Associate Sports Editor, La Crosse, WI

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR The River Valley Newspaper Group, a division of Lee Enterprises (Davenport, Iowa), is seeking an energetic and experienced Associate Sports Editor to work mainly out of its La Crosse, WI, office. This individual will work directly with the Executive Sports Editor in planning, coordinating and producing sports sections for the La Crosse Tribune (circ. 32,000), Winona (Minn.) Daily News (circ. 12,000), as well as several weekly papers within the group. The individual will likely work two or three desk shifts per week, and must possess strong management skills to supervise a staff of 8 to 10 full-time and 2 part-time, be proficient in Microsoft Word and be able to create eye-catching designs in QuarkXpress. Being an ideas person is a must. The sports copy desk is located in the Tribune newsroom in La Crosse, a city of 50,000 on the beautiful Mississippi River. Winona is located 25 miles upriver, and is home to Winona State University, one of the top NCAA Division II college athletic programs in the country. The River Valley Newspaper Group offers a great benefit package which includes medical, dental and vision plans, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, and long-term disability. Please apply online at rivervalleynewspapers.com

 

Anyone know anything else about this position or the company? What is the quality of the newspapers? Any idea about the pay? What are the expectations of the position?

 

Did Jeff Brown get bumped up to exec SE?

 

The SE at Winona left, and Jeff is now the SE of both Winona and La Crosse...at least that's what I've been told

 

I'd be interested in knowing how many applications they get. It's beautiful in those parts.

 

Really nice area, nice paper, but (I'm sure I won't be the last) it's a LEE paper

 

Talked to Jeff about 3-4 years ago when another gig was open. Management forced them to go entry-level at that time to save money. Don't know if history will repeat itself or not. But I recall them being a quite respectable paper.

 

Couldn't have said it any better myself. It's a Lee paper.

 

Aren't we getting pretty close to the point where we can just say, "It's a paper," and consider that enough of a warning? I mean, seriously. These days there are more companies that would make you run away than ones that wouldn't.

 

Honestly, does it really matter what chain a paper is in?

If you're unemployed and looking for a job, under-employed and looking for a job, or a recent grad and looking for a job, is "What company publishes this paper?" really the first question you're going to ask or care about?

No. This is the reality of the situation.

 

Fair point. But having been in essentially two situations for about 5-6 years each, two non-Lee papers followed by a Lee paper, the difference is night and day. Just had another guy who'd been with the WSJ and who I did some radio stuff with in the late 90s take the buyout in Madison, with I don't believe anything apparently in the proverbial hopper. Jump in at your own risk.

 

Not sure how Lee's situation has morphed this place, but I will say you won't find a better man in this biz than Jeff Brown. Great, great guy.