Surely they're kidding -- Lenox, Mass.

This is either a gag or somebody with a really warped sense of humor:

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=552387

Good luck filling those openings, sir.

 

I'm at a loss.

 

Wow. This seems to be the outlet for one trust fund baby's angst.

 

You know, I thought it might be BS too, until I remembered an Email I got Sunday night....


Hello,
My name is George C. Jordan III and I am the editor & publisher of The Berkshire Beacon.
YOU HAVE EITHER SENT ME AN INQUIRY OR I FOUND YOUR NAME ON A PRESS ASSOCIATION SITE OR JOURNALISMJOBS.COM. I AM HOPEFUL WE CAN CHAT BY COMPUTER-INSTANT MESSAGE-AOL OR YAHOO THIS WEEK. MY HANDLE IS BERKBEA. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPLIES AND FEEDBACK. MORE IMPORTANT I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU OVER THE NET!
You may be looking for a Journalism related job, or you may know someone, who is. Feel free to pass this along. If you are no longer looking for a job, or decide that WMASS is not the place for you after reading the enclosures, simply tell me to remove. See Beacon Jobs.
I started this newspaper in '99 and folded it 14 editions later when I could not find an ad rep. in the meantime, I purchased a property for he office, improved my Apple/Mac equipment and software. Just think: we can do an initial interview today via AOL or Yahoo instant message.
I have some personnel to run the office, deliver the newspaper and above all a printer committed to putting out a great product. These TABS will be smaller in size, but the layout, content and with your commitment and effort will make this publication into an award winning medium.
While many of those high school and college J-students are more committed to the editorial side, one might want to consider the idea of sales balanced with editorial noting that there is an up side-money-a note in the Addendum.
Take a moment to read: After 57 years, NEPA Still Delivers by Marlene Switzer, president of NEPA . It is reproduced from the pages of the NEPA Bulletin-Feb. Issue. See if you fit into Community Journalism....
And if you can still dream, and feel the enterprising skills of individuals collectively forming a team, then perhaps together we can put out a publication that will make us all feel proud. There is opportunity and there is in the Journalism craft the ability to not only challenge yourself to do well from writing to layout, to selling space, but to ensure that the newspaper meets its deadlines and is distributed timely each week.
While many of you know the AP style book, good writing along with pictures tell the reader the story. Each edition should become better, just like each edition that appears on our new drafted web site puts you in the community. That said, I have two sales-oriented programs that hopefully will help you become masters of sales. Each one of us can make those calls, bring in he revenue and collectively ad to both our hardware and software libraries.
As individuals and as a team we want to go to the NEPA convention, first as observers, then as candidates for awards. Each win, is not only for ourselves, but the community-at-large. Remember the Beacon can shine on local profiles, it, too, can shine on you. Join me in a force to build a newspaper and its summer tab that both locals and tourists will come to enjoy.

PART II

My thoughts are that like in the old days many reporters did not want to lug a camera and take pictures-but they did. Today with the lay-offs, the combining of staff where does one go for opportunity, the promise of money, with the possibility of becoming a future stakeholder and may even get a $2,500 saving bond.
You will see it in the Bootstrap #101 ad......(See attached.) Winter is here today, but spring is around the corner and it is my job to put together this start-up weekly that will pay for itself and the personnel hired. Ck out the chamber's site for details on what Lenox, MA is all about. www.lenox.org
If you are savvy, an inspiring writer, graphic designer, and have some "ham on your bones" you can help sell the product and create a home in the area.
While my goal is to get The Beacon up and running, the secondary and equally important goal is to get out the five editions of the summer tourist newspaper complete with pixs and text that will act as a "Beacon" to those who journey to The Berkshires.
In any start-up business, one has to promote, promote and promote. Remember, the person, who is willing to take the challenge, roll up their sleeves, deliver weekly good writing and pictures that are unique has a chance to move up within the organization.
But first, we need your commitment. We have the property, the Apple/Mac computer network and desks available. Tell me in 100 words why I should hire you noting that you will be on a limited budget, but the rewards are endless.
Meanwhile read the NEPA's President's letter about Community Journalism and note that the industry is more about the commitment than the money. It is about serving the public interest with news, features and pictures that reflect the image of a community. Also, the ad person is an integral part of the retail marketplace to help the owners move their unit products. The best way: Print advertising.
Thus, we need that advertising person, who can help design, sell and layout the ads and work with the editorial staff to produce an award-winning publication. -George C. Jordan III

 

Maybe it's one of those chain letters that pop up on YouTube or other sites every so often. Needless to say, there will probably be hundreds of applications from this site.

 

My god, JDV started a newspaper.

 

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

 

That's not funny, you stop laughing RIGHT NOW.

 

I've laughed at job ads before, but nothing like this. There should be an ad such as this one more often.

 

It's not good to write an ad when you're ass-up drunk and pounding another eight-ball, Mr. Jordan III.

 

Holy shit.

 

I love starting the day off with a good laugh.

Because I’m just a rookie I usually just sit on the sidelines and read the threads here, but I found this one to be so funny that I thought I’d pipe in.

Fourteen months without an ad rep? I'd like to see something run for 14 months with no one selling ads, no matter how podunk it is.

I'm sure it's one and the same. As for delivery, it can probobly be hand-delivered to each sub in a matter of hours.

Let me guess, Kinkos?

Translation: If you can produce the entire paper by yourself as well as sell the advertising space and subscriptions (for probobly about the same $$ you made in high school) then this is the job for you.

Here's your first news flash: It's spring and summer will be here in 65 days.

It will pay for itself if the person hired works 90 hours a week to produce all of the editorial and sell all the ad space as well as subscriptions. :

Wow a start-up that hasn't started (back) up yet and it's already the "heart" of the Berkshires. That's phenomenal. :

Watch out!! That's a popular one!

What college J-student can afford to only commit to editorial? My first published piece was a feature in a 140,000K monthly. That's not a major accomplishment, but it's also not a total embarrassment either (for me anyway). But at the same time I was also working in the sales department. Ok, confession time...I still work in the sales department but I'm also writing four departments and a column for them. I also recently added a new NASCAR section to a podunk and sometimes write for a website.

My point is, his statment is ass backwards. : I wish I could just focus on editorial.

Ah but it was still a funny read. ;D