Prep Sports Writer-Kalispell, Montana

From Jjobs......

Company: Daily Inter Lake
Position:
Cover prep sports in scenic Montana
Location:
Kalispell, Montana
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Not Specified
Ad Expires: December 12, 2013
Job ID: 970142
Website: http://www.dailyinterlake.com

SPORTS REPORTER – OPENING IN JANUARY! Report on sporting events at night and play by day in the outdoor recreation wonderland of the Rocky Mountains of Northwest Montana. A perfect job in a near-perfect place. Glacier National Park, two ski areas, a million acres of wilderness and more than 100 lakes, including the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi are at your doorstep!

The Daily Inter Lake, Montana’s fourth largest daily newspaper, located in Kalispell, has a pending opening in our three-person sports department. Our county is the size of the state of Connecticut, and we cover 10 prep schools as well as an assortment of additional sporting events. Some outdoor writing may also be available. The typical shift is Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. but the department rotates schedules on occasion to keep the Sunday and Monday shifts filled.

Creative writing is valued, as is attention to the fundamentals of spelling and grammar. Everyone in the department contributes to page design using DTI and InDesign, and we expect our writers to be team players. Strong hiring preference will be given to writers who have page-design experience, especially DTI familiarity. In addition to the benefit of our spectacular location, we offer medical and dental insurance options, a 401(k) plan, and paid vacation and sick time. Please send a cover letter, clips and design samples by e-mail (preferred) to Managing Editor Frank Miele at edit@dailyinterlake.com or apply online at journalismjobs.com.

The top candidates will be contacted for further discussion, and finalists will need to have a clean driving record and pass a post offer, pre-employment drug screen.

 

There are reasons why there is a greater than usual amount of turnover in this position. That said, hey, it's a job and a chance to get some clips, so it's tolerable as a starting point.

 

Which reasons are those, Mark? Just the general crappiness of Kalispell or something more specific than that?

 

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"Pat and Vanna, I'd like an H, please"

 

Low pay, older equipment, terrible parent company (Hagadone.... I worked for them at another paper, so am allowed to say that) remoteness of the area. It's a gorgeously scenic resort town near Glacier National Park. But there's nothing other than high schools and outdoor (hunting, fishing, etc.) stuff. Too far to travel even to the university events in other parts of the state.

The guys who I interacted with were always helpful and good people. (I had to give one young guy a crash course on doing stats once.) But, yeah, a lot of turnover. There best bet might be to find someone who has ties to the area (pretty darn hard to do) or wants to retire there (again, pretty darn hard on that salary). Otherwise, it's a revolving door of younger people.

But, still, if you're young, single, know how to live cheaply and ambitious to get some experience, it can work for a couple of years.

 

If you get the job, you'd be working with me, so if you have any questions, send them my way.

Other than the weather in winter, there's nothing crappy about Kalispell. It's a great town, a great paper, you'd be working with great people and there's plenty to cover.

If there's anything else you'd like to know, ask.