Sports Writer, Sebring, FL

Highlands Today, a seven-day 20,000 circulation daily paper located in Sebring, has an immediate opening for an entry-level sports reporter to cover everything from LeMans racing to youth baseball. You will be part of a two person sports staff that covers three high schools, a community college, youth sports and the Mobil One 12 Hours of Sebring historic race. You will need experience covering sports stories on deadline, finding interesting feature stories, taking great photos and filling in on the sports desk as needed. You will also need to be comfortable with new media, such as blogging and posting to our website. Florida sports journalists have an advantage for this position but Southeast sports reporters also will be considered. Send a cover letter, resume and 10 of your best published clips, along with examples of your sports photography, to: rhensley@highlandstoday.com or mail to Richard Hensley, Highlands Today, 315 U.S. 27 N., Sebring, FL 33875. Electronic submissions preferred. No phone calls please.

 

2-person, 20,000 daily - does that seem odd to anyone else?

 

Depends on the coverage area. Some places in Fla., Calif. and elsewhere canbe pretty densely populated but geographically compact. So, a 20,000 paper in such a place could be much different than a 20,000 paper in the boonies with a bunch of rural towns and schools spread out for miles in each direction.

Had a friend who worked at one such compact 20,000 paper and told me they didn't even cover stuff in the next county. Could get anywhere you needed to go in 15 minutes.

 

This one is in the middle of the state, so it's not as compact as it seems. They basically cover Highland and Hardee County, which is pretty rural with a couple of middle-sized towns (Sebring, Avon Park). Also, I'm pretty sure this is part of the Tampa Tribune and Media General, but not positive.

 

the last part is correct. don't know anything about the area, though.

 

Did a freelance assignment for them once, didn't get paid for a good six months.

 

Hard to imagine anyplace in Florida being a desolate hellhole, but Sebring comes closest to it. The track is about 20 miles from my aunt and uncle's place in Basinger.

 

Used to work at a 20K with a two-person staff. Very, very rural. Seven schools in coverage area, including one about 35 miles away. Needless to say, we relied a ton on coaches phoning in scores, which always works splendidly. Really a dynamite setup.

 

I used to have this gig when it was three folks, back in the heady days of Gil what's-his-face and his CON-VER-GENCE mantra. We'll just say it was an interesting stop in my career and leave it at that.


PM me for details.

 

The position has been filled

 

By you?

 

No, I wish...I sent my stuff a couple weeks ago and e-mailed them the other day to follow up and they said the position had been filled.