Hockey writer, Naples (Fla.) Daily News

The Naples Daily News is seeking a converged journalist to cover one of its most popular beats, the ECHL’s Florida Everblades hockey team.

The Everblades routinely lead the ECHL in average attendance at 6,000 or so in a 7,000-seat arena and have played in the Kelly Cup finals two of the past three seasons.

The Everblades are very important to our readers. The writer will be responsible for daily coverage of the team, except on the road, as well as posting blogs, appearing on our Studio 55 “vodcast’’ newscast and a weekly TV/online program “Blades Playbook.’’ Our Blades Blog can get up to 300 posts per entry.

The Daily News is at the cutting edge of journalism’s movement from print to multimedia. Our reporters blog, post audio online and write for our Web site first. Our Web site recently was named the best in the country for its newspaper circulation class and has won numerous awards over the past two years.

The Daily News sports section was an APSE Top 10 Daily for 2004.
To apply, send a resume and writing samples to:

Greg Hardwig
Sports Editor
1075 Central Ave.
Naples, FL 34102

Or e-mail gshardwig@naplesnews.com.

Before you ask: no, they never filled the columnist job they posted last year. It's not open. It may never be open.

This gig a pretty big beat down there. The highest profile local team, easily. The guy who is leaving, Andy Kent, could be a tough act to follow. The team treats itself like an NHL team, and he covered it like an NHL team, sometimes to the detriment of his sanity. Dude completely worked it.

Hardwig is good people. The paper is in flux, changing its news model and learning as it goes. Good beat if you like 75 degrees on Christmas.

 

any word on pay range, type of experience they are seeking ... etc

 

A "converged" journalist? :

I know what they're trying to say, but that phrase needs to be retired. Quickly.

 

Is this the paper that's doing all this hyperlocal, mo(bile)jo(urnalist) stuff the Wash Post wrote about?

 

Daily coverage of the team, except on the road. I guess the writer will miss a few days then. ;D

 

Where's he going?

 

You better be willing to do a lot more than write articles, as the job description says. They're serious. This is more than a writing gig.

 

A few weeks is more like it. Those teams can be gone for a long stretch at a time. To me, that would kind of limit the "beat" duties.

 

I tend to believe that nobody travels for ECHL games, unless they're a two hour or less drive away. Imagine trying to get a flight for the Alaska road trip.

 

Coupla editorial comments:

Andy is taking a job on the other coast. Not sure about the pay, but Naples is expensive as hell, and the pay hasn't caught up, which is one of the reasons why the majority of the staff that helped win the APSE award in 2004 no longer works there.
The current staff there is talented, to be sure, but my guess is they're not hockey guys, and this job is for hockey guys.

It's a good 2nd/3rd job for somebody. You want to cover hockey and get a tan at the same time? Good job. You want a decent boss who leaves you alone provided you're competent? Good job. You're 35 with a wife/husband with 2 kids to raise and looking to buy a house? Maybe not a good job.

Oh, and the Fort Myers paper was the one with the "mo-jo" feature that WaPo did, but this place will be just as webified. The push is to the web.

My opinion? Good stepping-stone job. But you're not going to make enough to retire there.

 

Naples was very early on the podcasting bandwagon. They had regular sports podcasts a year before anyone even knew what the heck podcasts were.

And Andy also covered some spring training ball, I recall.

 

what teams for spring training?