Deputy SE - Sun Coast Media, Port Charlotte, Fla.

from jj.com.

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1461799

What does it mean, "nicotine testing"? I can understand a smoke-free workplace, but does that mean smokers need not apply?

Website: http://www.yoursun.com

The Sun, a family owned daily (28,000 summer/51,000 winter) located on Florida's Gulf Coast, seeks a Deputy Sports Editor to help lead a seven-person, community-oriented sports department as we take the next steps in print and online.

This is a salaried position that assists in all aspects of department management, however, you’ll be expected to roll up your sleeves and serve daily as one of the two/three people designing and editing our 6- to 10-page section.

You’ll be expected to help conceive and guide content from brainstorming through publication, coach young writers and desk personnel, and create content while meeting deadlines. Being adept at non-narrative content packages is a plus.

You might be asked to produce an outside-the-office byline occasionally, but that isn’t a priority. Of greater importance is the conviction that you can apply to community-oriented content the standards, approaches and processes found at mid-size (or larger) newspapers.

Prior experience as a member of a sports management team for a daily newspaper is required. Advanced InDesign and Photoshop skills are required as are a mastery of AP style and InCopy and a demonstrable history of teamwork, leadership and coaching. Candidates with a track record of consistently producing/guiding award-caliber work will merit extra consideration.

Send an application packet to Mark L. Lawrence, Sports Editor at mlawrence@sun-herald.com or to 23170 Harborview Road, Charlotte Harbor, FL 33980. No phone calls. Include a cover letter outlining a coverage plan/package you were responsible for shepherding to completion, identifying the reader-focused components/decisions that elevated it into something special and what you/your team decided could have been done better the next time. Also include an acceptable salary range. Design samples should include at least three section fronts and two special/theme pages or packages.

Preference will be given to those candidates in the eastern half of the United States. Application deadline: January 22.

Charlotte County is the spring training home to the Tampa Bay Rays, the home for two of their farm teams and the home to a college baseball tournament that this year is drawing 23 Division I programs. So baseball plays a big role year-round. However, our seven high schools and local sports will always form our section’s foundation.

The Sun Coast Media Group is an equal opportunity employer. Our employees have never been forced to take a furlough. There has been one round of layoffs in company history, and we’ve been hiring throughout the economic downturn. We are a nicotine- and drug-free workplace. Pre-employment drug/nicotine testing is required.

 

That's pretty much what that means (re: nicotine testing)

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/story/2012-01-03/health-care-jobs-no-smoking/52394782/1

 

Worked there many years ago, and Port Charlotte is a cool little family-friendly town fairly close to Boca Grande and the Gulf in Englewood. Can't imagine the pay will be too high, and it is likely a lot of work, but it's a good smaller-town newspaper.

 

Seven full-timers at a 28,000 circ. paper? 6-10 pages per day? Wonder what they are filling it with?

 

Was mostly wires when I was there. But lots of preps and baseball.

 

What's the newsroom like? How's the culture there?

 

When I was there it was a mix of old-timers and young kids fresh out of school (like me). Pretty high turnover, because it's not a great place for young, single folks. At least that was the case when I lived there. I know it has changed quite a bit, but it's an older community for the most part with a lot of snowbirds (hence, the huge spike in winter circ). Good people there, but most of them are long gone. Don't even know if it's still the same ownership.

 

Yeah, I wondered. They don't have a Division I college --- not sure if they have a small college or not --- and seven high schools. Looks like they go wire on the Florida pro teams.

From my past experience, that's a lot of space to fill, unless the pages have big ad stacks.

 

Space is good to have though, if you can fill it. I think we ran the weekly NASCAR page and things like that, and it allows you to run features most papers don't get a chance to run. I don't recall the sections being absurdly large when I was there. And the Rays are big for that month of the year, and they do a lot on the FSL's Rays affiliate, the Stone Crabs. It's a very nice little stadium they have there too.

 

I agree. I guess the thing that surprised me was the size of the staff relative to circulation. Been at several papers larger than that and we didn't have that many people.

If I could stand the heat and the car racing --- I can't, I'm a polar bear who enjoys winter sports too much --- I'd take a look at it.

 

The seven people includes the SE, Deputy SE and a handful of writers/desk folks, I would assume. As the ad implies, the SE and Deputy write some and help the desk (it was a universal desk when I was there, but that doesn't appear to be the case now, as far as Sports goes). Everyone in the department stayed very busy when I was there.

 

Could be a decent gig for someone looking to move south. Nice town near the water (the office is very close to fishing hotbed Charlotte Harbor), nice baseball stadium and some pretty good high school sports. My only problems were the low pay and the lack of young people/things for a 20-something to do.