Sports Editor at Newton (Iowa) Daily News

The Newton Daily News, a five-day daily newspaper located in Newton, Iowa, is seeking a sports editor to lead its award-winning sports effort. Our newspaper is on the move to a 21st century digital-first mindset, which will provide you with the opportunity to use new technologies and to do a little bit of everything in a market with five high school sports programs, numerous youth sports leagues, several area colleges, and a NASCAR and IndyCar racetrack.

In addition to our daily print product, our sports department produces a weekly Sports Chat video on YouTube, and an assortment of special niche products.

Ideal candidates should have a bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field, but we really want to know what you're able to do in a modern newsroom. Previous newspaper sports department experience is a plus. This is an ideal position for a weekly sports editor ready to "move up," or a daily sports beat writer ready to move into a leadership role.

A firm grasp of AP style and experience with pagination (we use InDesign) and video- and photo-editing software is vital.

The Newton Daily News is part of Shaw Media. We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefit package. We are an equal opportunity employer and a drug-free workplace. A pre-employment drug screen and background check will be required. Qualified applicants must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and automobile insurance.

As a member of Skilled Iowa, we give preference to applicants who have obtained the National Career Readiness Certificate.

Send resume, cover letter and 3-4 of your best clips to: NDN Editor Bob Eschliman at beschliman@newtondailynews.com or via mail to P.O. Box 967 Newton, Iowa, 50208.

 

I'm the one leaving the post, and I'll be happy to answer any questions about the position. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any.

I'm actually getting out of the business, but have to echo what it says about this being a "move up" position. You'll stay busy with high school sports during the year and a rapidly growing Iowa Speedway in the summer, so there is no lack of clip-worthy material to cover. Newton is actually a pretty good town as well. You're close enough to bigger cities like Des Moines and Iowa City, but you have basically anything you need right there in town and the cost of living is very manageable.

 

The pay range as listed on JournalismJobs.com is $20,000 to $25,000. So while the ad calls for a "Sports Editor in a 21st Century Newsroom," they are offering 1987 wages.

 

Partly because I'm too lazy to look it up ... how's Newton doing economically after the Maytag plant shut down? I believe that was right around the time the recession hit (and Whirlpool bought out Maytag).

 

Between Iowa Speedway and a lot of wind power industry, Newton has been making a recovery in the past few years. It's not the same as it was when Maytag was here as far as I know, but it's definitely not as bad as when Maytag first left town. Even in my two-ish years here, things have improved quite a bit.