Sports Reporter/Designer, Elizabethtown (Ky.) six-day daily

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is where KYSportsWriter and I work. You would be full-time alongside us two and the sports editor. We are a 3-1/2 person department. We do NOT have a Saturday edition, but you WILL still work plenty of Fridays.

Anyhoo:

http://www.lcni.com/jobs/index.php

Sports Reporter

The News-Enterprise, a six-day newspaper based in Elizabethtown, Ky., has an opening for a member of its sports team. The successful candidate must have demonstrated reporting and writing skills and be able to effectively edit, proof and design pages using QuarkXpress software. Photography skills are a plus while photo editing and toning for publication using Adobe PhotoShop is essential. The position involves regular deadline reporting with coverage of high school, community and youth sports in the diverse, 100,000 population county that includes Fort Knox. A candidate will be sought who understands the value of online immediacy and social networks. Another key quality is being able to recognize story ideas where others don't and be anxious to share them with readers. The News-Enterprise is a property of Landmark Community Newspapers LLC, which has 50 newspapers across the country. It is the community newspaper division of Landmark Media Enterprises. Interested persons should contact Chuck Jones, Sports Editor, The News-Enterprise, 408 W. Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown, KY 42701 or by e-mail, at cjones@thenewsenterprise.com Click here to view full details




http://www.lcni.com/jobs/fulljobs/SportsReporterNewsEnterprise.txt

JOB POSTING

Sports Reporter
The News-Enterprise
Elizabethtown, KY

The News-Enterprise, an aggressive daily newspaper in Hardin County, Ky., with 17,000-plus circulation Monday-Friday and Sunday, is accepting applications for a sports reporter to cover high school, community and youth sports in the diverse, 100,000 population county that includes Fort Knox. The newspaper is published in Elizabethtown, 40 miles south of Louisville. The candidate who lands this newsroom position will be a high-energy performer who reports and writes effectively on deadline and is able to design, paginate and proof pages effectively; understands the value of online immediacy; who sees story ideas where others don't and just can't wait to tell readers about them. The sports team consists of three full-time, one part-time staffer.

QUALIFICATIONS:
* Strong communication, organization and time-management skills.
* Ability to write compelling, comprehensive, fact-filled local sports stories on deadline while putting readers first by avoiding cliches and arcane language.
* At least two years practical journalism experience, preferably reporting, writing and/or editing sports.
* Proficient in using computers to write and the Internet to research.
* Demonstrated ability to design effective pages in deadline situation using QuarkXpress.
* Ability to use a digital camera and capable with Adobe PhotoShop.
* Familiarity with requirements of photojournalism and ability to work with photojournalists.
* Willingness to work at the times sporting events take place, including evenings and weekends.
* Strong initiative.
* Adaptable.
* Working knowledge and understanding of Hardin County local and/or regional sports scene a plus.
* Bachelor's degree preferred.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
* Report and write previews of local sports events, focus on individual athletes, cover high school and other local sports events.
* Focus on young athletes and their efforts. Look for interesting stories in participatory sports that don't normally receive much attention.
* Design effective pages in deadline situation using QuarkXpress.
* Use effective headline writing that accurately summarizes the story while engaging the readers.
* Develop daily and long-range story and photograph ideas.
* Use a digital camera and work with Adobe PhotoShop.
* Establish and nurture sources among athletes, coaches, administrators and others involved in local sports.
* Demonstrate understanding and commitment to serving readers.
* Work with photographers to develop ideas for illustrating stories.
* Participate in Sports Team meetings and decisions.

LCNI employees, notify your immediate supervisor and LCNI HR Director if making application.
Position available immediately. Deadline to apply is February 16, 2013.

Interested persons contact:

Chuck Jones, Sports Editor
E-mail: cjones@thenewsenterprise.com
Write: The News-Enterprise
408 W. Dixie Ave.
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Phone: 1-270-505-1759

And/or
Ben Sheroan, Editor
E-mail: bsheroan@thenewsenterprise.com
Phone: 1-270-505-1764

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

 

I always assumed Jelly was only half-person.

 

Tell Chuck I always loved his cartoons. (I imagine he gets that joke a lot.)

On a serious note, you guys do good work... I've seen your paper when I've been in the Louisville area. First-time workers could do a LOT worse.

 

Thanks!

Our boss (Chuck Jones, who I have worked with for 12+ years) recently racked up at the Kentucky Press Association awards.

Our Sunday all-color high school football section is getting rave reviews and we are looking to expand it with a neighboring county (covered by a sister paper).

And we just got the Kentucky Tennis Association's media award last week.

And you're right: You can do a lot worse.

Elizabethtown has low crime, little traffic and a good price of living. Although it doesn't have any true bars, but there are still plenty of places to hang out or get booze. The city just opened a nature park, state-of-the-art public tennis courts at the city-owned lake/reservoir, a veterans tribute and one of the top youth sports parks (baseball, softball, Miracle League Field, soccer, football, lacrosse, biking/jogging trails) in the country.

However, the mall has seen better days and the one movie theater in town needs an upgrade and tends not to show some movies due to owner's personal preferences.

On the flip side, E'town is 40 minutes from Louisville, 80 from Lexington, and less than 3 hours each from Indy, Nashville and Cincinnati.

Anyone who needs more info on the job itself or the area can PM myself or KySportsWriter.

 

Dammit.

 

Slightly off topic, but...

What does it say about the state of the world when this 17,000 circ. paper is a six-day daily and a 150,000 circ. paper where I just interviewed is a three-day per week "daily"?

 

Can't tell you. Not sure my paper ever had a Saturday edition. If it did, it was long before I got here (and I've been here since May 2000). Lived in the community where the paper is at my entire life (I'm 31, but I've had this SJ handle for a while) and I don't remember a Saturday edition in my middle school and high school days.

 

Given the connections, would it be appropriate to send a resume that has an SportsJournalists.com handle in place of the name?

 

I'd say "NO". I don't think they want me or KYSportsWriter seeing applications when we are NOT in the hiring committee/process.

I'd still send them to sports editor Chuck Jones (was a sports writer here before being promoted several years ago) and managing editor Ben Sheroan (former sports writer at our paper way back when).

 

Apparently, the new hire will be able to get away with a lot of sarcasm and misdirection with his or her new colleagues.

 

I completely misunderstood/misread what you meant.

As far as SJ handles, KY probably knows more people's true identities than I do. I have no clue who you are. I don't know anybody who has PMed me about the job.

Other than KY, IJAG and a former coworker (who posts on here under his real name), I don't have many connections.

As far as sarcasm and misdirection, yeah, you'll get away with that. Mostly because I'm dense and tend to space out. Partly because we don't tend to take ourselves seriously as many departments in the newsroom.

We know there's a time to be serious and focus. But we also know that you'll drive yourself crazy trying to be a perfectionist and job oriented 100 percent of the time.

We just need one more person to get us back to full force. Someone who will produce high-quality work but also knows it's OK to chill.