Sports Editor, Mt. Vernon, Ill.

I too am a recent J school grad, a die-hard. I did everything I could throughout high school and college to set myself up for the most success, had co-ops and freelance gigs and amazing internships, and then got screwed by the digital boom/bad economy/etc.

I recently took a job at a pair of weekly newspapers for about $23k, after over a year of searching, and it’s for straight news -- even though almost all my experience has been in sports and I know it's where I want to be. But I took it... because I’m not stupid. I know it’s shit pay, but I had been working the part-time night cops shift at another paper for minimum wage for the past six months and at a bookstore to make ends meet. And you know what? It’s okay. I know it could be a lot worse, because at least it is a JOB, with health care, and is a place to start.

Yes, OnTheRiver, it's shit pay, it's a ton of work... but I'm insulted that you think that by accepting this job that I literally got 48 hours ago and have actually been excited about that I'm "setting (myself) up for an abysmal, poor, and thankfully short life." No, I'm not -- I'm taking what I can get during a bad time, because there's nothing else available at the moment and I can't picture myself doing anything else for a career. I don’t think that makes me less of a person, I think it makes me realistic, because I know I will not find a more lucrative offer right now and I have bills to pay. What do you expect, for the “smart” ones to sit around waiting for jobs to open up for $35k and not accept any less? They’ll be collecting unemployment if they aren’t already.

I have friends from other industries who have been even less lucky and now work at the Gap or wait tables, and are saying the same thing about their chosen career path. Sure, ours may not be the best out there, but we all knew what we were getting into. Besides, no one is ever demanding that you are stuck for LIFE if you take one of these obviously entry-level jobs. Put in your time, work hard, and move on.

 

I put in my time, doing shitty agate at 4 a.m. for an afternoon paper. But I did it 40 hours per week for above minimum wage.

If you figure in what the pay is for this sort of job vs. what the work entails, you're making about $5-$6 an hour, before taxes.

You have a college degree and a good work ethic. You deserve better than that. Let these companies try to fill these positions with unqualified people until their shitty products completely collapse.

In the meantime, go freelance and get a gig doing something that will pay you a livable wage.

 

There are a couple ways to look at such hourly jobs that pay a low salary and ask you to work off the clock, which, at least in my experience, is illegal:

A.) I'm a hard-working SOB able to handle anything thrown my way and willing to do whatever it takes to improve my career prospects.

B.) I'm being taken advantage of by the bottom-line economists who run this industry and could care less if the quality of my product or working conditions are substandard, as long as those conditions allow my company to, at the lowest expense possible, produce a product people will still buy.

Unfortunately, it's hard to know which way a certain shop operates while you're applying for jobs. But remember this: You have to get something out of your work or it won't be worth doing.

For starting sports writers, that'll likely come down to the ability to follow through on the stories you've invested the previous 3-4 months of a season in. IE: If your largest local teams make the state tournament, will you be given the opportunity to follow and cover them or at least hire a stringer?

There isn't a huge expense in covering the bulk of high school sports, but travel to tournaments is usually the place a cash-strapped or cheap operation will draw the line, although you can easily do a state hoops tourney for under $400 plus your wage. An unwillingness to empower you, and thus the paper, to follow what may be one of the best story lines on your beat is likely an indication that this is a place you don't want to spend much of your time. Remember, many papers worth working at are owned by multimillion-dollar corporations. An unwillingness to spend a matter of a few hundred dollars shows either a lack of commitment to your news product or an indication that your paper, as a whole, is on unstable financial footing.

So new grads: I'm not saying run from $20K jobs flat out. I started at $22K in a bureau office in a town of 10,000 people and six years later, I'm into my second year as night city editor at a 20K daily. Not glamourous, but it's a decent living. But through the years I've been given opportunity to attend a few journalism conferences, to travel to state and national tournaments, to work with decent equipment and some ambitious people. And I also worked a reasonable work week. If you can't do your job in 40-50 hours a week, it's time to either find a way to work smarter or ask what needs to be cut out.

So no, don't just blindly run. But for your sake, be a reporter and do your research before applying, and especially accepting, any job.

 

I got my start at this paper. Yes, it's a lot of work. And yes, the money is terrible. But its like anything else in life ... it is what you make it. Several people who started at this paper have moved on to bigger and better things, so it is possible. And Jeremy is a pretty good guy to work for. If anybody has any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

 

In the market where I’m at (Boston), sports freelancing is hard to come by, with just one large daily and hundreds of recent college grads willing to work for little to no pay. Plus, every Red Sox fanatic in this town is obsessed with becoming the next Bob Ryan/Dan Shaughnessy/Broadcaster hybrid. And I’m female, too – not like that should make a difference in it at all.

I understand this, believe me. If I was able to freelance and get another gig somewhere doing what I enjoy, I would have. That’s why I have been doing what I’ve been doing – working off sports, for minimum wage, just so I could somewhat stay in the industry and not tell prospective employers I have been slinging burgers because I couldn’t find a journalism job. I had numerous interviews, was a finalist for many positions, and when it came down to it every time, I was the second or third choice. Which isn’t good enough to get the job. So I adjusted my expectations.

It’s not to say I didn’t try. It’s that when everyone else is trying too, and has more experience or an “in” some other way… Sometimes, you have to step back and change your outlook for the time being.

…And I agree that companies fill positions with unqualified people all the time and suffer for it. Maybe that’s why we’re all where we are right now.

 

i used to work here too and i have to agree with everything said here. The people here allow you to make the department whatever you see fit. They do not micromanage you. You have a lot of freedom. Jeremy is a great managing editor who used to write sports, so he has an understanding. As far as pay i did not make anywhere close to 20,000 (it was much more). i do, however, have a feeling that they have lowered what they are offering, so i'd say expect 22,000-25,000. i too can answer any questions that you may have, just PM me.

 

We're where we're at right now because companies had qualified people in their positions. But instead of using them smartly, paying them a decent wage, and putting out a respected product that had a good balance between the paper and the internets, these companies chose to bleed every single dollar from their communities and every ounce of sweat from their workers until they let them go.

I started out in the business making less than $300 per week. Several people told me that previous people in my spot worked 70 hours a week. I worked between 45-50 hours a week because I figured that was part of paying my dues and getting good clips in the hopes of getting a better job. My boss flat-out told me that they knew that they were a stepping stone. But I felt that if my company wanted me to work 70 hours, then they could hire an extra person if I wasn't going to get compensated with overtime.

Thing is, back then, there was hope to move up to a better position. Now, there ain't. It's counterproductive to kill yourself working 60-70 hours a week for $20K a year. All you will do is burn yourself out, with little to show for it.

 

Jeremy was also the SE in Danville, IL, before returning to Mt. Vernon.

 

$22-$25K for a Sports Editor is low-balling...Should be closer to $28-30K even at a community-based paper.

 

I don't know much about the place, but I was told that the pay could be around $30K, and if Todd Adams gives the thumbs up it's probably worth a look.

 

Don't forget the furloughs.

 

Ugh.