Sports writer/designer, The News-Enterprise: Elizabethtown, Ky.

OUTING: This is where I work. Also where KySportsWriter works.

Guy leaving had been here since April 2013. Got a higher-paying job closer to home without having to do pagination. Don't blame him one bit.

Application deadline is Feb. 16.

We are looking to move quickly since we are down to three from a four-person staff. Postseason basketball starts Feb. 23 and spring sports (baseball, softball, tennis, track, club lacrosse) start March 11.

DESIGN: We are a six-day daily (no Saturday edition, which means many Fridays off in spring and summer). We do our own pagination on InDesign. New guy expected to have main design twice a week on average. I have it twice a week, and boss/sports ed (Chuck Jones, been here since October 2000) has it twice a week. Chuck takes bulk of design in fall to allow new guy and myself to cover prep soccer and prep volleyball beats (in addition to everyone being at football games every Friday for at least 12 straight weeks). Because we work late on Fridays -- we paginate a 16-page all-color football tab which runs on Sundays -- you don't have to come in on Saturdays until after dinner usually (unless at a rare soccer or volleyball match).

COVERAGE: Preps at Central Hardin, Elizabethtown, Fort Knox, John Hardin, LaRue County, Meade County and North Hardin (and small private North Hardin Christian not in state association) is most of it. Amateur tennis, golf tourneys and club swimming in summer as well as youth All-Star baseball. Elizabethtown is home to one of the top youth sports parks in the country -- the Elizabethtown Sports Park -- and we cover the major events there. Fall is cross country, football, golf, soccer and volleyball. Winter is basketball, bowling, swimming and wrestling. Spring is baseball, softball, tennis and track.

LOCATION: Elizabethtown is 40 miles south of Louisville (Churchill Downs, Muhammad Ali Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum, Fourth Street Live entertainment district, University of Louisville) directly off I-65.
About 80 miles north of Bowling Green (Corvette Museum, Western Kentucky University)). About 40 miles to Mammoth Cave.
80 miles west of Lexington (horse farms, Keeneland race track, University of Kentucky) is a straight shot on Bluegrass Parkway).
Less than 90 minutes from three minor-league baseball teams (Louisville Bats, Lexington Legends, Bowling Green Hot Rods).
Bardstown (home of My Old Kentucky Home), named the Most Beautiful Small Town in America, is 25 miles east on Bluegrass Parkway.
Indy, Cincy and Nashville all within 3 hours on all-interstate drives.


TOWN: Most every chain restaurant. Buffalo Wild Wings opening this summer. No IKEA, but plenty of shopping/retail outlets (Super Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, Sams, Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Super-Kmart, Best Buy. HHGregg, Sears, 2 Krogers, opening-soon Meijer, opening-soon Hobby Lobby, opening-soon Academy Sports + Outdoors). Have a movie theater (another in nearby Radcliff), bowling alley (usually hosts region high school tournament as State qualifier), lazer tag. Most every denomination of church. Town opening aquatics center/water-slide park in next two years. Town is wet. No bars, but plenty of places to buy alcohol.

PAY: Ask sports editor Chuck Jones or newsroom editor Ben Sheroan (another former sports guy). Their contacts are listed below.

You can PM me for more info.

Anyhoo:





JOB POSTING

Sports Reporter
The News-Enterprise
Elizabethtown, KY

The News-Enterprise, an aggressive daily newspaper in Hardin County, Ky., with 14,500 circulation Monday-Friday and Sunday, is accepting applications for a sports reporter to cover high school, community and youth sports in the diverse, 100,000 population county that includes Fort Knox. The newspaper is published in Elizabethtown, 40 miles south of Louisville. The candidate who lands this newsroom position will be a high-energy performer who reports and writes effectively on deadline and is able to design, paginate and proof pages effectively; understands the value of online immediacy; who sees story ideas where others don’t and just can’t wait to tell readers about them. The sports team consists of three full-time, one part-time staffer.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Strong communication, organization and time-management skills.
• Ability to write compelling, comprehensive, fact-filled local sports stories on deadline while putting readers first by avoiding cliches and arcane language.
• At least two years practical journalism experience, preferably reporting, writing and/or editing sports.
• Proficient in using computers to write and the Internet to research.
• Demonstrated ability to design effective pages in deadline situation using InDesign.
• Ability to use a digital camera and capable with Adobe PhotoShop.
• Familiarity with requirements of photojournalism and ability to work with photojournalists.
• Willingness to work at the times sporting events take place, including evenings and weekends.
• Strong initiative.
• Adaptable.
• Working knowledge and understanding of Hardin County local and/or regional sports scene a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Report and write previews of local sports events, focus on individual athletes, cover high school and other local sports events.
• Focus on young athletes and their efforts. Look for interesting stories in participatory sports that don’t normally receive much attention.
• Design effective pages in deadline situation using InDesign.
• Use effective headline writing that accurately summarizes the story while engaging the readers.
• Develop daily and long-range story and photograph ideas.
• Use a digital camera and work with Adobe PhotoShop.
• Establish and nurture sources among athletes, coaches, administrators and others involved in local sports.
• Demonstrate understanding and commitment to serving readers.
• Work with photographers to develop ideas for illustrating stories.
• Participate in Sports Team meetings and decisions.

LCNI employees, notify your immediate supervisor and LCNI HR Director if making application. Position available immediately. Deadline to apply is Feb. 16, 2015.

Interested persons contact:
Chuck Jones, Sports Editor
E-mail: cjones@thenewsenterprise.com
Write: The News-Enterprise
408 W. Dixie Ave.
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Phone: 1-270-769-1200, Ext. 274.
And/or
Ben Sheroan, Editor
E-mail: bsheroan@thenewsenterprise.com
Phone: 1-270-769-1200, Ext. 280

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

 

I'm the one leaving... I really had a great experience in E'town and am a lot better for it. PM me with any questions.

 

Elizabethtown is a nice area. Stayed there a few times with family when I was younger on the way to Florida for vacation. The older me also likes the area. Southern suburbs of Louisville aren't too far away. I'd recommend.

 

Despite wanting to move fast and a original deadline listed as Feb. 16, this position is still available. There's some great folks at this paper and it's an excellent place to live. Highly recommended!

 

Myself and KYSportsWriter are two of those "great folks" at the paper.

 

Made out with a preacher's daughter behind a church there once. She could shoot three-pointers better than I.

I've also take a couple of soldiers up there to get them cured off the Wild Turkey.