Sports Writer/copy editor, Rome, Ga.

Are you a talented writer with a love for sports perhaps with a wish to one day work as an on-air personality at a sports network? You're in luck. The Rome News-Tribune is currently looking for a sports writer/copy editor to cover local prep and college sports in Northwest Georgia. The job requires strong writing skills, attention to detail, copy editing prowess and solid In-Design skills. You'll also be a lead contributor to our award-winning prep sports Web site, Prepcentralonline.com. So where does the sports network part come in? If we find the right person, this position could also serve as a key cog in our national-award winning and Emmy-nominated high school football show, Gridiron Central. You could get the chance to go in front of the camera and show off your sports knowledge and wow the more than 250,000 fans who watched the show in 2009. About 100,000 people live within the Seven Hills of Rome, enjoying its three rivers, a top-notch quality of life and affordable living. Rome is a scenic city an hour from both Atlanta and Chattanooga. The city boasts a thriving arts community, is home to four small colleges and minor league professional baseball and is a tri-state healthcare hub. We are a privately owned paper. No Wall Street interference here. We have vibrant print and web editions, a video studio and programming and a newsroom that's like working in a loft in a historic factory. We’re committed to keeping our community informed about what’s going on throughout the day and night. If you think you can help take our sports coverage to a new level, send resume, clips and links to online work to sports editor David Dawson at DDawson@rn-t.com or to him at Rome News-Tribune, 305 E. 6th Ave., Rome, GA 30161. While we'd prefer to have a sports journalist with at least a year or two of experience, recent college graduates with tons of talent will be considered.

 

Covered a football game in extreme north Georgia last year and came away pretty impressed with the News-Tribune's online presence. Especially for a paper their size (they don't mention the circ. here, but I'd guess it's about 15K), they really put some major effort into their multimedia operation. For a young guy looking to expand his/her skills in the web/video area at a daily, this would probably be a solid opportunity.

 

Color me intrigued.

 

Having sportswriters do pages is a fairly recent development for Rome. Didn't realize that Dawson had gotten promoted to SE, but I will happily vouch for him being good people.

 

I have no doubt Dawson would be good to work for, and for someone this will mean a paycheck. The ownership of the RN-T, however, is worthy of serious scrutiny for anyone considering this job, which, I suppose, is no different from any other publishing company. If you pursue it, make sure you go into it with eyes wide open.