Sports editor, Garden City (Kan.) Telegram

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=578459

The Garden City Telegram is seeking a talented and ambitious sports editor to lead a staff of two full-time and three part-time sports writers. The successful candidate must be strong in many areas, from writing game stories, features, columns and enterprise stories to copy editing and daily pagination of the sports section. The successful candidate would be able to handle short- and long-range planning of sports coverage and special projects, as well as the daily operations of the sports department. The Telegram covers 19 high schools and one community college in a 12-county area. Strong writing and editing skills, a willingness to travel and an ability to work some nights and weekends are required. Experience with InDesign preferred, but will train. The Telegram, a member of the eight-newspaper Harris Group, offers a generous salary and benefits package. The Telegram is an afternoon daily with a Saturday morning edition, located in the economic hub of southwest Kansas. The Telegram is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Send cover letter, resume, work samples and references to Brett Riggs, Managing Editor, The Garden City Telegram, P.O. Box 958, Garden City, KS 67846, or by e-mail at riggs@gctelegram.com.

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Sounds like the classic "do everything (and do it on salary)" SE position.

 

I have some knowledge of this paper. PM me if you have any questions.

 

Hopefully, this could turn into a Christmas present for one needy board member....

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

You'd also be within easy driving distance of the crime scene from "In Cold Blood."

 

I was offered a writer job there out of college a few years ago. At the time, the SE and ASE had been there together for years. Seemed like a steady place. But since that time they've had jobs come open all over the place, seemingly every few months.

Just saying...

 

Also worth noting, Harris recently sold two of its Kansas papers (Chanute and Parsons, in the southeast corner of the state). Don't know what that means, per se, but it might be something to think about.

 

I wonder what this paper's circulation is? Only 19 high schools in a 12-county area sounds pretty rural, but that still sounds like a lot of territory to cover.

 

Garden City is a good paper, the publisher is great to work with (she used to be SE here).

 

Kansas counties are pretty small, so 12 counties is not as large an area as you would think. And it's southwestern Kansas, so yeah, it's pretty rural. Garden City is a decent-sized town, about 30,000 population, but the area around it is pretty desolate.

 

Um, my thoughts, too.

 

The biggest negative for Garden City is the area. I lived there for four years. Not a bad four years by any stretch, but being a Kansas City native ... eh, it was something of a culture shock. You are six hours from Kansas City, 5 1/2 from Denver, and about three from Wichita and Amarillo, Texas.

But there are fewer small newspapers that are as good as this one. The publisher is a great person, and there are few better people in this world than ME Brett Riggs. He knows his stuff and if every ME were like he, there would be fewer turnover in newspapers around the country. A great, great person.

It's just such a damn isolated place in this world. That's the biggest reason for the turnover.

Harris Enterprises did indeed just sell two small papers (Chanute, Parsons) but word is the company is setting its sights on another medium-sized paper. It's a good organization with good benefits.

I would recommend this job for anyone who is looking for an SE gig. It's a three-person full time staff, and the travel isn't too bad unless you do the junior college beat. Then you have some lengthy road trips.