Online Prep Writers - Jackson Citizen Patriot - Jackson, Michigan

If you want $25K per year, it's a dream job.

 

MLive has actually been around for a number of years, maybe 10 or so. Do some good things, although I don't know much about their internal functions/pay/hiring policies, etc.

 

Booth used to have a no-layoff policy, right?

 

Holy crap! A no-layoff policy? In today's business, didn't know such a thing existed.

 

Booth stopped its no-layoff promise about two years ago.

As far as the "no phone calls from coaches," here is the deal: All seven "formerly Booth papers" in Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Jackson, Bay City, Flint, Saginaw and Grand Rapids will have all of their calls handed at a call center in Grand Rapids. All those employees will be $12 an hour part-time employees, and from what I hear, they won't be assigned to certain papers. For instance, you might take your first call from Essexville Garber, your second call from Kalamazoo Central, your third call from Jackson Lumen Christi. How in the word do you then put together roundups for each paper? And this is going to be done mostly by entry-level workers. A recipe for disaster, if you ask me, but maybe it will work. I expect much turnover when these aspiring sports writers realize there is NO CHANCE to go out on assignment EVER.

 

Let's not even get into the schools that get coverage in two papers.

That would come into play in Bay City/Saginaw, Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, Muskegon/Grand Rapids.


I've also heard most of those part-time positions have been filled.

And I agree with you completely, ballparkman.

 

Also, I seriously doubt the pay will be in the range of $25,000. I'd add on about $10,000 or more, depending on the experience. It could be in the $40s for the right person.

 

Yeah, the no-layoff clause went out the window when Booth closed The Ann Arbor News in July 2009 and hired a few former Newsies at Ann Arbor.com - and AnnArbor.com has had layoffs since.

Two former News sports desk guys who moved to the Cit-Pat to do work for the Cit-Pat and AnnArbor.com's print edition were among those let go.

For those two new Cit-Pat hires, they'll also be covering Michigan International Speedway, I presume. It's in Jackson County.

 

MIS is almost entirely in Lenawee County. Its right on the county line. Some of the northern grandstands and all of the parking lots on the north end are in Jackson County, but the track, the press box, garages, almost all of the stands, etc. are in Lenawee. MIS is the largest taxpayer in Lenawee County. The dateline ends up being Brooklyn, which is in Jackson County, because of the mailing address.

Sorry, that's a sore point with us at my paper, which covers Lenawee County. And, to be fair, until I moved here I thought MIS was in Jackson County, too, because of the Brooklyn dateline.

 

I sit corrected.

It's just like when people say that the Lions train in Allen Park. Of the 18 acres, four are in Allen Park. Fourteen are in Dearborn.

 

Don't assume MIS will be part of the coverage duties. As I understand it, the paper does not want its writers to cover anything they can get off the wire. So, MIS, Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, UM, MSU will all be off-limits. This is going to be preps only, as the ad states, but I'm sure community sports such as rec as stuff also will be included. No phones, lots of writing, but nothing on a large scale. At least that's how I understand it. Things could change.

 

Well, that's a chance to compile a lot of clips. You can find a good story anywhere.