Paris, Texas sports writer

As I alluded to on the Grants Pass thread, The Paris News will soon be looking to fill an opening. The SE, Van Hilburn, told me to go ahead and let everyone know he has a vacancy.

I'll post specific details when they create a job description, but I can answer any and all questions regarding the paper, area, and anything else until that time, either by PM or e-mail at lcathey@gmail.com.

It's a M-F, Sun. paper with 10,000 circ. (12,000 on Sundays). People outside the paper are nice and will give you respect once you earn it. It's a two-man sports desk.

Although you won't get rich, you'll earn a liveable wage. I have a nice two-story townhouse across the street from a park. You get paid for the hours you work. You'll have to do some layout using InDesign. The Paris News is owned by Southern Newspapers, a company with which I have no problems.

There are 10-11 high schools and a junior college (PJC) with a strong basketball program in the coverage area. You'll likely cover Class 3A North Lamar and PJC, while splitting up duties on the outlying schools. By the way, PJC made it to the NJCAA Tournament in Kansas in 2008 and The Paris News sent me and a photog.

That's about all I can think of now. As I said, contact me with any questions.


Van can be reached at (903) 785-8744 ext. 274.

Because time is of the essence, he'd prefer e-mails, but whatever works for you.

van.hilburn@theparisnews.com

Attn: Van Hilburn
PO Box 1078
5050 SE Loop
Paris, TX 75461-1078


Here is the actual job listing:

The Paris News, a six-day-a-week newspaper, is looking for sports writer to help cover a 11 high schools and one junior college in the Red River Valley of Northeast Texas.

Candidate will be responsible for covering one of Paris' two Class 3A high schools, along with assisting the sports editor in the coverage of the other area schools. Prefer a candidate with strong sports knowledge, as well as design skills and knowledge of InDesign and QuarkXPress.

Our company offers opportunities for advancement and attractive health insurance benefits packages. Salary commensurate with experience. Apply by sending resume, layout and writing samples to Van Hilburn, sports editor, The Paris News, P.O. Box 1078, Paris, Texas, or van.hilburn@theparisnews.com.

 

I read on the Texas Press Assoc. web site that Paris is the largest afternoon daily remaining in Texas. There are fewer than 50 afternoon dailies remaining in the state. Paris may also be the home to one of the few remaining Dave Beard's Catfish King restaurants. I can't speak for the paper today, but it used to be solid back in the day. I know the area has some good teams to cover and Paris is at least right on I30, making the trips to Dallas a little easier.

 

And we were all the rage in Paris/
San Antonio and Dallas and every honkey tonk and dance hall in between/
hardly had to cross the state line/
Texas was our big time/
Thought we'd made it far enough cause we were all the rage in Paris.

That little blast of the Derailers is all I got.

 

Paris isn't right of I30, don't kid yourself. You have to do at least an hrs. worth of driving off I30. Be careful with this one.

 

Courtesy of the great Wim Wenders.

 

You're right about the I30 part...it's about 45 minutes away. Dallas is still a managable drive of 1 1/2 hours.

Please tell me why you advise everyone to be careful.

 

I'm not one to bash, b/c it's not appropriate for this site nor is it ever in good taste, but from what I've been told by colleagues who have known a couple of guys who have worked there warned me that if you take this position, you better be ready to work and that overtime there is considered a non-existent entity. Go over 40 and either do it for free or be ready to be chastised every two weeks.

 

Welcome to every newspaper job in the country.

So you're not "so the guy" for this one?

 

Sounds like standard operating procedure at most newspapers these days to me. Nothing shocking.

 

What's this "overtime" you speak of?

 

If you like good basketball, this is solid. Paris JC is a bona fide fixture in the upper echelon of Region XIV with San Jacinto. As pointed out previously, the Dragons went to the 2008 national tournament. They also were the 2005 national champions. PJC's home floor has the reputation as the toughest place to play in Region XIV according to some folks in the league.

I can guide you to two David Beard's Catfish Kings and two David Beard's Catfish Villages within a 45-minute stretch of I-20 in far East Texas.

Note: The smaller, less fancy Catfish Kings are better than the dressed up Catfish Villages. I use fancy and dressed up loosely. Catfish King joins Chicken Express as the top two fast food restaurants of all-time.

 

Bullshit alert.

One, there's very little turnover, so I'd be really surprised if there were a couple of people spouting off about the job's overtime.

Two, I get paid overtime every single week. No more than five or six hours, but I don't work any more than five or six hours of OT in a week...well, except a month ago when we transitioned to InDesign and put out our football tab in the same week. I turned in 32 hours of overtime...and got paid for every cent. Naturally, they wouldn't do that every week, but circumstances dictated such.

I guarantee if you work there, work hard and show some initiative, you'll get paid for every hour you work.

So, please reporter1, stop spouting off your bullshit because you have an axe to grind.