Hiring Writers for CBSSports.com NFL Correspondent Network

Is it reasonable? No. But you're not living in abject poverty, either. For what it's worth, I don't have any college loans either. Rode a full scholarship through college.

No, what the reality is that other businesses aren't paying anything at all. Full-time hours with no benefits at part-time retail pay. As an industry, we've had the blinders on for far too long about how the other half lives. Sure, many of us are envious of the big-shot moronic columnists with six figure salaries, and we look at our perceived pittance and we feel grossly underpaid. There's some truth to that, but not compared to many others.

Is 20k enough for a family? No way. But my mom never made more than 19k working at a bank through the mid-1990s while she was raising me. 20k, all to myself, isn't a half bad start. If I'm still there ten years from now, or even five, then there's an issue. But early in life, covering a major sport? Not going to complain if I were to apply and eventually get that job.

 

This is a scam. They probably don't have any paying jobs available, but they are advertising the pay to get some half-way decent people to apply, and therefore, to write for their site for free. That's why they are advertising on a journalism Web site — to get higher quality stories written for their site by applicants. It's a dead giveaway anytime a site says you must publish stuff on their site before they will even consider hiring you.

Not only is that abuse of your applicants, but it's a stupid business practice by the company. Think about it, if you owned a site, would you want any and all applicants (aka anyone with a computer) publishing stuff on your site without knowing if it's any good? No, you'd be a moron to do that. But if you're looking to raise another round of advertising funds by telling potential advertisers to check out all the fresh, new content on the site this month (aka the application stories), you'd be willing to do it. But you better get a bunch of real writers to apply for it so the stories don't suck, therefore you advertise paying gigs on a journalism site and presto, scam accomplished.

Bottom line, they're trying to make money off your work and it's doubtful they even have any paying jobs to fill. So yes, while it sounds decent for a young guy with no family, it probably isn't even what it seems.

To anyone who applies for this, please let us know how it turns out.

 

Don't blame you. If I lived close enough to an NFL city to do it, I'd go for it. But, in my case, I'd have to move with all the expenses that entails. And then what happens at the end of the season? Are you just cut loose or is there enough off-season work to make a real gig out of it?

It wouldn't be bad for the right person in the right situation. Get some clips, rub shoulders with some of the big boys, maybe get your foot in the door for something later on. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

In this economy and job market, beggars cannot be choosers.

 

The way I've read the rules for this, you can't use your credentials to cover the team for other outlets. But it doesn't say anything about not working another job, for example covering high school sports for a different entity. As long as it wouldn't interfere, I don't think they'd have a problem with it. Am I right? That just seemed to be the way I read the instructions/rules.

And then, working two jobs where you would make $400 a week at each one (like this supposed gig and a job with a paper), you could feel somewhat like a person, instead of a slave (with the exception of probably working a 100-hour week). God bless America.

 

Bullshit post. I despise this talk that journalists should be lucky to have a job, no matter how low it pays. Anyone who takes this job deserves what they get.

And I don't get this "You can work a second job" crap. So you make $800 a week working 80 hours. Wow, that's high-class living right there. Some people's thoughts on what's good money actually gives me hope in this industry, because I might have the brains to survive the downturn.

 

Go for it. I wish you well. Your industriousness will carry you a ways. And being realistic about salary will prevent you from becoming too disappointed.

Look people, the reality is very few people are going to make a decent living --- certainly not enough to raise a family --- covering sporting events. Just like very few people are going to make a living PLAYING pro sports. Take your pick: either go have a fun job covering sports and make 20-25K and live with it, or go get a different job and make 40K or whatever. But quit whining that you can't have your cake and eat it, too. As we are finding out each day, this is a VERY expendable industry that society can easily live without.

My dad told me 20 years ago that I was a fool for getting into this industry. He was right. But I followed my dreams and reaped the consequences.

 

A. You live near a major city for $430 a month? What do you live in, a shithole? I live in a city in the middle of nowhere Texas and pay more than $600 a month for a one bedroom.

B. You make less than $11k a year? Well, then by all means, apply for this job. But shit, you could also make more money working at Blockbuster full time.

Also, you seem very angry.

 

To piggyback on to this bang-on post: "Beggars cannot be choosers" is exactly what the assholes running this fucking industry into the ground want you to think. Because then you are allowing them to exploit you. Don't accept that. I've been exploited for too long by pieces of shit who wouldn't know an inverted pyramid if it hit them in the head to put up with it any more. If that means asking if you'd like fries with that, or scannign groceries 45 hours a week and trying to resist the urge to go on a crime spree, so be it. What I do is worth something, and worth a lot more than the nothing these assholes want to pay me for the priviledge of busting my ass.

EagleMorph and the rest of you guys thinking this is a great gig will understand, too, once you hit your 30s.

 

B. Blockbuster ain't hiring.

A. Major atlantic region city, top 25 media market. Live about 10 miles outside of the city in a quiet, middle class neighborhood in a modest one-bedroom apartment with all the amenities necessary.

Also, from what I've read about this post, you simply can't write about the team you're covering for CBSSports.com/Bleacher Report for another publication. As someone upthread mentioned, if you were to cover preps or college football for a local paper on a freelance basis, especially on weekends where your team was out of town, you'd be able to supplement your income nicely.

Is this ideal? No, of course not. But it shouldn't be so readily dismissed as it has been throughout the thread.

 

Bleacher Report is a joke...they are yet another 'citizen journalist' site that gets wannabes to sign up so they can see their name out there while the site gets ad revenue from Google Adsense, and they don't care whats on there as long as its content...its been a thorn in my side for months..twice I've caught them ripping off my stuff (directly) and others ..and their editing is non-exsistant, typos abound..only the top tier writers make any money and thats only after they've been writing for a while for them and then its only a few bucks...I write for Examiner.com, and while I'm not really endorsing them, they do pay fairly, have an editing process and screen and interview writers, allowing only those with some experience ...and they allow you to write for whoever else you want...its not much money, but hey $200 a week extra in my pocket right now while still being allowed to write for others is nice.

 

So EagleMorph is getting my on $10,500 per year? I don't know how that's possible if you're paying close to half of your income on rent. And if this gig sounds great, why can't you move somewhere else for a full-time sports or news gig that has benefits.

There are jobs around. Elko is hiring and you'll get 3x what you make now.