Sports reporter, Fairmont, W.Va.

Just throwing this out there given the possibility that it may not be posted on journalismjobs:

For someone fresh out of college or looking to make a move up from a weekly, this isn't a bad gig.

Like any paper this size (around 10K circulation), preps are the main focus. There are three county high schools in the coverage area, along with a few on the fringes you may be asked to write about if they make a deep postseason run.

There's also the local D2 college in town, Fairmont State, you'll help out covering. The football program is so-so, but the men's basketball team is on the rise: The Falcons' coach, Jarrod Calhoun, a former assistant under Bob Huggins at WVU, is one of the top young college coaches in the country. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a national title within the next 2-3 years. Women's hoops is a consistent winner, too. Fairmont State will be part of the newly-formed Mountain East Conference starting this fall.

WVU is also a huge draw locally, as the great Bob Hertzel covers the beat (and does the same for the nearby paper in Clarksburg). From my experience, your secondary work as it pertains to Mountaineer sports will likely only consist of a feature or two for the football/hoops season preview tabs and video taping postgame pressers when you're able to make it up to Morgantown. YMMV, obviously. Mickey Furfari, a local institution who's written about WVU sports for six decades, also provides several columns per week for the section.

As for additional things to know: Morale is probably the best it has been in a long time with a new publisher, the cost of living is very cheap and Fairmont sits in a decent central location within the state, being 15 minutes from Morgantown, 20 from Clarksburg, fewer than two hours from Pittsburgh and about four from both Baltimore and D.C. As for the drawbacks, this is a CNHI paper, so furloughs and budgetary limitations are a way of life. Fairmont also doesn't have much of anything in terms of nightlife, but if you're the barfly type Morgantown is right down the road.

All in all, you surely could do worse for a first job or early-career stepping stone. I'm the person leaving, so drop me a PM if you have any questions. I'll try my best to answer.

One more thing: By posting this, I'm expecting the managing editor to receive resumes from all over. But they are looking to fill this ASAP, so quality candidates from W.Va., Western Pa. and sections of Maryland around the Eastern Pandhandle will more than likely have an upper hand.

 

Holy crap. Trey Beamon lives!

 

Can vouch for the area. Ya, Fairmont nightlife isn't exactly Beale Street in Memphis, but always enjoyed West Virginia on spring baseball trips and the Fairmont/Morgantown area is very nice.

 

Any update on this gig?

 

The position was filled a few weeks ago.