Sports writer, Harrisonburg, Va.

The Daily News-Record, a 30,000-circulation six-day daily (Monday-Saturday) in Harrisonburg, Va., is seeking a reporter to cover high school sports. The job also entails desk work as part of a five-person staff. Harrisonburg is a college town in the Shenandoah Valley, two hours southwest of D.C. and two hours west of Richmond. We'll probably hire somebody with no more than two years of professional experience. If you're a recent college graduate, please meet one of these two criteria: 1) have extensive major beat experience at your college paper, or 2) have worked as an intern/stringer at a daily. We plan to hire somebody very quickly, so East Coast applicants are preferred. Please send emails to csimmons@dnronline.com and resumes to Chris Simmons, Sports Editor, Daily News-Record, 231 S. Liberty St., Harrisonburg, Va. 22801. No phone calls.

 

Who left?

 

No question about Chris' rep but I wonder why there seems to be a constant turnover there. Harrisonburg isn't a bad place to camp out for a few years or even make it a home.

 

Right along the 81 corridor between Roanoke and Winchester. Stopped there for dinner one Sunday while I was on my way back to Washington (covering D3 men's hoop final and flew in and out of DC). I give it a good seal. As I recall, there IS a lot to do there.

 

When a similar job was open last year (also carried the JMU hoops beat) the DNR got about 150 apps. Expect nothing less this time around.

 

I rarely post here anymore (although I read a bit) but logged in for the first time in I don't know how long to comment on this post.

Chris Simmons – and by reading this he'll likely know who is writing this – is responsible for making my career and I mean that in the best way possible.
He pushed, prodded, rewrote some of my stuff and made me about 100,000 times better than I was when I arrived. That took a little under two years.

For the guy who asked why there has been turnover, put it this way. Of the people who have left since 2005, they have gone to these places (many times directly from Harrisonburg): Covered Notre Dame football and Michigan basketball; Covered IU basketball (and football); Covered the New York Mets; baseball for Sports Illustrated. That's just the recent alums of the place.

Oh, as far as social life goes, if you're a young person, JMU is there. Besides the recent riots, it might be the most underrated school in the country for fun and parties.

 

Umm, you're forgetting one very famous alum from that list. He happens to be the SE in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It's not the N.Y. Mets, but he has a better tan now. Ha!

 

Why only two years experience? Is that because of the pay?

 

Just wanted to echo the good words on Chris. Don't know him personally, but I applied for the JMU beat opening last year. Not only did he e-mail me to tell me the job was filled, but he told me exactly where I stood among the applicants. If I was looking for a new job, I would be all over this one.

 

No.