Sports Editor, Quincy Patriot-Ledger

Description:
The Patriot Ledger is seeking someone with an eye for drama, a sense of style and a fast ball that breaks land speed records. Seriously, we're looking to move quickly and with energy into the vortex of visual storytelling, and high-octane, high-graphic presentation of local, recreational and pro sports.
If you're ahead of the curve in your creativity, have experience managing a professional staff; know sports, community newspapering and love to mix it up with the fans, this may be the opportunity for you.

Qualified candidates should send a letter and resume to Terry Ryan, Managing Editor, The Patriot Ledger by email tryan@ledger.com.




Couple questions here:
I noticed also they have posted for two other top editorial positions in other departments. Is there some sort of house cleaning going on here?

Also, back in the 1980s and 90s, the Patriot-Ledger was highly respected for its big-time sports coverage, competing against the Globe and Herald. Where does P-L rank these days in terms of sports coverage?

Anyway, what's the skinny these days with this paper?

 

Check out the thread for when this gig first was posted six (??) months ago after Earl LaChance's retirement.

Editorial page editor had been there a long time, and with the new Liberty/Gatehouse ownership, I wouldn't be surprised if more people jump ship before it's all said and done. Lots of folks are hanging on until they get that gracious buyout offer or hit the retirement mark. Oh, how everyone longs for the days of Scott Low.

For news reporters, anyway, it's still a springboard to the Globe and Herald. No one in sports has moved up to one of those papers in a while, to the best of my knowledge.

 

There's a lot of uncertainty at that paper. The SE search began in Feb. and then was put on hold while Gatehouse was working on the acquisition. They took over in July and the SE search was recently reopened. The Sports Dept. is severly understaffed, and sports reporters have reluctantly been filling in as interim SE's.
Nobody knows what's going to happen with Gatehouse. They have grand plans to saturate the Eastern Mass. market, but they're highly leveraged and the feeling is that they won't spend any $$$$ for upgrades and improvements. Nor have there been any signs of cutbacks just yet. They have recently announced that they're going to start sharing content between the Ledger, the Brockton Enterprise and other papers that they acquired, including a bunch of weeklines and the MetroWest News in Framingham. They made it sound like the journalists should be happy about that!

 

A Ledger-Enterprise merger can't be too far off at this point, sadly.

Numbers say they'd have about 85k combined, but since so many people (less now in recent years) buy both papers, I'd say it'd be more like 70k -- and that's not too much more than the Ledger has now.

 

Way to keep things subtle. :

After reading it, I'm not sure what I'd be applying for. Is this a sports journalism gig or open auditions for the next Marvel Comics release?

The Patriot Ledger is seeking someone with an eye for drama, a sense of style and a fast ball that breaks land speed records. Seriously, we're looking to move quickly and with energy into the vortex of visual storytelling, and high-octane, high-graphic presentation of local, recreational and pro sports.

 

Flowery ad aside, Terry Ryan is a good guy to work for, and the long-timers there are good people to work with.

 

He's done a good job with the Twins.

 

I sadly agree about an inevitable merger. Most of the Enterprise sports guys are high-quality gents, good reporters and writers who know the local and pro scene. I hope they're still standing when it's done.

Is it true Enterprise is w/out an SE at the moment as well?

 

With all due respect, Guista, the Enterprise has four full-timer writers, two of whom (Farley, Fenton) are competent pros, two of whom are press box jokes because their writing is laughable and one is a total boob.
And Wicked, I can't imagine why anybody would buy both the Enterprise and the Ledger. I just don't think that happens very often. There's no reason to buy both. But there will be a merger.

 

Here's some more infor on the Ledger/Enterprise:
http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/shots/

 

Happy, years ago there were -- especially when the papers, you know, actually competed in a bunch of South Shore towns.

I'm sure some geezers still buy both out of habit.

 

Wicked -- I'm sure some still do buy both, there's a lot of overlap between the two circs, which doesn't bode well for the Enterprise guys I'm afraid.
Happy -- You're spot on in your comments.