Executive SE, Los Angeles Newspaper Group

[Gene Warnick]

Sports Editor in Southern California

The Los Angeles Newspaper Group (circulation 560,000) seeks an executive sports editor to oversee and coordinate coverage for our nine newspapers and online products in the greater Los Angeles area, including the Daily News of Los Angeles, Long Beach Press Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, Pasadena Star News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun and Redlands Daily Facts.

This is a job for an experienced sports editor who knows how to manage a large staff and operate in a competitive market with multiple pro, college and prep teams. The ideal candidate must also have extensive experience with budgets, including freelance and travel.

Please e-mail a cover letter detailing how you would take our print and online products to the next level while still keeping each paper's distinct local flavor. In addition, send a resume and any other relevant material to Melissa Lalum, Daily News managing editor, [email protected].

 

[JayFarrar]

I'd say this qualifies as a big boy job.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I'd say this qualifies as a job for someone with their own helicopter. These papers are hundreds of miles apart. When I see an ad that cites familiarity with "budgets, especially freelance and travel," I think the erstwhile employer is looking for a new hatchet man.

 

[buckweaver]

"Hundreds" of miles, MG? Try 88.

Redlands is the easternmost of these papers. Woodland Hills is the westernmost. They're 88 miles apart, and San Bernardino, Ontario, San Gabriel, Whittier and Pasadena are all within those 88 miles.

Woodland Hills is 34 miles north of Torrance and 41 miles north of Long Beach.

Let's keep the geography straight, please.

 

[MileHigh]

Exactly.

 

[MileHigh]

Previously, the person in this job doubled as the sports editor of the Daily News. Is that the case or is this just overseeing everything for the LANG papers?

 

[Screwball]

Given traffic in the LA area, Mr. Gee just might be right about the helicopter. Dean Singleton wouldn't pay for it (shock!) but if you wanted to travel the 41 miles from Long Beach to Woodland Hills any time between 2-8 pm you'd best leave yourself two hours.

And then hope for the best.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Communication with all of the papers is so very important to whoever takes this big boy job. I do wonder if some of these papers will be folded into another (Torrance/LB and Redlands/SB).

There's one beat writer for each of the major ones, but they are spread out among all of the papers.

About the only way to keep the "local flavor" is to keep the columnists focused on their respective areas and keep churning out the high school coverage.

 

[Left_Coast]

Nice job, but don't expect it to pay what it should pay. It is Lean Dean after all, and the flagship hasn't had a sports editor for 5-6 months.

 

[dragonfly]

There's no need to travel between any of the sister papers. Everything runs from the Woodland Hills (Daily News) office. All the coordination is done via inter-office messaging/e-mail/phone calls and semi-regular meetings with the other sports editors.

 

[Idaho]

I think I know one or two people just itching to get this job.

And, for the sake of a bunch of buddies, I hope one of them gets it.

 

[Gold]

While Michael Gee may be a little overextended on his geography, I think his take his right on the mark.

Since Singleton - and Los Angeles Newspaper Group is a corporate euphamism when we are talking about this - took over the newspapers there has been less and less distinct local flavor. You can read a Sunday sports section of the Inland Empire papers and see no more than two or three local bylines. In a Sunday paper. This isn't only a hatchet man, the person filling this position is going to have to dig the graves. Not a "big boy" job, but Mission Impossible.

 

[Gold]

One more thing... if this job pays $100K a year, you aren't talking a great deal for living in southern California.

 

[MileHigh]

I would be shocked if this job pays $100K.

 

[SF_Express]

It's an interesting job on its face, but if it doesn't pay $100K -- in fact, if it doesn't pay a good amount OVER $100K -- then it's not worth the stress and workload that's going to be involved.

 

[Claws for Concern]

It won't pay $100,000. Bank on that.

 

[Hawkeyes4Ever]

<<<There's no need to travel between any of the sister papers. Everything runs from the Woodland Hills (Daily News) office. All the coordination is done via inter-office messaging/e-mail/phone calls and semi-regular meetings with the other sports editors. >>>


this is exactly what is wrong with newspapers these days.

 

[dragonfly]

to clarify: each of the sister papers has its own editor who coordinates the local coverage. the SE for LANG coordinates the major beats (UCLA, USC, Dodgers, Lakers) and all the sister papers run the same stories for those.

 

[OneMoreRead]

Isn't Lean Dean doing the same thing with his Bay Area papers?

 

[MileHigh]

to clarify: each of the sister papers has its own editor who coordinates the local coverage. the SE for LANG coordinates the major beats (UCLA, USC, Dodgers, Lakers) and all the sister papers run the same stories for those.

Correct. The Daily News "writers" have the majority of the beats, and the biggest ones (Lakers, Dodgers, USC, UCLA). But all of the papers use "Staff Writer" with the bylines, no matter where it's coming from.