Preps Opening, St. Louis P-D

[Riddick]

Company: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Position: Seeking Preps Reporter
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Negotiable
Ad Expires: September 12, 2006
Job ID: 668813
Website: http://stltoday.com


Description:
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch seeks an aggressive, adaptable, fearless reporter with a hunger for breaking news to cover prep sports. Candidates must have at least two years of daily newspaper reporting experience, including covering games as well as writing feature and enterprise pieces. The ability to write strong news stories on deadline and easily navigate our coverage area is a must.
Candidates must have the ability to go beyond the normal beat routine to sniff out news and enterprise opportunities. Applicants also must possess strong writing, reporting and organizational skills.

To apply, please submit an overview of your experience, 10 clips that show your range of skills and a short essay describing how you would approach the beat to: Cynthia Todd, newsroom recruitment director; St. Louis Post-Dispatch; 900 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101.

The application deadline is Aug. 21.

Obviously they're planning on moving quickly on this.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

There are some really good people who work in that section.
There are some really bad people who work in that section.

 

[85bears]

Hmmmm ... wonder what they're looking to pay with "2 years experience."

 

[LemMan]

There are some really good people who work in that section.
There are some really bad people who work in that section.

care to elaborate? Just curious...

 

[wickedwritah]

Did they lose a lot of people through the buyouts?

 

[playthrough]

Is the ability to "easily navigate our coverage area" some kind of code for "we want a local guy 'cause the pay stinks and we're not paying relocation"?

 

[JME]

I'll be the guy: Anyone know what the pay range is?

 

[John]

Is the ability to "easily navigate our coverage area" some kind of code for "we want a local guy 'cause the pay stinks and we're not paying relocation"?

I thought it meant being a good driver, possibly with a car with GPS.

 

[DENNY]

I'm good enough to work at the Plain-Dealer.

 

[DENNY]

I'll be the guy: Anyone know what the pay range is?

You're hired!

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Is the ability to "easily navigate our coverage area" some kind of code for "we want a local guy 'cause the pay stinks and we're not paying relocation"?

It might also be code for you might have a pretty big f-ing distance to get between a couple of your schools, depending on how they sort the beats.
Traffic in St. Louis -- aside from the random power outage that affects 500k people -- isn't bad. There are some relatively good places to live, and some amazing places to spend a night out.

 

[Riddick]

local candidates need only apply. at least that's how I see it when I read between the lines.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

local candidates need only apply. at least that's how I see it when I read between the lines.

I suspect they might be eyeing a stringer who's been covering cross country and the Steamers to fill that gig.

 

[blondebomber]

I'm good enough to work at the Plain-Dealer.

You're hired!

Congratulations on using not one, but TWO lines that stopped being funny two years ago.

 

[the_lorax]

Is the ability to "easily navigate our coverage area" some kind of code for "we want a local guy 'cause the pay stinks and we're not paying relocation"?

It might also be code for you might have a pretty big f-ing distance to get between a couple of your schools, depending on how they sort the beats.
Traffic in St. Louis -- aside from the random power outage that affects 500k people -- isn't bad. There are some relatively good places to live, and some amazing places to spend a night out.

I don't know, man, traffic in st. louis can be pretty horrific sometimes. And I think what the ad implies is that the stl metro area is really spread-out and you've got to know your way around on deadline. Nothing more than that.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Is the ability to "easily navigate our coverage area" some kind of code for "we want a local guy 'cause the pay stinks and we're not paying relocation"?

It might also be code for you might have a pretty big f-ing distance to get between a couple of your schools, depending on how they sort the beats.
Traffic in St. Louis -- aside from the random power outage that affects 500k people -- isn't bad. There are some relatively good places to live, and some amazing places to spend a night out.

I don't know, man, traffic in st. louis can be pretty horrific sometimes. And I think what the ad implies is that the stl metro area is really spread-out and you've got to know your way around on deadline. Nothing more than that.

I agree on the knowing your way around, but after spending time in Atlanta/Chicago, St. Louis is a cake walk.

 

[STLIrish]

So, should I put the two weeks I spent as a courier in St. Louis on my resume? I sure as hell learned my way around.

 

[Smokey33]

That part about having the ability to navigate the coverage area is incredibly pointless. Is there anywhere a preps reporter can work where he doesn't have to be able to navigate the area? Are they saying they won't hire me if my previous paper chauffeured me to all games?

 

[playthrough]

That part about having the ability to navigate the coverage area is incredibly pointless. Is there anywhere a preps reporter can work where he doesn't have to be able to navigate the area? Are they saying they won't hire me if my previous paper chauffeured me to all games?

Very pointless. Any preps reporter at a bigger paper is going to have to hit a bunch of outlying areas in addition to the city limits.

That line was the preps job equivalent of the Tampa Trib job ad that said you needed to know how to type and spell.

 

[RayKinsella]

From what I understand, there coverage area includes 100+ high schools, hence the line about navigation.