Outdoors/Sports writer, Vicksburg, Miss.

Are you a hunter, a fisherman, a wannabe? Do you know about Vicksburg, Miss., and all its hunting, fishing and other outdoors activities? If your answer is yes, you may want to consider applying for this job. The Vicksburg Post, a 15,000 circulation, family-owned newspaper in a town on the banks of the Mississippi River, is looking for an outdoors writer and general sports reporter.

The qualified candidate must have a working knowledge of the outdoors and good personal skills. Newspaper experience is a must. Candidates must be able to work some weekends and some evenings.

Send resume and work samples to: Sports editor, The Vicksburg Post, P.O. Box 821668, Vicksburg, MS 39182, or e-mail to sports@vicksburgpost.com

 

anyone know about the area or work enviroment?

 

The area isn't bad. A little bigger than a small town, smaller than a big town sort of thing. Nothing close, but nothing too far, either (New Orleans and Memphis are about 3 1/2 hours away). Outdoors stuff, hunting and fishing are big in this area.
As for work environment, it's a great place. Small paper, but it has good ownership and editors. PM me if you want to know more.

 

Natchez kicks its ass pretty regularly, but the Post is a solid paper.

But for an outdoors writer, there is NO better place than Vicksburg.

 

Got some info this morning that this is actually a "floating" job between sports and news. The outdoors part is the same, though. Could be a good job for someone starting out, as long as they know enough about hunting and fishing to put together an outdoors column.

 

Putting together an outdoors column or filling copy is never a problem, unless you are unmotivated.
Those pages are easy to find copy for. Lots of folks in the community can turn you on to good leads for stories, and other agencies always float outdoors stories across the wire.
As for Vicksburg, the managing editor or head honcho there, Charlie Mitchell, is plugged into the Mississippi and national politics scene really well. He writes some good editorials and gives sports lee-way (sp) to do some creative stuff.
I worked here once, and the town has some atmosphere to plug into. Namely, about 5 casinos.
But there are some good bars and places to unwind, whether in Vicksburg or 45 mins away in much-larger Jackson.
Warren Central High, VHS and St. Aloysius got the most pub when I was there, but we covered around 20 schools. Included in that number were about 5 across the river in Tallulah, Louisiana and nearbouts.
Encouraging coaches from the outlying schools to call-in and participate in the process was always hit and miss.
Like anywhere else.
The annual "Run Through History" marathon-style race puts runners amid the historic graves and monuments of the storied Civil War Cemetery there.
It's a tough course.
You'd have to deal with about 6 (all-white) academies if you took this job and wrote prep stuff. Plus the rabid parents who are included with that equation.
Vicksburg Evening Post's circulation is probably around 45,000.

 

"You'd have to deal with about 6 (all-white) academies . . . "?

Is this 1952? Will I have to ride in the back of the bus on the way to work?

 

No, Em. You can ride in the front of the bus.
Mississippi has changed a good bit since 1952.
Why not submit a resume to sports editor Sean Murphy, if he's still the man there, and he'll review it.
Hey, you may be just the guy to hop on that academy beat and provide the coverage that's deserved.

And the route down Hwy. 61 between Vicksburg and Alcorn State and Baton Rouge sees lots of deer, turkeys and squirrels killed each year.
Combine those with the alligator gars that roam the waters of the mighty Mississippi River and you've got the outdoors page covered.
Call 'em, Em. And fetch us some beers when you're done.

 

Thanks for offering to let me "fetch" you something. I think I'll leave the road-kill beat to someone more qualified.

 

He must've watched "Mississippi Burning," Blitz.

 

I'll vouch for Murphy. He and Ernest Bowker are a couple of pretty good and talented dudes.

(And the obligatory disclaimer: no, I'm not them.)