Columnist, Kansas City

Only downside is the other columnist you'd be working with is a total prick.

E-mail me (smellinger@kcstar.com) if I can answer any questions.

 

Maybe Whitlock will re-apply.

 

If I'm hired I promise the radio show will be extremely entertaining when I quit. And it will be catered by Bryant's.

 

I'm guessing if they were going to promote from within now they'd have already done it. Only potential internal moves would be Brady, Blair or Babb.

 

Not necessarily. They might want to see what kind of interest there is and then find out how much it would cost to poach a big-name columnist from another paper.

I think when all is said and done they'll promote from within.

 

There are a few beat writers at the Washington Post, some with column-writing experience, who would be perfect for this job.

 

Were I in charge of this particular search, which heaven forbid, I would have two priorities in the following order.
1. Somebody good, obviously. This is the easiest requirement to meet. The talent pool is very large out there.
2. Somebody willing to stick around. Somebody whose ambitions, personal and professional, are compatible with becoming an institutional voice of the Kansas City Star for a considerable period of time, not someone who is going to dump me for a gig holding a microphone on the MLB or NFL Networks if they ask (I cite that as a hypothetical example only).
This is a hard one, because at this point, you're asking a writer to make a commitment papers aren't in a position to make back to writers. But I think it is necessary nonetheless. Continuity of brand is maybe the one thing papers have going for them in the media universe.
I also want to say that Joe and Jason gave the Star many years of service and this should in no way imply criticism of their career choices. They more than amortized the Star's investment in them. A commitment does not mean indentured servitude.

 

A friend who works there said they want someone who is half the columnist Whitlock is.

Half the size.
Half the pay.
Half as controversial.
Half as much of a pain in the ass.

I cannot take credit for that. I just thought it was pretty funny.

 

Damn, I'm probably only a third his size.

 

And I'll take a third of his pay.

Seriously, though... Agree with Mizzou about folks at WaPo, although I'm not entirely sure who there would leave their current position for this (very plum) one.

The guy I think I'd like to see here is Babb, although as someone above me said, the talent pool is very, very large.

 

I think Babb would grow into this role pretty spectacularly.

 

I think just about everybody expects him to be the guy.