Reporter and Copy Editor at The Des Moines Register

The Des Moines Register is seeking applicants for two anticipated openings on its award-winning sports staff.

We are looking for a reporter who can deftly and powerfully cover one of the most high profile beats in Iowa – college and high school wrestling. Additional beats include auto racing and University of Northern Iowa football. Seeking candidates who can uncover and tell memorable stories, but also a serious reporter who can generate enterprise and provide meaningful watchdog journalism.

Our sports department is also seeking an energetic copy editor who exhibits exceptional word skills, a strong knowledge of sports, speed and accuracy on deadline, and familiarity with AP style. The Register straddles Big Ten and Big 12 Country. The newspaper covers four Division I universities, triple-A baseball and basketball teams, an Arena Football League team, a burgeoning auto-racing scene, and prides itself on a sophisticated and in-depth approach to prep sports.

We offer a competitive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more. Send resume, cover letter, examples of your work and salary requirements by to Dotti Klootwyk at dklootwyk@gannett.com.

Des Moines Register Media is committed to diversity and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer drug test and acceptable motor vehicle record.

 

Pretty intriguing on both ends. Any idea how much $$$ either/or will produce?

 

It's interesting to me about the reporter position, simply because the guy who left is a good friend of mine who has been gone for a while. I can't remember exactly when, but I think he left in January or so. Maybe no one in-house wanted it so now it's opened up?

 

Could easily be that they just didn't get approval to fill it until now — or until the next fiscal year, etc.

 

I hope one of these gigs opens up again in three years, after my freshman graduates from high school and I can get the fleezie out of California.

 

I've got a question here: Dotti Klootwyk is the HR contact here, not the SE or ASE, so would you address a cover letter to her or find the name of the SE?
Would you e-mail the application to both or just to Dotti?

 

I would address everything to the HR rep. Likely it will pass by multiple sets of eyes eventually, including the SE.

 

If I could do it electronically, I'd send to both. If I'm sending hard copy, I'd send to the HR person and email the sports editor to let he/she know of my interest and to be on the lookout for the hard copy clips/tearsheets.

 

It's the biggest paper in Iowa, so with how they care so much about wrestling up there, I would guess it pays at least $30K, maybe $35+.

Then again, it is Gannett.

 

It's in the $40k range, I think. The real question is, will they fill it? Last summer they had openings for a college sports editor and a recruiting reporter. They offered both jobs, which were rejected. Then the job openings were rescinded.

 

Knowing a little about the staffing in Des Moines, they've pretty much got to fill the reporter position but may already have the guy they're looking for.

I'd bet the reporting position is about $40K and the copy-editing job more like $35K.