Sports reporter, Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle

I bumped across this today and didn't see it posted on here. Does anybody have any insight into the paper? In spite of possible isolation concerns, it seems like an interested gig. How do they handle coverage of Montana State? It appears to be more a of GA job with pagination duties than anything else but does anybody know if this person would cover an actual beat?

Company: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Position: Sports reporter
Location:Bozeman, Montana
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Negotiable
Ad Expires: October 31, 2006
Job ID: 685519

Description:
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Montana's fastest-growing daily newspaper, is seeking a full-time reporter to join our APSE top-20 sports section and to live in a bustling community dubbed the No. 1 small "dreamtown" in the nation by Bizjournals.com. We are looking for a versatile candidate who can write a compelling human-interest feature one day and produce attractive pages the next. We cover Division I Montana State University home and away in football/basketball, keep tabs on 14 far-flung high schools and have the luxury of writing about a seemingly endless parade of lofty achievers on the national and international stage. The Chronicle is growing in circulation (17,000), staffing and commitment to our readers. We sent a reporter and photographer to Alaska for three weeks in March to cover a local musher in the Iditarod and recently created an OutThere adventure section that has advertisers on a waiting list. Our staff works hard, enjoys an enviable camaraderie and is committed to continued section improvement. That was reflected not only in our APSE honor, but also in all six of our sports staffers winning at least one regional SPJ award. We also play hard; mind, body and spiritual regeneration is easy in a sunny, 52-week vacationland. Yellowstone National Park is 90 minutes away, three of the world's greatest trout streams are a short cast from the office, deep-powder skiing is just out the backdoor, and other outdoor-recreation opportunities abound. Send clips and a description of why you'd be a great fit to Jeff Welsch, sports editor, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 2820 W. College, Bozeman, MT 59714 or jwelsch@dailychronicle.com.

 

I have no personal knowledge of this place, but a sports job seems to open up there nearly as frequently as Roswell and Martinsville.

 

Interesting. I thought they might have (Heaven forbid) added a position to their department because the blurb says that the paper is adding in circulation and staffing.

Thanks for the info.

 

Well, maybe that's true. Maybe it's a very fine paper that has a lot of turnover because people keep getting snatched up at bigger papers. All I know is they definitely do seem to have an ad up every so often. Take that for what you will.

 

I can't remember if it's Bozeman or Great Falls whose SE is an ogre.

 

Don't know about Great falls, but Welsch isn't an ogre. I've never worked for him, but he seems like a good guy and I've heard good things from those who have worked with him

 

I've never been to Bozeman, but this moment from a Big Sky football media day gone by popped into my head upon seeing this ...

We're sitting at the big door prize raffle on the final night, as the assorted golf bags and windbreakers are making the masses salivate after dinner. Top prize was a trip to Salt Lake and two tickets to a Jazz game. (One board regular once won the trip and never used it.)

The prize of a trip, combined with some truly stirring interviews with the Bobcats players that day, prompted a fellow scribe to lean over and say, "You know, the first prize here used to be a trip to Bozeman and a one-night stay."

"Really?"

"Yup. Second prize was a two-night stay."

 

Bozeman is a good small town, a good small paper and a good gig for a young reporter getting started or even a family guy just wanting to settle down. Montana State Bobcats sports in the lifeblood of the paper, but there is a strong emphasis on preps and even the local hockey team.

I don't know the SE personally, but I have exchanged emails and shared a press box several times with him. He always struck me as a good guy. I like what I've seen at the paper since he arrived.

If I were looking for a good first or second job, this would be at the top of my list. I know I strongly suggested my wife consider opportunities in this area for her career because I liked the place so much in regards to what my career could have been in Bozeman.

 

You have questions. I have answers.

We lost Andrew Hinkelman to cover hockey in Anchorage, a year after his arrival. The guy he replaced took an SE job on the East Coast.

We've actually added two full-time positions in the past 18 months, one we advertised and one we filled in-house. The stats: Five full-time (including me), two part-time.

Our MSU football and men's basketball beats are filled. This is a jack-of-all-trades opening, probably three days of writing/reporting and two of pagination. Not much high school coverage ... we don't go full-bore on preps. Too much diversity of interests in this town, especially with participation sports.

Donnie: Every time I sit in traffic, look at real estate prices and see another trendy boutique open on Main Street, I wish more people felt that way ...

Doc/Ralph: The ogre must be me, 'cuz the SE in Great Falls is George Geise, and he's definitely one of the good guys -- except when he drills a tee shot into the bunker.

-- Jeff Welsch

 

Welsch is a good guy.
If you're just starting out and want to develop as a writer, this would be the place to go.
You'll get room to write and the freedom to pursue a variety of topics.
Be prepared to do a lot of desk work as well.

 

Sorry, Welsch posted while I was writing mine.

 

And to you, sir, I say, touche. That's pretty damn impressive that a 17,000 circulation is adding staff and has five full-timers.