Midland Reporter-Telegram - Sports writer - Midland, Texas

The Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram, a Hearst Corporation Newspaper (20,000 daily, 25,000 Sunday) in West Texas, is seeking a sports reporter for our award winning sports section.

We are looking for someone who can provide fresh ideas for stories, can work well on deadline and help keep the quality of our section high. This position is primarily a writing and reporting position, but there will be some layout work with our daily agate page. This position will also cover District 2-5A football, primarily Midland High, during the fall.

Our focus is on high school sports, especially football, but the Permian Basin’s sports scene is complemented by a Double-A baseball team, minor league hockey, indoor football, a yearly Nationwide Tour golf event, a very active local golf scene and a minor league soccer franchise. We also provide limited coverage of Texas Tech University sports.

Candidates should have a strong knowledge of AP Style, while experience with Quark Xpress, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Freehand is preferred but not required. Experience is a plus but recent college graduates will be considered. We plan to fill this position quickly because the busiest part of our year is about to begin in late January.

Please send resume, clips and layouts to: Len Hayward, Sports Editor P.O. Box 1650 Midland, TX 79701 E-mail: hayward@mrt.com

For more information: Len Hayward, Sports Editor (432) 687-8846 hayward@mrt.com

 

I believe this is a d_b but on another token, and I know Len comes on here from time to time, why does this ad keep appearing? I'm sure there have been some outstanding applicants who have previously applied when the job was opened earlier. Should they reapply?

 

Can't speak for the past, Drip, but I can tell you why the position is open now. This opening is for my soon-to-be-old job. I'm leaving simply because I thought I could be happy living and working 1,200 miles away from my family and friends, and that simply isn't the case. The job itself is great, the staff is outstanding and the town isn't that bad (West Texas isn't my thing, but the people are nice and there's plenty of stuff to do if you know where to look.)

I found an opportunity much closer to home and took it. From what I've heard, Len has simply been the victim of bad luck and a few somewhat unsure younger guys (like myself) who bit off a bit more than they could chew.

The prep football beats are fun and the paper's coverage is great. If you REALLY think you can handle the isolation of West Texas, apply for this one in a heartbeat.

 

Is that all you covered, ARose? Prep football? Just curious as to what other beat responsibilities there might be.

 

I can vouch that this is good people...West Texas would be the only drawback for many, but for the right person a great fit

 

It's my understanding that this job is mostly writing on prep football in the fall and prep basketball and baseball in the winter and spring. Layout sprinkled in there, too.

It's a strong area for prep football rich in tradition (Midland and Odessa). Plus, Len is a great guy.

 

That's all that I covered, but I covered it almost like a college beat. Since football season, I have been doing layout. However, the new person hired will have a different job description. There will soon be some re-shuffling in the newsroom, but I won't speculate as to what that means for the new hire. I would check with Len. However, it does seem that the new hire will spend most of his/her time writing and reporting, with layout sprinkled in, as opposed to the other way around.

 

Anyone get called back on this one yet?

 

I spoke with Len yesterday about the opening and they really want to act quickly on this one. The hope is to give someone a call next week about coming down to see the operation. From what I understand, they are hoping to bring in one person late next week. That will likely be the person they want to bring in permanently.

 

I would like to be that person.

 

you're hired. now take a furlough day.

 

...and now you're fired, hope you enjoyed your stay!