Two senior editor jobs, Sporting News

Sporting News is looking for two experienced editors to join our talented team in Charlotte, N.C. These jobs are as important as any we have.

The title of both is senior editor. You’ll be in charge of coordinating and executing all content for one of the seven topics we cover — in our 124-year-old magazine, in 2-year-old Sporting News Today and on our soon-to-be revamped website. Our college editor (Derek Samson) is moving on and our NBA editor (Benson Taylor) is moving up. We won’t pair editors with topics until later in the process but will consider every option.

Each position involves managing at least one staff writer. You’ll work hand-in-hand with me (Jeff D’Alessio) and our three managing editors — Dan Graf (magazine), Paul Kasko (SN Today) and Benson Taylor (online). We’re looking for idea people and team players, editors who only rely on anonymous sources as last resort and prefer alternatively told stories to 2,500-word narratives.

Writing experience is a plus — there are aggregating aspects to both jobs — but not imperative. Circulation size does not matter but all candidates must have at least five years of professional editing and at least two years of professional story assigning experience. We’ll consider applicants from newspapers, magazines or websites.

Both jobs will include one weekend shift — either a Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday-Thursday work week.

The application process includes homework. If you’d like to be considered, mail a packet that includes the following:

— Your content plan for a major recent sports story — Nebraska joins the Big Ten, George Steinbrenner dies, Brett Favre finally retires (can assume it’s official for this exercise), etc. Come up with a plan for each of our three platforms. You’ll have two open pages in the magazine (keep in mind that it won’t hit readers’ hands until a week after the news breaks), four pages in Sporting News Today and unlimited space online. You have three writers at your disposal the day it happens and two to tag-team the magazine package. If you’ve seen our magazine since we overhauled it in the fall of 2008, you know we take different approaches than the competition. So think sidebars. Think ambitiously when figuring out who you’re going to have your reporters call.

— One great idea you’d propose we do in the magazine in October or November. It can be a 2-pager or a 10-pager, on any of the topics we cover — NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, college football or college hoops. Keep this to a couple paragraphs. You don’t need to go into the same detail with this one as the one above. No extra credit for longer pitches.

— 3-5 work samples — packages/projects you planned and executed, special sections, etc.

— A resume.

We’re looking to move quickly, so act fast. No phone calls please, and include printouts or copies — not links. Send packets to editor Jeff D’Alessio at Sporting News, 120 West Morehead Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202.

 

Anyone apply for this?

 

They've received dozens of resumes within 4 days, says a source who'd know.

 

Even with the lack of good jobs available, I would think it would be difficult to find someone really, really good for these jobs.

 

Given all the "homework" (i.e., free work) they have applicants sending in, do they really want to fill jobs or do they just want to solicit a bunch of free ideas for content and presentation? Hope they at least give a big hearty thanks to the vast pool of good people, most of them won't get hired but will have their ideas appear on TSN's various platforms.

 

I hope that's not the case but I suspect you are correct. The ideas will be used at some point and that's sad. TSN's web site is at best third or fourth being ESPN and SI.Com. Depending on the source, either CBS.Com or TSN is in third or fourth, respectively. I grew up with TSN when it was a weekly pub. Just loved those box scores from the various minor leagues.

 

I'd insist on at least a phone interview to determine if there was mutual interest before spending 2-3 days on the "homework" assignment. That's only fair. Otherwise there is always the chance that one could invest all that time and never receive any meaningful response, such as feedback, etc.

 

Won't happen for this gig.

 

Never say never. Say for example, you're nationally recognized as one of the best in the business and for family or future retirement reason you want to relocate to Charlotte, even if the job does represent a step down in pay and title. My guess is someone like that would be worthy of a courtesy phone call before doing the "homework" assignment. I've been around the block more than a few times and know that the process can be altered -- especially when a top talent is available.

 

Agree with you there but sometimes, even top talent has to go through the hoop.