Sports Editor/Roanoke Rapids NC

Does anybody know anything about this paper? Circulation? What it covers the best? A.M/P.M?, etc. How big the staff is?

 

My guess is that a google search would answer three of these questions.

 

In my limited experiences, I can tell you that Roanoke Rapids is closer to Virginia than almost any consequential North Carolina town. You're only an hour or so south of Richmond. And in my limited experiences reading the newspaper, I'd say you're looking at a preps/recs-heavy job. Also it smells (thank you, paper mill).

 

We have a guy here that started in Roanoke Rapids. He's on vacation this week so I can't tell you much more than it seems like a decent enough newbie job.

 

Looking at geographical opportunities, I don't know what you'd cover there excect preps and rec sports. While this spot looks fairly close to Rocky Mount (which seems to be loved here, especially for coverage opportunities), there doesn't seem to be much around. I guess the plus would be that it's close to VA Beach.
This seems like an okay job for a recent grad, because of the big-time preps down there,but I've never even heard of this paper. I guess you could luck up and find the next Mario Williams, whom I believe is from that part of the world.

 

Nope. Wrong part of eastern North Carolina.

Mario Williams is from Richlands, which is in Onslow County near Jacksonville and two counties away from Wilmington.

 

Man, not even Super Mario? Well, like I said, VA Beach is close and they've got that terrible NC BBQ I'm sure someone (not me) will enjoy. What exactly is there to cover in Ronoke Rapids? And just for nerds like me, isn't this the place where they had the lost colony?

 

Right name, wrong location. Roanoke was the name of the lost colony, but that's out east of RR, just on the other side of the sounds from the Outer Banks, as I recall (I should know this by heart, I only lived in the Norfolk area all my damn life).

As for what to cover, it's the usual array of preps and recs. In my cup of coffee covering ACC events in North Carolina, I never saw the Roanoke Rapids paper at any of them. Rocky Mount, yes. But Roanoke Rapids is just barely in North Carolina, and you're closer to Richmond than the Raleigh-Durham area.

 

It's a PM .... local, local, local. Forget about seeing the Carolina Hurricanes, and I have my doubts you'll see much Atlantic Coast Conference football or basketball on weekends.

Roanoke Rapids has been pretty poorly run for years now. And SCEditor is about right ... come to think of it, $25K may be a bit high. For years, they haven't had much of anything writing sports, proving that they're getting what they pay for.

It might be OK for a stop right out of college, but anyone with any experience will probably find this gig very, very frustrating.

 

But they are getting some sort of big Dolly Parton complex there, like a second Dollywood or something I think. Right?

 

I read about that, some sort of country western theme-park in northern NC, is RR the spot? I was reading how the town was dying for lack of industry and this truck stop/ country theme park off the highway is suppose to spark the local economy.
That could be something for applicants to think about.
Do you really want to move to an economically depressed community with nothing to cover but preps and nothing to do but drive to far-off VA Beach?
In my humble opinion, as someone who started at a very small paper, you want to go somewhere where you can grow, be around grown-up writers with experience (whether on staff or other papers in the area) and enjoy your early 20's, because you don't get them back. And I'm not saying everyone needs to live in NYC or Miami to enjoy life, but still, even poor youngsters need some happiness.
I'm not judging for anyone else, but for me, I'd think I'd look elsewhere before this place - Rocky Mount and those VA listings are all nearby and seem to be better opportunities and have better living situations.

 

Yep. That's the smell of money. The paper mill there was, and I assume still is quite big there. In fact, it built the city's high school, which is one of the more ornate and attractive public school buildings one will find. Factoring that in, it spells a situation that the job will be preps first, last and always (not that it's a bad thing).