Reporter/editor, Helena, Montana

The Independent Record, a 15,000 seven-day AM daily in Montana's capital city has a January opening on its four-person staff. Could be an editor or reporter position, depending on the skills of the person hired.

Coverage can include high school, collegiate, amateur and professional athletics. Pagination (QuarkXPress) skills are a must, as it is a seven-day paper. Duties will depend on skills and interests of the person hired, but a 75/25 writing/desk split would be within reason. Applicants need to be self-starters and able to take ownership of a beat and develop feature and enterprise ideas, while also working within the team framework.

THE SCENE: Helena has a short-season Class A rookie league baseball team (Milwaukee affiliate) that won the Pioneer League title last summer. Has a Tier III junior hockey team that has won its league five of the past six seasons and draws good crowds. Home to Carroll College, which is competing in the NAIA football championship game for the seventh time since 2000. Within the past two years, have had state championship high school teams in football, softball, soccer and volleyball. Have increased coverage of University of Montana and Montana State University (each about 100 miles away) within the past year.

THE PAPER: Owned by Lee Enterprises, which owns three other dailies in Montana and more than 50 across the U.S. Great opportunity for content sharing. Paper plays much bigger than its circulation size. 4-6 pages daily, 8 on most Sundays. Staff is three full-timers and one 35-hour per week position. Seven-day AM paper with very generous copy deadlines and management that is supportive of the sports staff. Pay commesurate with experience. Full-time position with benefits.

THE CITY: As a capital city, the paper serves an educated readership of larger than normal white-collar workers, a fair number of whom have roots elsewhere. Interests go beyond the city/county boundaries. Outdoor recreation is plentiful. Moderate summers, seasonal winters. Cost of living less than east or west coast, but not as cheap as some locales.

APPLICATION: Resume, clips, tearsheets to John Doran, executive editor, Independent Record, 319 Cruse Avneue, Helena, MT 59601. Email to john.doran@helenair.com

Feel free to PM me for additional details.

 

I'm not trying to be that guy, but I never think it bodes well for places to have errors or typos in their postings. Especially in the very first line.

 

Helena's an all-right city and the people I know there are very good. Agree that the paper plays bigger than its size. Carroll is actually very good small college sports and would probably be a pretty fun beat. You are, of course, in the middle of Montana which depending on your interests is either the biggest selling point or biggest downside.

 

Perhaps the poster of the ad is the one being replaced because of typos in his ledes.

 

"Seasonal" meaning warmer than Yakutsk, I guess.

 

Geeze guys be happy that somebody is hiring for cripes sakes. No offense grave, but I've been in the business 30 years and I've yet to meet the perfect journalist, and I'm sure you probably aren't he

 

I actually grew up in Helena and freelance for this pub now and then. Great place, great people. Helena is a mid-sized town (40,000 or so) that has a lively arts culture and an incredibly historic and good-to-be-in downtown. Yep, you're in the Rockies, but if you love the outdoors, there really is no better spot.

Lots of great sports programs in Carroll and the two big high schools.

 

How quickly are they looking to fill the position?

 

As soon as they hire someone.

 

Hopefully sometime in January. That of course is somewhat fluid. Want to be sure they have the right person and if that means said person has to relocate from outside the area, can probably add another couple of weeks to the process.

 

Apparently this one has been offered to somebody

 

Is the Frontier Pies still open in Helena?