Sports Writer, Albany, Ga.

Here we go again. Don't know if they're serious about hiring but the ad is out there on jjobs.com

The Albany Herald, a daily newspaper located in Southwest Georgia, has an opening for an energetic, experienced and well-rounded sportswriter. The position will focus heavily on local high school and local college sports. Duties include game coverage, feature and enterprise writing, column writing, and some photography/videography and copy editing. Applicants should be familiar or able to learn InDesign. The position will primarily focus on writing and reporting four days a week, but will also require helping with copy editing and with designing and laying out the sports section, usually one day a week. Applicants should not be rigid in thinking of a traditional 24-hour news cycle and should embrace practices such as blogs and Web-posting breaking news. You must have access to dependable transportation and maintain company-required level of auto insurance coverage.

To apply, send a letter, your resume, five of your best clips representing the scope of your ability, and three references to Danny Aller, sports editor, The Albany Herald, P.O. Box 48, Albany, Ga. 31702, or submit the items via e-mail to danny.aller@albanyherald.com.

Pre-employment drug screening and background checks required.

 

Well anyone have any insight on this job???

 

My insight: Be prepared to work your ass off.

 

This place, albeit a decent stop, is always advertising and not necessarily hiring talent.

 

Allow me to provide some insight as a former employee...

I would rather work at McDonalds than go back to this place. I'm not even slightly exaggerating.

The SE is awful. He is awful as an editor and has a personality that has driven four different people out of this shop, including myself. Impossible to work with. Micromanager who doesn't know how to manage.

The coverage at the paper used to be good, with lots of preps (and good HS football there, too) and coverage that ranged into UGA, FSU, G-Tech and Auburn. The college beats have disappeared, and the HS beats are a bit overwhelmed by lots of other ridiculousness. Don't expect to do much real journalism here. What was a great starter job is now a paper interested in "community journalism" at its worst.

And as for actually living in Albany... well, again, that McDonalds job will afford you a far better social life.

I'll be happy to discuss specifics and details with anyone who has questions, but as I said, firsthand advice is to stay far, far, far away from this one.

 

Two words when it comes to the SE: Temper. Tantrum.

 

See, people are personally attacking the sports editor yet when I bashed Donnie Douglas, the editor in Lumberton, NC, people here didn't like it!

 

well said Mod

 

Thanks, Moddy. I'm honestly not trying to cause trouble. I just know from personal experience it's a bit of a toxic environment there, and I want any younger writers who might consider the job to know what they're getting into. No agenda beyond that.

 

What's the circulation for this paper? Couldn't find it online.