Merced (CA) Sun-Star

[OrangeGrad]

From jj.com

SPORTS REPORTER - We're the Merced Sun-Star, a McClatchy daily in the shadow of California's foothills. We've already won storerooms full of awards for excellence, but we're still full of ambition at a time when too many newspapers continue to march in place. Right now we're in the midst of converting a very good sports section into something even more spectacular: a daily tabloid sports magazine. We need a creative and enthusiastic pro to join us. Yes, you'd need to be a solid paginator for some desk shifts, but we also want a solid writer/reporter to handle assignments ranging from preps to Division I Fresno State football and basketball. We're a staff of multi-task experts looking for one more teammate. Salary competitive with the area, outstanding benefits, great place to live without spending enormous amounts of money. If you want to be part of something special, send a cover letter, resume and three work samples to Human Resources, 3033 North G Street, P. O. Box 739, Merced, CA 95340. Email welcome to [email protected]. EEO. Preplacement physical and drug screen required.

What do we know about the town and paper?

 

[Jumpin Jack Flash]

I used to work for the Turlock Journal when Merced was still owned by Pacific-Sierra. Back then it was the flagship paper. One former SE was arrested for solicitation of a minor. But overall the reporters were good guys, very hardworking (pacifica-sierra tended to overwork people).
I don't know anything about it after McClatchy bought it, but I imagine it was better now.
Merced itself is like any central valley town -- it has its rough parts and drug problems. Generally a good town with nice people, and the location is good -- about 2 hours to Sacramento, and three hours to the Bay Area. Yosemite is 45 minutes away. Covering sports in the smaller surrounding towns can be extremely rough (Atwater and Buchach Colony are particularly difficult).
And covering Fresno -- as a former Fresno State beat writer (and FS alumni), let me tell you, there's no better way to get clips and further your career. They do all kinds of crazy **** there, and you get the byline. Plus, the teams are generally pretty good when the players aren't arrested, suspended or being investigated.
Hope that helps. PM for more central valley info if you need it.

 

[Riddick]

Reading this, i can't help but suspect someone from the Merced is now at Fresno.

 

[Jim_Carty]

I worked for the new SE there, Steve Cameron, in my first job, circa 1992 or so in Flagstaff Arizona. Long-time Royals writer for the KC Star, two different stints I think, and journalistic vagabound since those Flag days.

If you're a young writer, he'll give you a lot of freedom and make you better.

He'll also sometimes drive you nuts - one of my best friends, now an editor at Men's Health, ended up cat-sitting for weeks while Steve worked on a book - but he's personally endearing and has a million newspapers stories, so you put up with it.

(Of course I probably drove him just as nuts as a know-everything kid just out of Syracuse)

 

[2underpar]

Having never worked west of the mississippi, would this pay a living wage, or would food-stamps be a necessity? And are california real estate horror stories fact or fiction?

 

[Editude]

Dingy Central Valley gas-and-fast-food pit stop. It's local, of course, so don't think you'll spend a lot of time talking to Pat Hill in Fresno. New UC that can't fill its enrollment targets.

 

[OrangeGrad]

How big is this paper?

 

[The Duke]

Is Joe Kieta still the newsroom editor there?

 

[Birdscribe]

Having never worked west of the mississippi, would this pay a living wage, or would food-stamps be a necessity? And are california real estate horror stories fact or fiction?

California real estate stories aren't fiction, but this is Merced in the Central Valley, not Pebble Beach, Brentwood or even the Inland Empire, so you're not talking obscene, mind-boggling real estate prices.

Like Editude said, you're talking the dusty, agricultural Central Valley and all the baggage that comes with it.

 

[Angola!]

My sister lives in Atwater, which is near Merced, and it is pretty pricey there, but not like the Bay Area or San Diego or anything. It could be quite a bit of sticker-shock to you, though, depending on where you are coming from.

 

[Jumpin Jack Flash]

Actually, never worked at the Bee, just for all the little guys around Fresno.
Real estate there isn't awful, but still higher than most places in the country. If you aren't from CA, make sure you don't expect an LA or SF experience. VERY different in Merced.

 

[daemon]

Nobody has any questions about what the hell kind of process goes into converting a daily section into a daily tabloid style newspaper magazine, or whatever they called it?

It sounds interesting on the surface, but what exactly is it?

And are they expecting to get a writer who can churn out magazine-quality stories but doesn't mind working a couple of shifts on the desk as well?

Any ideas?

 

[JD Canon]

I worked this paper for more than a year and a half. Like a lot of jobs posted here, Merced can be good or bad. I had a trying experience, but I got in, got my clips worked my butt off and got out -- just like I told the EIC I wanted to in the first interview I had.

