters week? Because I don't remember Augusta's nightlife being "first-rate" during my two years in town.
When I just asked my wife to describe Augusta's nightlife, she answered, "Dull."

Not trying to dismiss Augusta, just questioning the lofty rating. Nothing wrong with living there or anything...

 

That was quick.

 

Clay Aiken?

 

Not really. The job was posted and then re-posted I believe