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Sports Reporter, Minot (N.D.) Daily News

Discussion in 'Journalism Jobs' started by DAllar, Jan 23, 2013.

  1. Zagsfan83

    Zagsfan83 Member

    Just what is your connection to the media in Minot anyway, KJIM? That sucks you're displaced in a trailer or whatever, but you're pushing your miserable outlook onto everyone who reads these posts. It's not as half as bad as you're describing, dude. You can find a place to live. All three of our out-of-state guys did and so will the fourth.
     
  2. KJIM

    KJIM Well-Known Member

    Zags, I live in Minot and I'm a former sports journalist.

    I now work in disaster relief (communications) in Minot. I'm not displaced and am not sure where you got that idea.

    Minot, you might remember, suffered a level-5 FEMA disaster in 2011, when a quarter of its housing was damaged. In a city that had a pre-flood housing crunch due to the oil industry, that's serious.

    You want flood recovery information, I have it. Some of those numbers printed in your paper - they came from me, so I have credibility in this area. It's an uphill climb 18 months after the flood - one that many people, including some people now living in the area, have no idea happened.

    I'm not pushing some kind of "miserable outlook," and if you think that ... well, I hope you're more objective in your reporting.
     
  3. Zagsfan83

    Zagsfan83 Member

    "My organization is subletting me a trailer from a member of the church, and it's a cut-rate $1000 a month. They could easily get $3k for it. (After May 15, I go back to living in the no-running-water RV on the back of the church lot.)"

    Sounds pretty miserable to me. Enough to scare away an applicant, that's for damn sure.
     
  4. KJIM is under no obligation to make sure the paper can project an "all-is-good" image. She hasn't mentioned the paper at all, but she knows what she's talking about concerning the region and is not displaced.

    Maybe you should do a better job with publicity.
     
  5. micropolitan guy

    micropolitan guy Well-Known Member

    One could just live at the Barley Pop, Sheep Shed, Riviera Lounge and the Lamplighter, like I did for nearly three years. ;D

    With an occasional side trip to Jackie's or Speedway for food.
     
  6. peacer84

    peacer84 Member

    I grew up around Minot and lived there for quite awhile. I was there with the flood, and the oil.

    For people with families trying to find homes, yes it's quite tough.

    But most of the people who are looking for jobs on here are single men trying to move up. And if you are, everything will be fine. They have an apartment set aside and everything is not as grim as some are making it out to be.

    For someone working with disaster relief, we understand what you go through on daily basis. We're not sure why that's relevant to single guys trying to find an apartment in Minot (even though EVERYONE the paper has hired has found something) in hopes of working for a newspaper, but you're obviously trying to paint a picture of your life. Please take it to a disaster relief board. These are ads for a newspaper job, not to bring up every concern surrounding the region and its inner workings and about how tough your job is day in and day out.

    I know a dozen people who have moved in there in the last year and found apartments, yet someone is still stuck in a trailer? And six of those people aren't in the oil fields, either. And they don't get housing paid for, either.

    This job has been posted a few times. We know. It's cold, it's harder to live with the oil. We've got it. Thank you. If you're looking to talk about the unfortunate people who had homes flooded (like a few of my family members), that's fine. They had to live in FEMA trailers, but my family moved on. Others aren't as fortunate, but that's no reason to pepper a sports journalism board with it. Please find a disaster relief board.

    For those of you interested in this job, don't be deterred by people who are not and have no interest in being in the sports journalism business. This really is a decent job. I left it because I wanted to start a family because I'm at that point in my career.

    One guy left for a job in the Virgin Islands, another guy took a job in Mexico. It's not a job that you'll be in the rest of your life, but its a fantastic starting point and a good place to learn the ins and outs of sports journalism. You'll learn a small amount of Quark Xpress and get photography experience. In this day and age, it's all important.
     
  7. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    The next time a parent complains that your factually accurate story made the team look bad, remember this post :)
     
  8. TrooperBari

    TrooperBari Well-Known Member

    There is something on this thread that would give me pause about applying, but it has nothing to do with KJIM.
     
  9. It's also an Ogden paper, for what it's worth.
     
  10. peacer84

    peacer84 Member

    I'm just not sure why every time a ND job opens up on here, it gets belittled. Valley City is 2 hours away from Bismarck, yet on that thread they're talking about housing problems that are pretty much all in Western ND.

    Please be honest in your assessment of how a journalist moving to Minot would be affected. They're not affected by people who were flooded out and can't afford a house for their family, as unfortunate as that may be. People moving to Minot are looking for apartments, and the MDN sports section hasn't failed anyone yet.

    How many papers are willing to line up a place for you to live before giving you the job?

    It's tougher than most places, but don't make it harder than it already is. Remember, someone has the job of having to hire these writers. The job is great, but please don't amplify the problem.

    And yes, it is Ogden, which means you'll have a decent benefit package (better than mine and I work for a company everyone hails as awesome). The pay is much better than it used to be.

    Corporate is...well...corporate. Haha, they own the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nuff said.
     
  11. NDJournalist

    NDJournalist Active Member

    Full disclosure: I'm the dude leaving.

    I'm not sure why this thread has been turned into a discourse on the housing problem. Yes, there is a housing problem, but not for this job.

    I'm leaving my apartment open for the next guy, who will hopefully be here shortly. They will have the option of moving in there and sign the lease and it's $602.50 for your share of what is a nice two-bedroom apartment. You won't find a better deal than that in Minot.

    As for the paper, I left partly because of the cold and partly for a new opportunity, but whoever gets this job next is going to love working there. The bosses are great and Daniel knows his stuff as a sports editor. The athletes you'll cover at Bishop Ryan or ORCS or Minot High or MSU are easy to deal with and once summer gets here, it's great.

    Quit painting it as some horror show.
     
  12. KJIM

    KJIM Well-Known Member

    If that sounds miserable to you, you're passing judgment. That's your problem, not mine. I'm perfectly content in my life here. Ask anyone.

    But I am aware of my community and the issues it's facing.

    Someone asked on the VC opening specifically why housing is tough in ND, and I answered that and noted my perspective, which is in Minot because I live here.

    If you look at my posts on this thread, they're hardly "miserable." Unless, I guess, you try to make some judgment the facts. And then sometimes you're dead wrong. I'll check with Mr. X on how I should proceed on that one.

    And BTW, zags, I don't need your approval to be on this board. I'm not sure what you were thinking trying to call me out, but you're dead wrong on that.

    As I said on my very first post, good luck to all.

    If you read that as "miserable," well ... you need to sharpen your reporting skills.
     
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