If that's your plan, you can do it here -- with opportunities to move up to Modeso and maybe Fresno if you build those relationships. And they're covering Fresno State about 5 million percent more than when I was there (That's a very good thing). But there's been a recent shift in ideology with Cameron in charge. Paolinelli had me at an 8-year-old youth football game on Thanksgiving one year!

One problem I had there was sports people leaving without being replaced for months at a time. That's why they need people who can do it all -- because like a lot of small papers, a sports layout guy will leave, and they need someone to do multiple jobs at the same time to put the section out.

I came on to round out a five-person staff, but within a few months I was laying out four nights a week and covering the college beat on a staff of two and a part-timer. If you're not willing to put up with that, they probably don't want you.

Great opportunity for someone young with a good work ethic because you'll need it.

Covering Fresno State will be great and the high school football and baseball is very good, too.

If you're a young single guy/girl, decent one bedroom apartments can be found very undermarket. Young family man/woman? New homes pop up every day. But the money here isn't really the home-buyer's type.

Not sure exactly what they're looking for, but I'll be safe and guess it's working long and late for little — like most of the 15K to 20K papers.

Nobody left here for Fresno from sports. PM me for details.

 

[JD Canon]

oops. i meant they're covering more Fresno State "BECAUSE" of Cameron's shift in ideology.

 

[Tom Petty]

is this the same editor who brings his girlfriend's poodle into the newsroom and lets it run amok?

 

[Tom Petty]

How big is this paper?

SUN-STAR, MERCED (MERCED CO.) AVG M (M-F) DLY 15,952 w/no sunday.

 

[JD Canon]

I don't know what Cameron does with dogs, but Kieta was the one getting (unfairly) blasted for bringing in his girlfriend's (I heard they've since been married. Wish I could have been there.) poodle. As far as I can remember, he only brought it in once or twice for a few minutes during off hours, and he carried it in his arms, not let it run amok.

My first day on the job, however, I recall the pet columnist having a very, very big dog in the newsroom sitting at a desk with her. But I never saw that dog again. It was a little weird to see dogs in the newsroom on a rare occaision, but it didn't hinder anyone from doing their jobs. There were much greater challenges to the gig.

When I came to interview for the job I have now, there was a woman who brought her daughter to the office that night to practice her flute in the newsroom. That would seem a little more distracting than sitting near a dog, but I haven't seen her since either.

 

[JD Canon]

update: for those inerested in the animal happenings at the sun-star, the pet columnist mentioned above is apparently bringing in a chicken weekly so it can pick the winners of the prep football games. the chicken beat the sports staff by picking 8 winners this week to the staffers' 7.

the chicken allegedly typed this challenge to the writers in his (her?) debut column: "You'll have nightmares about feathers when this is over. The Pickin' Chicken is bringin' it..."

no ****, i've heard this is an actual chicken and it picks the games by running to one side of it's cage or something. haha. for those interested in the job, i'm sure the chicken will not peck you on deadline.

 

[Scribe4264]

I worked this paper for more than a year and a half. Like a lot of jobs posted here, Merced can be good or bad. I had a trying experience, but I got in, got my clips worked my butt off and got out -- just like I told the EIC I wanted to in the first interview I had.

If that's your plan, you can do it here -- with opportunities to move up to Modeso and maybe Fresno if you build those relationships. And they're covering Fresno State about 5 million percent more than when I was there (That's a very good thing). But there's been a recent shift in ideology with Cameron in charge. Paolinelli had me at an 8-year-old youth football game on Thanksgiving one year!

One problem I had there was sports people leaving without being replaced for months at a time. That's why they need people who can do it all -- because like a lot of small papers, a sports layout guy will leave, and they need someone to do multiple jobs at the same time to put the section out.

I came on to round out a five-person staff, but within a few months I was laying out four nights a week and covering the college beat on a staff of two and a part-timer. If you're not willing to put up with that, they probably don't want you.

Great opportunity for someone young with a good work ethic because you'll need it.

Covering Fresno State will be great and the high school football and baseball is very good, too.

If you're a young single guy/girl, decent one bedroom apartments can be found very undermarket. Young family man/woman? New homes pop up every day. But the money here isn't really the home-buyer's type.

Not sure exactly what they're looking for, but I'll be safe and guess it's working long and late for little — like most of the 15K to 20K papers.

Nobody left here for Fresno from sports. PM me for details.

Are you still bitching about that youth football game J.D.???
Jesus dude, get over it!!!!

Although, one might point out that when Paolinelli was there and the focus was more on Merced sports the circulation was reportedly over 18k. Now that the sports focus is way more on Fresno State, I noticed that circ numbers are down to 15k. Hmmm. I wonder why the Sun-Star has lost 16% of its circ since Paolinelli left?

And what's up with the pickin chicken nonsense? Between the fowl presence in sports and the amok poodles its no wonder they are bleeding subscribers there.

 

[Tom Petty]

is merced a good place to raise a poodle?