Assistant sports editor, Middletown, NY

The Times Herald-Record (80,000 daily circulation), a progressive tabloid located in the New York City suburbs, is seeking an assistant sports editor/slot editor to lead the desk at night. We cover the NYC pro teams, 40 high schools and seven colleges, including Army, and have been named a Top 10 Sunday section by the Associated Press Sports Editors the past two years. We need an editor who can work closely with the sports editor to plan compelling coverage and ensure our pages are dynamic and well-edited.
Send resume and work examples to:
Doug Mohart
sports editor
Times Herald-Record
40 Mulberry St.
Middletown, NY 10940

 

Doug, if this person drives hours for an interview on their own dime, will you at least give them the courtesy of a phone call later?

 

Doug's a good guy. I'm not sure exactly how long he's had the sports editor title, but he's been running the department for a long time -- certainly through their string of APSE success. I'm sure that section has had its share of crunched space, like anyone else, but the THR packs a lot of stuff into their daily sports report. There are worse places you can go, and many worse people you could work for.

 

The executive editor there used to be with ESPN Magazine, too. Having the higher-ups with that kind of interest in sports is definitely a positive.

 

I've met Levine and he seems like a good guy, but I wouldn't say he's a sports guy. I believe ESPN mag was his only sports gig -- he was editor in Middletown, went to ESPN mag as a senior editor, then went back to his old job in Middletown. He was a news reporter and columnist before that. An AME also came from ESPN mag, can't remember his name.

It's a pretty literary paper for its size, more emphasis on writing and storytelling than one might think. They have pretty scattershot coverage of the NYC pros -- if I were a reader, I would find it frustrating tying to follow pro sports in that paper. But while I disagree with their philosophy, I will say that they do what they do well.

 

Frank is right. The editor used the hockey editor job as an escape chute from the paper during some dark times, but he missed the news. He made reference to the job in at least one column shortly after he returned. It sounded like he missed being a hot-shot editor, not being in sports. And that's not a bad thing. He doesn't micromanage the sports department.

 

When I was out of work 4 years ago, this paper had a prep opening I applied for. And while Doug took -- IMO -- the path of least resistance by hiring someone who lived "six hours away," he was friendly, forthright and willing to spend time talking to me about it and other things, one of which being my willingness to move from California for the position.

You could work for worst people in this biz... and you probably do.

 

That AME is Terry Egan, who's now front page editor but also has some sports oversight, I believe.

 

Quality paper for its circulation, their prep coverage includes my old high school. I'm not sure 85 miles from NYC qualifies as suburbs, however, but maybe that's the definition of suburbs nowadays.

 

I don't think it's 85 miles. Maybe 75, but one of their three big counties -- Orange -- starts about 45 minutes from Manhattan.

 

I've been to their office. That's a haul from the city, even if you don't get caught in traffic.

 

I consider myself lucky to know both Terry Egan and Mike Levine.

If I remember correctly, Terry was working at the DMN before going to ESPN.
As for Mike's sports background -- he was writing features as a freelancer for ESPN Mag before taking over as the hockey editor there. He and Terry have also co-authored several sports books for children.

You will not find two better people in the business (but I'm biased, because I consider Mike my greatest mentor).