Sports Writer, Harrisonburg, VA

The Daily News-Record, a 30,000-circulation daily (no Sunday edition) in Harrisonburg, Va., is seeking a news-oriented sports writer with Web skills. The beat includes James Madison University men's basketball. This is essentially an entry-level job -- meaning recent college grads -- but one that requires considerable expertise. We're looking for the newspaper equivalent of a "gym rat" -- somebody who essentially lived at his college paper and still has that mindset. We want a person who likes to break news and who has the ability to synthesize deep reporting into entertaining, layered stories. We also need somebody who embraces technical aspects of the Web, such as shooting video and developing enhanced content for a site that soon will require paid subscriptions. Spanish is a plus. Please sent about six clips, including news, features and game stories, either via snail mail or email (csimmons@dnronline.com).

Chris Simmons, Daily News-Record, Sports Editor, Harrisonburg, Va. 22803

 

The Badger is gone! No way!

Moddy's right. This is a great opportunity. It's a good beat and the new guy WILL get better and eventually have the chance to parlay it into bigger and better things.

Be aware....if you wouldn't be a great addition to flag football and basketball teams, do not apply. Kidding, kidding.

Or am I?

 

While I am glad this and other jobs are opening up, I can't help but think that they are (meaning management) are looking for help just to get through football season and that the newcomers will be on the UL early in 2010. I hope that is not the case.
And like the two previous posters said, this is one of the better outposts out there.

 

Well, I'll be damned. Good for him. I know he applied for a job there several years ago. Kid's talented, for sure.

And I know he reads this site, so.....Congrats, man!!!

 

No, that's no joke. It's a requirement....

 

Now that I'm out of the MySpace/emo discussion on the other thread (how did I let that happen?) I have to show my support for my soon-to-be former job. Considering the market, I can't imagine a better gig for someone right out of college, and I think it's just as good for someone with experience at a smaller daily. I'm sure such applicants will be considered.
As Moddy said, Chris Simmons could've worked anywhere. I'd be stunned to find a better sports editor at this level. He will ask a lot from you, but he will absolutely make you a better reporter and a better writer. This job in particular will give you a lot of opportunities to write some great stuff. I don't know if travel will take a hit this year, but I went to every road game until last season. The CAA is a good mid-major league. The coaches there are easy to deal with, and there are a lot of stories there. You'll be doing a lot of G.A. work outside of the season, as you're expected to produce a story every day you work, but there's a lot of interesting things to write about away from JMU as well.
PM me for any details about the town and the social scene. Flag football is dead, but as Sonner mentioned, you will be asked to play pick-up hoops. PM me for any more details, but apply as soon as you can.

 

Terror82 actually would like your 40 time and vertical leap on your resume.

 

This is a fantastic job, especially for someone just out of college. I've told people often since I left Harrisonburg that Chris made me 100,000 times better as a reporter and writer from when I started to when I left. One of the best editors I've ever had and one of the nicest guys in the business as well.
In other words, apply now.

And another congratulations to Dustin, who worked his tail off covering a really bad basketball team pretty much the entire time he was there. Overall, it's been a good year for current/former Daily News-Record employees under Chris' tutelage.

 

Sentiment echoed... from Sherm to Keener, it seemed like a blast. There's no doubt that there aren't many better beats for a circulation this size, especially in the big-market CAA. Great job with great possibilities.

 

Any word on this or when they might make a decision?