College sports reporter--USA Today

[Left_Coast]

http://apse.dallasnews.com/job_board/2006/1907.html

USA Today seeks a reporter to provide comprehensive and high quality coverage of men's college basketball and other college sports.

Superior writing and reporting skills required. Proven ability to develop significant and creative enterprise packages. Must respond well to breaking news and work well on deadline. Candidates should have a good working knowledge of a variety of college sports including football.

College degree preferred. At least five years experience reporter required.

Contact:

Marsha Clark
News Administration
USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Dr.
McLean, VA 22108

 

[tyler durden 71351]

Why do they even advertise a job like that? It's got to be a Gannett HR thing. You know all sorts of clowns are going to put in for that gig.
And if anyone with only 5 years experience gets that job, I'll **** a brick. That's a big-boy/big-girl job if there ever was one. You get that with 5 years experience, then you must be a f'n stud like John Holmes.....

 

[hate-d-mah-old-prepjob]

More and more these days, editors (even at the top papers) are scrapping the old way of thinking and bringing in talented, younger reporters that prove in one way or another that they're capable of doing the job. It's not like there's a large pool of such talented young reporters. But there are more floating around than you think.

 

[podunk press]

They skew older at USA TODAY. They make the occasional young hire, but not often.

 

[HejiraHenry]

They skew older at USA TODAY. They make the occasional young hire, but not often.

Oh, skew. You wrote skew.

Nevermind.

 

[whatgives]

I believe most of the recent hires have been of the young ilk.

 

[abelives]

Why do they even advertise a job like that? It's got to be a Gannett HR thing. You know all sorts of clowns are going to put in for that gig.
And if anyone with only 5 years experience gets that job, I'll **** a brick. That's a big-boy/big-girl job if there ever was one. You get that with 5 years experience, then you must be a f'n stud like John Holmes.....

You certainly start to wonder when you see USA Today posted, Louisville posted, etc. Maybe we're just being cynical. Maybe some SEs really do want to see what's out there? Can't hurt, right?

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Gannett's new thing is: Write for online, update for print. They want young people they can work to death, pay less than they would otherwise and beat about the head with the whole mainstreaming thing.

 

[Moderator1]

This is Moran who left, correct?

Yes

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Do you have to move to NoVa for this one or would they let you stay put if you were working someplace like Raleigh or Louisville?

 

[abelives]

I think Moran was based in Chicago. I think.

 

[Moderator1]

Naperville. Which I think is in that area? Hell if I know. Point is, he wasn't in NoVa.

 

[Left_Coast]

Ad doesn't say where you have to be based, unlike the assignment editor position, which said the job is based in McLean.

 

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

Do you have to move to NoVa for this one or would they let you stay put if you were working someplace like Raleigh or Louisville?

They want everyone to work in McLean now. You'd have to be pretty special to avoid that, or have been there long enough, like Moran, to have a preexisting deal.

 

[SportsScribe5]

A job like this is extensive travel so I can't see them demanding you live in NoVa. I'd assume any place convenient to a major airport would be the ideal.

Where did Malcolm go? He's a good man.

 

[Moderator1]

He got that gig at Penn State.

 

[ballscribe]

A job like this is extensive travel so I can't see them demanding you live in NoVa. I'd assume any place convenient to a major airport would be the ideal.

Where did Malcolm go? He's a good man.

You'd think that, but they flew me down there to interview for a job a short time ago, one that also would involve a lot of travel, and were adamant that relocation to McLean was required. It didn't come from the first 156 levels of editors I talked to (I swear to God, someone who writes a story for that paper probably doesn't even recognize it when it makes the paper, given the strata of people who get their hands on every story - such the polar opposite of what I'm used to), but right from the very top guy. If he wants it, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Since I had less than zero interest in relocating to that particular area, that was pretty much it.

If that helps.

 

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

A job like this is extensive travel so I can't see them demanding you live in NoVa. I'd assume any place convenient to a major airport would be the ideal.

Where did Malcolm go? He's a good man.

You'd think that, but they flew me down there to interview for a job a short time ago, one that also would involve a lot of travel, and were adamant that relocation to McLean was required. It didn't come from the first 156 levels of editors I talked to (I swear to God, someone who writes a story for that paper probably doesn't even recognize it when it makes the paper, given the strata of people who get their hands on every story - such the polar opposite of what I'm used to), but right from the very top guy. If he wants it, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Since I had less than zero interest in relocating to that particular area, that was pretty much it.

If that helps.

Although rumor has it one recent hire called their bluff and after taking the job under those conditions called back and said the big move was not possible. The 156 editors caved and the person kept the job without having to move.

 

[patchs]

I heard thirdhand that Malcolm took a teaching gig. I want to say it was at Penn State, but I'm not sure...

Moran is definitely going to Penn State. It is a sweet gig, great pay, summers off. Competition for it was intense.

 

[Moderator1]

He got that gig at Penn State.

Like I said ***