sports writer, McAllen, TX

anyone know anything about this gig/place?

The Monitor -- a 50,000 daily, 55,000 Sunday a.m. serving one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas -- is looking for a talented sports writer who can produce non-cliched copy that grabs the attention of readers. The person we seek should be a strong writer who can handle any of a variety of beats and sports assignments with a desire to go beyond mere game coverage to produce riveting in-depth stories. Our ideal candidate will also understand the ins and outs of on-line reporting and be able to appreciate and take advantage of the immediacy we can offer internet readers. This is a challenging position requiring a dedicated news professional who knows how important good, accurate sports reporting is to the overall quality of a newspaper. This is an increasingly exciting sports market with two new new minor league basketball teams (one an NBA developmental league team managed by basketball great George Gervin), a professional hockey team (the CHL Killer Bees), minor-league baseball (the Edinburg Coyotes), an af2 arena football team (the Dorados) and an NCAA Division I university (University of Texas Pan-American). Of course, this is Texas, so high schools sports -- particularly football -- are a major part of our coverage. This position also involves some desk work, making knowledge of design and QuarkXpress and/or In-Design helpful. If you have the skill it takes to do the job, we offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits. You will be joining a talented staff working to make this one of the best papers its size in the Southwest and you will be working in a new building with state-of-the-art presses. In addition, we are just 65 miles from South Padre Island, one of the nation's hottest vacation desitnations. Because we are in the Rio Grande Valley, knowledge of Spanish is helpful but not required. Although we prefer one to two years of experience, we welcome resumes and clips from talented beginners whose work clearly demonstrates the skills we are seeking. Please send resume and work samples to: Steve Fagan, Editor The Monitor 1400 E. Nolana Loop McAllen, TX 78504 Or to: Wade Baker, Sports Editor The Monitor 1400 E. Nolana Loop McAllen, TX 78504 You may also e-mail your resume or inquiries to: sfagan@themonitor.com ; or wbaker@themonitor.com . For further information you may contact Steve Fagan by phone at 956-683-4460 or Wade Baker at 956-683-4450.

 

Fagan is a good guy to work for - quite the bulldog.

Who is departing The Monitor?

 

the SE switched positions from what i've heard. but i agree, this is a good gig, and the staff is cool.

 

I agree with regards to Steve Fagan. Seems like a great guy and we all know his pedigree

 

The paper is a good paper. But McAllen typically has a high turnover rate. It's deep South Texas, and a lot of people move down here thinking cool, I'm close to Mexico and a beach (South Padre Island about an hour away), but then people realize how far removed from the rest of the world you are. San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, etc... aren't day trips (in other words major league pro sports, and any major college sports aren't within a short drive). And the poverty rate in the Rio Grande Valley is high, and if you don't speak Spanish it's easy to feel unwelcome.
There is a lot of minore league sports coming to the area, so that's good. But like the ad says, HS football is king, and unfortunately, teams from this area aren't always very good.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from applying, just warning you of what to expect if you get the job.

 

I heard they made a hire, a recent Mizzou grad.

 

How recent?

 

Brian Sandalow got the job. He graduated in May

 

Good for Brian. The world needs more Mizzou grads.

 

Does it?

 

I would guess the closest "big city" probably is Monterrey.

 

Isn't Reynoso just across the border? I could be wrong.