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Jackson, Tenn. sports reporter

Discussion in 'Journalism Jobs' started by In Cold Blood, Nov 8, 2007.

  1. InDaBoonies

    InDaBoonies New Member

    Does anyone know why the last guy packed up and left? If anyone has some insight, pass it along. All I'm wanting is an honest assessment of what type of job this is and why there seems to be so much instability. I grew up not far from Jackson, and might be interested in moving a lil' closer to the homestead.
     
  2. StaggerLee

    StaggerLee Well-Known Member

    The last SE there (Bob Heist) left for a similar size Gannett paper in Louisiana. Not sure why he left Jackson, but I've heard that he's not one to stay in one spot for very long. He's a good guy and I'm sure he didn't leave the Sun in bad shape. Of course, that's been nearly six months since he left Jackson, and a lot can change in six months, especially in Gannett.

    As for the vacant reporter position, I think that's their prep guy leaving to join his former boss at said Gannett paper in Louisiana. At least that's what has been out there on the old grapevine.
     
  3. CarlSpackler

    CarlSpackler Active Member

    I'm not one to defecate in public, so any curious cats can feel free to PM me. I haven't worked there, but I have insight.
     
  4. thegrifter

    thegrifter Member

    If it's their preps guy, why isn't the job description for a preps reporter. Cause I know their preps guy does almost exclusively preps stuff.
     
  5. StaggerLee

    StaggerLee Well-Known Member

    Could it be that they're putting one of their current reporters on preps and bringing in another person to fill that person's job? I know Jackson takes preps very seriously. You might say that preps is their Number 1 priority. Having your preps guy leave in early December (right in the middle of football playoffs) would be a tough turnaround for someone coming off the street. Easier to just take one already on staff, transition that person into preps and make the new guy take the less-important beat (so to speak).
     
  6. Yawn

    Yawn New Member

    People who don't hang long at one place are busy getting the quick-hit kudos to move on to bigger things - or better things. Seeing as how the Gannett move was lateral, that should tell you something if you didn't know anything else. The only possibility for such a move for an award-winner was the same as it is for the native son poster who wants to get closer to home if it doesn't kill him being there.

    The guy before Heist left for an hourly desk job at Knoxville, my source tells me, because the hours were unbelievable for managers.
     
  7. sportschick

    sportschick Active Member

    Your sources on the guy before Heist are correct. That's who I interviewed with, and he was gone a week later.

    Staff morale was really, really, really, really low, not to mention that they couldn't stand each other.
     
  8. thegrifter

    thegrifter Member

    On the SE thread, you had the Jackson preps guy on here talking up the place, only to leave a couple of weeks later.
    Obviously he didn't believe the shit he was shoveling.
    Abandon ship!
     
  9. GravyTrain

    GravyTrain Guest

    I've been watching this thread for a while and felt the need to comment. Back in the day, I worked there for a while and can tell you this - it's not paradise, but it's not the hell on earth that's been described here a few times.

    There will probably always be turnover and some instability in Jackson because it's somewhat of a stepping stone. At this moment, apparently that instability is higher than usual with the SE thing. But any young writer who is trying to get into the biz would be crazy not to at least look into this job. Feel free to PM me if you would like more information...
     
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