Sports Reporter, Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times

The Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times needs an energetic high school sports reporter who thrives on beating the competition, racking up a ton of bylines in print and online while covering whatever comes his or her way. This person can use social media and a video camera, can blog and knows high schools are important in this day and age for a mid-sized newspaper. Enterprise reporting also will be worked into the mix. This reporter also will get opportunities to cover the Double-A baseball team, the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Division I Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders and the Junior A hockey team, the IceRays.

The reporter should expect to become proficient in using all of the visual and multimedia storytelling tools available at the Caller-Times (circulation 62,000 Sunday, 45,000 daily).

Applicants must have at least two years of daily newspaper experience or internships at daily newspapers combined. Spanish fluency is a plus but not mandatory.

The Caller-Times, owned by E.W. Scripps, pays competitive salary (low- to mid-30s, depending on experience) and excellent benefits.

Corpus Christi sits on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, about three hours southwest of Houston and two hours south of San Antonio. The tropical climate, beach, diverse population and growing area make Corpus Christi a dynamic area for telling great stories. The paper consistently is among the top award winners in the region for a mid-sized daily. We’re going to fill this spot quickly.

Candidates must apply electronically at http://www.scripps.com/job-details?rid=6438. Feel free to email work samples and references (no phone calls for initial correspondence, please) to:

Greg Rajan
Sports Editor
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
greg.rajan@caller.com

 

This (or a similar opening) was posted back in March and I'll repeat what I said then.....

If you want to make your mark, it's a darn good opportunity. Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas have some good athletic programs and the paper treats the preps with a fair amount of importance since you're not competing directly with pro or major college teams in the city. So you'll be on the front page a lot with a lot of chances to do much more than routine game coverage and develop skills as a writer.

It seems like the paper encourages reporters to do some video stuff and blog as well (no, not all papers encourage that), so plenty of room for a young journalist to grow professionally. You'll also get a chance to make connections with journalists from other, larger papers as you work your beats. South Texas is not that expensive compared to other places, so your paycheck goes a little further. If you need a big city fix once in a while, San Antonio and Houston are a few hours' drive away.

Would encourage people to apply.

 

Just a quick note: This is not the same position we posted in March. That one was filled. This is another opening we have. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Greg Rajan
Sports editor
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
greg.rajan@caller.com

 

I stand corrected. My bad.

 

Who did you hire back in March? Don't know if it was ever posted.

As an aside: Lee Goddard is good people if he's still there.

 

If I've heard correctly, Lee's actually the one leaving.

They hired the former Kerrville sports editor to take the last opening.

 

This is a pretty well respected paper that rarely had openings before. Is something going on there or is it just timing with two spots coming up in a short period of time?

 

Thanks Rumple, and arceditor did hear correctly.

 

Previous sports editor left and ended up in PR in the area, so they promoted Greg to the spot. Lee's going back to Florida. Sounds like it's just coincidence.

 

Just to clarify a bit -- the reasons I'm leaving have nothing to do with returning to Florida. As for the previous SE, yes, he left and then three months later ended up in PR.

 

I worked with Greg many years ago. He knows his stuff and that's easy to see if you've ever gone to a post game presser with him. He asks question most reporters don't even think of, and he gets the toughest interview subjects to open up. Him becoming an SE is long overdue. If he were working anywhere else, I'd jump at the opportunity to work with him again.

I grew up in South Texas and the beach, so it's not something I've ever really wanted to return to. You are a long drive from the bigger cities, but South Texas sports has plenty to offer these days. And like Mark said, cost of living is relatively inexpensive, and the paper is solid. It's a good opportunity for the right person.

 

I applied for this last night and got an automated e-mail from the Scripps-Howard site saying they've already settled on candidates.