Sports Writer - Texarkana, TX

From jjobs.com
JournalismJobs.com - Job Listing - Seeking Sports Writer

Date Posted: May 08, 2015
Location: Texarkana, Texas
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: $20,000 to $25,000
Website: http://www.texarkanagazette.com

Description:

The Texarkana Gazette, a 27,000 circulation daily covering portions of Texas and Arkansas, is looking for enterprising and hard working sports writer. Primary responsibilities are covering local and regional high school sports. Some college and pro coverage is possible. Most work is in the field, although office work is rotated through the sports staff. Schedule is irregular. Evening and weekend work is required. This is a writing position with no page make-up involved. Applicant must have reliable transportation, be able to provide a certificate of insurance and have a good driving record. A border city on the state line of Arkansas and Texas, the Gazette offers applicants unique opportunities in sports coverage, including sports features, advances, statistical profiles, non-traditional sports, and game coverage of sectional rivalries. We will consider a recent graduate. Regional candidates encouraged. Send cover letter, resume and clips to Texarkana Gazette ATTN: Selah Perry, P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX, 75504, or e-mail sperry@wehco.com. Please prepare on-line documents as .pdf files.

 

$20K? That's all? That's not even $400 a week. I would expect at least $25K for any entry level job in any region.

 

No state income tax in Texas... having said that, I do think $20K is low for a daily this size.

 

You'd have to stick to Coors for sure (yeah, I went there).

 

I don't care if there's no state income tax or not. What's that going to save you on $20k? I mean there's no way state income is 5% and even if it was, it would only save you $1,000. There's NO justification in taking a job for $20k, much less an employer trying to justify such shitty pay by telling you that no state income tax is a benefit.

Fuck that bullshit.

 

Yeah, but you get to cover sports in TWO states. I mean that has to be something, right?

The bad thing is, that's not even the lowest I've seen recently. Apparently being a sportswriter is getting close to being a minimum wage job.
Our recent opening they offered between $26-27K and got few candidates willing to interview. One of those things, you get what you pay for, and the lower the quality, the more people stop caring about your product...then never ending diminishing newspaper cycle.

 

Actually...if you cover an event in Arkansas, wouldn't you be subject to their state income tax?

 

Not always. Arkansas and Texas have an agreement for the city of Texarkana, its workers and residents. Basically you just have to file a form saying that's where you live/work and you just have to deal with one state's tax.

Edit: I looked up the agreement: "Special border city exemptions apply for residents of Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas. Texarkana, Arkansas residents are exempt from Arkansas income tax and withholding; however, they must file an income tax return and provide their employers with Form AR-TX in order to certify their residency and exemption from tax withholding.
Texarkana, Texas residents are exempt from Arkansas income tax and withholding on wages earned in Texarkana, Arkansas but must pay Arkansas tax on wages earned in other parts of Arkansas. Other Texas residents are liable for taxes on all wages earned in any part of Arkansas. "

That is an interesting question though, especially for any of us who have covered Bowl games, pro teams, etc... in other states. How many bothered to comply with the individual state laws? And MLB player's accountants must hate their job.