Two jobs: SE and Sports Copy Editor, Marietta Daily Journal

[Claws for Concern]

Company: Marietta Daily Journal
Position: SPORTS EDITOR
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Not Specified
Ad Expires: October 17, 2006
Job ID: 452181
Website: http://mdjonline.com

Description:
SPORTS EDITOR: The Marietta Daily Journal, a Georgia Press Association General Excellence newspaper, seeks a Sports Editor to join a strong team. The Journal, a seven-day daily, is located in fast-growing Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta. Cobb County is considered a major player in Atlanta’s 16-county metro area.
This is a full-time position with a competitive salary and benefits package, including health and dental insurance, 401(k) plan, and paid vacation. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Forward a resume and references to: Ref: Sports Editor - [email protected] ~ Fax: 770-428-5375. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.


Marietta Daily Journal and Neighbor
Newspapers
Position: SPORTS COPY EDITOR
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Not Specified
Ad Expires: October 17, 2006
Job ID: 609075

Description:
SPORTS COPY EDITOR Daily newspaper needs an experienced copy editor to handle editing and page layout responsibilites for an award-winning staff covering a large Atlanta metro area. Fax resume to 770-428-5375 or email to [email protected]. NO PHONE CALLS.

 

[busuncle]

Out of curiosity, how many people are on the MDJ's sports staff.

 

[da man]

NOOOOO!!!!!!! RUN! RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!!!

 

[HoopsMcCann]

NOOOOO!!!!!!! RUN! RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!!!

that may be the nicest thing i've ever heard about that place

 

[Moondoggy]

Why? What's so bad about this place?

 

[da man]

Release the hounds!

 

[da man]

Why? What's so bad about this place?

You really know, don't you? You just want all of us who have been there to drag out those old war stories again for your entertainment.

 

[boots]

There are two sides to every story and then there is the truth. Is this a great place? No but by the same token, kids were put into positions that they weren't qualified for. The pay isn't great which is a major reason why there is so much turnover.

 

[da man]

There are two sides to every story and then there is the truth. Is this a great place? No but by the same token, kids were put into positions that they weren't qualified for. The pay isn't great which is a major reason why there is so much turnover.

Actually, the number one reason there is so much turnover is that the publisher is a psychotic idiot who pays like crap and treats employees like vermin. The job life expectancy of a sports editor there is measured in months. If the over-under on how long the SE lasts is a year, take the under.

 

[da man]

Oh, and did I mention the publisher's idea of what the paper is supposed to cover and how changes hourly?

 

[prhack]

At one time, just about every current or former reporter I ran into in the Atlanta area either A) had their own MDJ story to tell or B) knew someone who did. I fit into the former category (though my six weeks in purgatory were spent at an MDJ affiliate), and let me say it's everything people make it out to be ... and 10 times more. Do yourself a favor and steer clear. This place has chewed up some pretty good folks and spit them out. If you are tempted to apply, just take a staple gun and fire it through your eyelids. The experience should approximate a day in that pee-pee soaked heck hole.

The fact that the circulation is so pathetically low in a county of more than 600,000 people tells you just about all you need to know about Mr. Brumby's little toy.

 

[da man]

At one time, just about every current or former reporter I ran into in the Atlanta area either A) had their own MDJ story to tell or B) knew someone who did. I fit into the former category (though my six weeks in purgatory were spent at an MDJ affiliate), and let me say it's everything people make it out to be ... and 10 times more. Do yourself a favor and steer clear. This place has chewed up some pretty good folks and spit them out. If you are tempted to apply, just take a staple gun and fire it through your eyelids. The experience should approximate a day in that pee-pee soaked heck hole.

The fact that the circulation is so pathetically low in a county of more than 600,000 people tells you just about all you need to know about Mr. Brumby's little toy.

So you're a former Neighbor! Congratulations!

