Sports Editor, Lorain (OH) Morning Journal

[lloyd]

Here is the ad running in various spots. I'm the Ohio State writer for the Journal and I'd be happy to answer any questions, either on here or in a PM...
The LMJ is about a 30,000 daily. As the ad says, we're just outside Cleveland, so the pro sports is a big focus, along with the high schools. The Indians, Cavs and Browns writers work out of the sister office, the Lake County News Herald, which blankets the east side of Cleveland. The two papers do well to work together. Anything else, feel free to ask.

Seeking Sports Editor
The Morning Journal, an award-winning paper in Lorain, Ohio, 30 miles west of Cleveland, is seeking a Sports Editor.
The newspaper covers 35 high schools, Cleveland pro sports and Ohio State.
Candidates should be proficient in QuarkXPress.
Duties include managing four full-time sports writers and numerous correspondents, designing daily pages several nights a week, planning coverage and special sections, working with reporters and some writing opportunities.
Applicants should send a resume and work samples to April Elliott, Managing Editor, 1657 Broadway, Lorain, OH 44052. No resumes will be accepted electronically. No phone calls please.

 

[wickedwritah]

JRC warning.

 

[thegrifter]

Any idea on pay? And the ad mentions writers, but not a ASE. Who picks up the extra desk shifts?

 

[lloyd]

There is an ASE, two prep writers and myself, plus obviously the SE. From mid-August through November, I'm in the office once a week. The rest of the time I'm doing the Buckeyes.

Yes, we're part of JRC, but it's not as bad as some of the stories on here. I can't speak for the papers in the east, but we're pretty much our own entity in Ohio and for the most part left alone. Some of the superiors in our building said the new regime of JRC wants to do more to help the papers than has been done in the past. Take that for what you will. We've won plenty of APSEs over the last few years, mostly for our prep football preview and coverage.

Sorry, I'm not in the position to offer a pay scale.

 

[thegrifter]

So, i'm guessing this is a desk gig with very little writing and a whole lot of management.

 

[Songbird]

Can never hear Lorain without thinking of that Roots song.

 

[silkytransition]

Well, there are writing opportunities if you want to go after them. I'm the current ASE, serving as interim sports editor until we can find someone. As busy as I'm going to be for the coming weeks, I'm still writing our prep boys basketball preview cover stories and much of that content. Our former sports editor had a good number of breaking news stories because he'd find out something while working a planning shift on Monday afternoons.

Will you cover games? A sports editor shouldn't be doing that.

If you have the drive as an editor and want to make things happen on the Web, look into it. This paper is entering a transition of beefing up its Web site, so go on there and check that out. It may give you the vibe -- good or bad -- you're looking for. Also, feel free to pm me.

 

[Chi City 81]

Will you cover games? A sports editor shouldn't be doing that.

Says who? I work for an 80K, APSE top-10 section. We have 10 full-timers (including myself), seven or eight part-timers, a handful of stringers, the ASE and the SE. My SE has a beat. He covers the hell out of it. We still manage to put out a quality product.

 

[wheels89]

Plus it's a 30K paper. Tell me a paper that size and with a staff that small that doesn't have a sports editor who is writing?

 

[BigSleeper]

Colleague of mine from college was their ASE for a while. Despite the usual limits for a paper that size, he spoke highly of the paper and it helped him move on to bigger things.

 

[lloyd]

it has typically been a management type role, as someone previously suggested.

 

[thegrifter]

what happened to the previous SE?

 

[Bob Slydell]

This is possibly one of the worst looking papers I've ever seen. But, I haven't heard too much bad about working there as far as the people and management.

But, if it's JRC don't expect to make much.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

it has typically been a management type role, as someone previously suggested.

But there's no reason this person couldn't change the roles a bit.

Like Doctor said, it's stupid to think an SE at this size paper shouldn't be covering anything.

 

[lloyd]

it has typically been a management type role, as someone previously suggested.

But there's no reason this person couldn't change the roles a bit.

Like Doctor said, it's stupid to think an SE at this size paper shouldn't be covering anything.

that's why i said typically. the new guy could do whatever he wants

 

[steveu]

If I took an SE's job, I'd want to be out of the office writing on occasion. Helps keep you fresh, your face visible in the community and if someone came up to me about paper questions I'd talk to them. Of course, that's just me.

FWIW, Jim Ingraham's Indians coverage is great. Between Hoynsie at the Plain Dealer and Sheldon Ocker at the ABJ, this team gets some good press.

 

[silkytransition]

Totally agree. There's just a difference between covering something local, which is a premium, and covering a pro sports game unless you're doing it on your own time. It's easy to see the Indians, Cavaliers and Browns are covered and think "I can go cover that once a week." That's why I made that statement, which sparked a few responses.

The previous SE was big on running things from the office. Would it be easy to go cover a high school game once a week for the SE? Sure. Would it be easy to have a beat like soccer? Definitely, our previous editor did it.

 

[BBJones]

Does the Morning Journal still use Jeff Schuldel's Browns stuff? Because he sucks indescribably.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Does the Morning Journal still use Jeff Schuldel's Browns stuff? Because he sucks indescribably.

Coming from someone who obviously has an inferiority complex.

 

[BBJones]

Yes, obviously.

And I think this is where I'm supposed to say, "Thanks for checking in, Mr. Schudel."