Sports copy editor/designer at The Bulletin in Bend, Ore.

[Jackson Sundown]

I know Bend has good beer and good snow. Based on that alone this job can't be too bad.


http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=916209

 

[Angola!]

I know Bend has good beer and good snow. Based on that alone this job can't be too bad.


http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=916209

See the Coeur d'Alene thread. **** for pay and one of the most expensive places in Oregon to live.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I know Bend has good beer and good snow. Based on that alone this job can't be too bad.


http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=916209

See the Coeur d'Alene thread. **** for pay and one of the most expensive places in Oregon to live.

What Angola! said. I've heard plenty of good things about Bend ... none of them financial.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Bend rules.

But you'd have to live in Redmond or Prineville to get by on the pay.

 

[DG]

I work in the sports department at Bend, and I'll be happy to answer any questions about the job.

I've worked at four different papers since college, and the pay is better than papers with a similar circulation, from what I know...I made a horizontal move, more or less ,from the Kitsap Sun in Washington to Bend and the pay is better here, pretty much across the board. Both are about 30K circs. Granted, Kitsap is a Scripps paper that is on the downswing, but it was not that way when I first arrived.

As far as Bend being an expensive place to live, I've lived in D.C. and the Puget Sound area of Washington, and this is more affordable than both of those. The real estate market is pricy, however.

Both of the people who filled this position -- both the person who is leaving and the one who is still here -- live in Bend.

Anyway, if anyone wants to ask anything, feel free :)

 

[Tom Petty]

bend is expensive, damn expensive.

 

[Angola!]

I work in the sports department at Bend, and I'll be happy to answer any questions about the job.

I've worked at four different papers since college, and the pay is better than papers with a similar circulation, from what I know...I made a horizontal move, more or less ,from the Kitsap Sun in Washington to Bend and the pay is better here, pretty much across the board. Both are about 30K circs. Granted, Kitsap is a Scripps paper that is on the downswing, but it was not that way when I first arrived.

As far as Bend being an expensive place to live, I've lived in D.C. and the Puget Sound area of Washington, and this is more affordable than both of those. The real estate market is pricy, however.

Both of the people who filled this position -- both the person who is leaving and the one who is still here -- live in Bend.

Anyway, if anyone wants to ask anything, feel free :)

Here's my question: Why if the paper pays good and the area is so awesome to live in - which I agree wholeheartedly with - is there so much turnover at this paper?

Seems like the Bulletin is hiring every 6-12 months or so.

 

[DG]

I work in the sports department at Bend, and I'll be happy to answer any questions about the job.

I've worked at four different papers since college, and the pay is better than papers with a similar circulation, from what I know...I made a horizontal move, more or less, from the Kitsap Sun in Washington to Bend and the pay is better here, pretty much across the board. Both are about 30K circs. Granted, Kitsap is a Scripps paper that is on the downswing, but it was not that way when I first arrived.

As far as Bend being an expensive place to live, I've lived in D.C. and the Puget Sound area of Washington, and this is more affordable than both of those. The real estate market is pricy, however.

Both of the people who filled this position -- both the person who is leaving and the one who is still here -- live in Bend.

Anyway, if anyone wants to ask anything, feel free :)

Here's my question: Why if the paper pays good and the area is so awesome to live in - which I agree wholeheartedly with - is there so much turnover at this paper?

Seems like the Bulletin is hiring every 6-12 months or so.

Well, the newsroom staff is significantly bigger than most 30K circs...we have something like 65-70 newsroom jobs. The Kitsap Sun, when I left, was like 40. So there's simply more jobs here...that's at least part of it. I am in a bubble here in sports, as well...I can't speak to what goes on in other news departments or why there's turnover. Certainly, a 30K circ is not the be-all, end-all for a lot of journalists, and they want to move on to bigger papers, or something else.