 

[prhack]

At one time, just about every current or former reporter I ran into in the Atlanta area either A) had their own MDJ story to tell or B) knew someone who did. I fit into the former category (though my six weeks in purgatory were spent at an MDJ affiliate), and let me say it's everything people make it out to be ... and 10 times more. Do yourself a favor and steer clear. This place has chewed up some pretty good folks and spit them out. If you are tempted to apply, just take a staple gun and fire it through your eyelids. The experience should approximate a day in that pee-pee soaked heck hole.

The fact that the circulation is so pathetically low in a county of more than 600,000 people tells you just about all you need to know about Mr. Brumby's little toy.

So you're a former Neighbor! Congratulations!

Actually, I'm an alum of the only other "non-Neighbor" in the chain (the Cherokee Tribune). At the time I was there, it only came out two days a week. I believe it's a daily now. I still remember dragging my butt into the MDJ's neighbor newsroom at all hours of the night in a desperate attempt to get everything done. Turned in my notice after four weeks when something marginally better came along, but stayed another two to make sure the football tab got out.

Not much good came of the experience, but I can still raise some eyebrows when I tell people who aren't in the business that my first full-time job out of college paid a whopping $270 a week.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

With respect to whoever currently holds this position and whoever his successor is, this thread really needs to be stickied. It's not just urban legend that the MDJ has had somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 SEs in the past 10 years, (and I quit counting after they went through five in a two-year period in the late 1990s). If you cannot bring yourself to stay away from these two jobs, at least go in with your eyes open. A suit of chain mail might be nice, too.

 

[steveu]

Are we to inquire that we might want to wear a faceplate of sorts to avoid the fire-breathing dragons we'll have to slay?

 

[Orange44]

This thread never gets old.
I was there six years -- worked for six sports editors. This job is perfect for someone right out of college because it will A.) Send you screaming right back to school; or B.) make you really appreciate the good job when it comes along.
If you've been in the business and see the SE job at the ol' MDJ come up yet again ... keep on walking. It ain't worth your time, because you ain't worth theirs.

 

[avandelay]

The last sports editor change was made back in April when the previous SE resigned after around 5 years with the company (a little over a year at the helm). I think whoever takes over the position now will make 6 in 6 years.

The sports staff covers both MDJ and Cherokee Tribune, with one writer designated to Cherokee and all writers contributing in cross-coverage situations. The TCT writer covers five schools and the remaining 3 or 4 writers cover Cobb's 19 schools. There's also a sports copy desk guy.

On the plus side, there are good people to work with both in the sports and other departments. Outside of the office, Cobb has some top-notch teams across the board and pretty much all of the coaches are good to deal with.

Coverage-wise, other than Kennesaw State, a little Southern Poly and some features on former prep athletes playing on the collegiate level, there is no in-house college coverage. The paper does, however, have every high school football game in Cobb and Cherokee covered each Friday and you can do the math to figure out what the spring is like (24 teams in two counties... baseball, soccer, track, tennis, lacrosse & golf).

As for what so many others have hit on time and time again on this board in regards to management, that is where the biggest problems hit home for employees. While Boots tries to put it off on unqualified "kids" in the SE position that have led to the turnover, it's more about grown men not willing to constantly deal with the BS that management dishes out.

The working environment is crap and upper management either does not realize, does not care, is in complete denial or a little each. It starts at the top and works it way down, and each along the way ******* about how their superior treats them, only to treat others the same... pretty ironic. And if any upper management has an opinion or idea, plan on kissing the ass of that opinion/idea or be prepared to have the entire sports staff belittled.

But as I mentioned before, you do get to work with some good people.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Are we to inquire that we might want to wear a faceplate of sorts to avoid the fire-breathing dragons we'll have to slay?

There will be no slaying in this job. Guarantee it.

 

[dixiehack]

There are two sides to every story and then there is the truth. Is this a great place? No but by the same token, kids were put into positions that they weren't qualified for. The pay isn't great which is a major reason why there is so much turnover.

Why don't you inquire about top management's racial views? I doubt you'd have much love for them if you did.

 

[printdust]

This must be a piece of **** job. From the looks of journalismjobs.com, they appoint an SE of the Month every Month.