No-whining, one-year sports writer -- Youngstown, Ohio, Vindicator

The Vindicator in Youngstown, OH, seeks reporter applicants for a sports reporting post at our 80K daily print and online readership.
The ideal candidate will be well-versed in current digital reporting trends and tools. But you must also demo the time-tested skills of storytelling, sourcing and news instincts.
This is a one-year post that can roll into full-time if you got the goods. The last thing we want to do is grow with you, and then send you out the door.
AP just crowned us best in Ohio for our size — for the second year in a row.
Maybe you'll find us worthy, too?
Like our industry, we are a company in tremendous transition and fighting some tough economic circumstances.

No whiners, please; just winners.
If you're this person, please consider us. Email a resume, 10- 12 clips and 4 professional references to Editor Todd Franko at tfranko@vindy.com. (No phone calls, please.)

JournalismJobs.com - Job Listing - Sports reporter opening

 

God, where do we start?

Company in tremendous transition= we may lay you off at any time.

Tough economic circumstances = see above, and add that you won't get paid in peanuts because we can't afford it. But we can give you some peanut shells.

A one-year post that can roll into full-time= So in other words, you want everyone on one-year probation instead if the standard 90 days or so. How insecure.

The last thing we want to do is grow with you and send you out the door= but we're willing to do it if you whine about the peanut shells or anything else.

10-12 clips= Because we can't tell if you have the goods if you only have 8 or 9 clips.

No whiners, just winners= Yay, a useless slogan to have with your ramen noodles.

 

Please, Baron ... it's "if you got the goods."

And quit whining about our ad ... AP just crowned us, so our head's a little groggy ...

 

If they don't want whiners, they are thinning out the list of potential sports writing candidates pretty significantly.

 

FWIW, all my interactions with Ed, the Vindy Sports Editor, have been super positive.
I haven't been in that slice of earth for a few years now, so I have no insight/knowledge of the job or current situation out in Youngstown. But my dealings with Ed have been great and left me with the impression that he's a good guy to work with and an editor who will have his writers' backs.

P.S.
I don't know anything about Todd.

 

It's not all bad. You get a 15-minute break after nine months.

 

If this is the position I think it is, your pay will be (unsurprisingly) very low. I've had good interactions with Todd Franko in the past, but if I'm an applicant, I go into this with plenty of questions about the economic reality here.

 

Got grammar?

 

Are you allowed to whine after 1 year, or will you be un-vindicated?

 

Crossthreading with the San Diego U-T thread, I realize that I fell in the same pattern that I was complaining about there.

So, I'll amend it with this:

Company in tremendous transition= we may fire you at any time.