Sports writer | The Manhattan (KS) Mercury

Description:
We're looking for a deadline-driven writer to cover high school sports for The Manhattan Mercury in Manhattan, Kansas.

The Mercury covers the 6A Manhattan High Indians as well as five smaller area schools, so we need someone who can juggle the schedules of numerous sports teams for the greatest coverage and best stories possible. The person also will assist with K-State sports coverage. Night and weekend hours are required. Copy-editing and page design skills a plus.

Manhattan is a young, vibrant city of 56,000 in the scenic Flint Hills. It's home to Kansas State University and down the road from Fort Riley. It has a small-town atmosphere with big-city amenities. Nearby, Tuttle Creek Lake and Konza Prairie wildlife preserve provide lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The Mercury offers a benefits package that includes medical, vision, dental, three weeks vacation after the first year and profit-sharing plan. Bachelor's degree and reporting experience preferred. Most of all, though, we want someone who is smart, eager and willing to work as part of a team.

The Mercury's sports staff placed in the top 10 in the Associated Press Sports Editors annual writing contest in four different categories and also was named a top-10 website in the country for its class.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume and three to five writing clips to Megan Moser at mmoser@themercury.com. No phone calls, please.

JournalismJobs.com - Job Listing - Sports writer

 

Again? Damn ...

 

This was once my job. I’d be happy to answer questions about it. @JustinCToscano is my Twitter and my DMs are open

 

Full confession: I had no idea Manhattan, Kansas had a population of 56,000.

 

It’s the Little Apple!

 

Is Junction City still a pretty rough town?

 

Hope they enjoy their $25K a year.

 

I'm sure that, regardless of what they make, the first thing they're going to do is come on this thread and see if they get your seal of approval w/r/t salary.

 

I've been told this job has been filled. Not sure when the person plans to announce. (Perhaps they are waiting to converse with MSUgrad about the salary. )

 

Tom Ato: They can if they wish. Turned down position in 2015 due to salary. So, there ya go.

 

This is worth stating again, in case it hasn’t been mentioned already, but I’m pretty sure of the last two people to hold this job, one is on a pro beat for the largest media company in the country and the other is now at a major metro. That’s where they went after Manhattan.
But I guess that’s not good enough for MSUgrad

 

Riddick, you're right on both counts. I know folks at this paper very well, and it has had an incredibly strong track record (at least recently) of sending people onward and upward. Just since I've known about the paper, check out the last four people in this position and where they've gone.

• Maria McIlwain: First to the Bryan-College Station Eagle as a high school sports reporter, now a sports copy editor at the Houston Chronicle
• Shane Jackson: High school sports/assists with KU coverage at the Lawrence Journal-World
• Justin Toscano: New York Mets beat writer for The (Bergen) Record/NorthJersey.com, which as you noted, is part of the USA Today Network
• Sean Collins: The first esports reporter for the Dallas Morning News' esports vertical