I am not saying it's a perfect newspaper, by any stretch of the imagination. Trying to be honest, really. Impossible to say I am not biased, of course. But this is about as good of a spot as you can find in print journalism today...it's a family owned paper, we've been assured there would be no jobs cut from staff this year, which is pretty amazing considering the current climate and the tough times many papers are falling on.

 

[Angola!]

At least you answered.

Bend also has a new newsroom which is supposed to be badass. You use to be able to take on an online tour of it, not sure if they still do it.

Lots of outdoors stuff to do there and a strange mix of hippies and Republicans. There are lots of really cool restaurants, bars and strip clubs, as well.

 

[DG]

I always hear people pooh-pooh Bend because it's expensive, and certainly it's not cheap. But I think it's overrated.

My wife and I have a nice two-bedroom apartment while we're trying to find the right house. For reference, we pay $675, which is more than half of the monthly rent for the cheapest apartment we ever had in the D.C. area, and hundreds less from a very comparable apartment we lived in while in Kitsap County.

 

[DG]

At least you answered.

Bend also has a new newsroom which is supposed to be badass. You use to be able to take on an online tour of it, not sure if they still do it.

Lots of outdoors stuff to do there and a strange mix of hippies and Republicans. There are lots of really cool restaurants, bars and strip clubs, as well.

The building we're in is like 6 years old, and it has to be one of the nicest buildings any newspaper is based in. The only thing that is close that I've seen is Tacoma, which is in a really nice building too. I've worked at The Washington Post, which has its charm, but is pretty much a dump unless you're in management.

 

[Tom Petty]

partially jumping on dg's bandwagon, bend does a nice job with their product and not a lotta folks go storming out of there because they are mad at life. most folks simply move on to bigger things.

but i don't like comparing bend's housing prices to dc and seattle as a reference point.

 

[DG]

partially jumping on dg's bandwagon, bend does a nice job with their product and not a lotta folks go storming out of there because they are mad at life. most folks simply move on to bigger things.

but i don't like comparing bend's housing prices to dc and seattle as a reference point.

That's meant to be more a cost-of-living comparison than a housing market comparison. The real estate market is ridiculous, although that's coming down too.

Let's put it this way -- my wife and I live comfortably in Bend and easily save every month, and we're not making money hand over fist. The price of things in Bend doesn't hurt our bottom line. I am sure if you're working closer to the $10 an hour range, it can be harder to make ends meet here.

 

[Tom Petty]

partially jumping on dg's bandwagon, bend does a nice job with their product and not a lotta folks go storming out of there because they are mad at life. most folks simply move on to bigger things.

but i don't like comparing bend's housing prices to dc and seattle as a reference point.

That's meant to be more a cost-of-living comparison than a housing market comparison. The real estate market is ridiculous, although that's coming down too.

Let's put it this way -- my wife and I live comfortably in Bend and easily save every month, and we're not making money hand over fist.

i'm going to partially jump off your bandwagon if you keep up with that tone, mister. ;)

 

[TrooperBari]

Bend, if memory serves, is the flagship paper of the Western Communications chain.

Not a big chain by any means, but it's pretty solid. Folks could do a lot worse.

 

[DG]

Bend, if memory serves, is the flagship paper of the Western Communications chain.

Not a big chain by any means, but it's pretty solid. Folks could do a lot worse.

Yeah, it is. Bend is the biggest paper in the chain. WesCom recently sold the Hermiston Herald, which I think had been the worst paper in the portfolio in a while. But it was sold to the East Oregonian, which has a good a chance as anyone to turn it around.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/business/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003793146

 

[TrooperBari]

Bend, if memory serves, is the flagship paper of the Western Communications chain.

Not a big chain by any means, but it's pretty solid. Folks could do a lot worse.

Yeah, it is. Bend is the biggest paper in the chain. WesCom recently sold the Hermiston Herald, which I think had been the worst paper in the portfolio in a while. But it was sold to the East Oregonian, which has a good a chance as anyone to turn it around.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/business/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003793146

Interesting ... I hadn't heard about the sale. I know a few folks up in Hermiston, so I hope that works out well for them.