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

No, I didn't make it to the interview stage.

 

While Podunk might be a modern day Mayberry, how can either of you describe this as a good place for a first-timer to start?

Based on what?

One guy has been there 13 years, and hasn't cracked $11 an hour.

Another guy has been there a number of years and can't even get bumped up to full time.

This doesn't sound like a good place to start, it sounds like a dead end. A place where dreams go to die.

Where'd the guy that left to create the job opening go? Did he get a better job? How long was he there?

 

YF,

If it was about the money "$11 hour remark", I would have left a long time ago.

Of course, if it was about the money "$11 hour remark", MANY of us would have left JOURNALISM period a long time ago. So this isn't limited to just my employer/locale. We're part of the rule, not the exception.

I would say I'm a lifer. This is the area I was born and raised. Same for my fiancee. Both of our families are here. We know the area, we're comfortable here and ... we're HAPPY.

As far as other guy getting "bumped up" to full time, you'll have to ask the other guy. I will say we had multiple qualified candidates. Some of those know Kentucky and the area. Some of those have design (Quark) and Photoshop and video-editing experience. Some of those are you used to producing multiple pages in a week.

The talent pool for this opening was deeper and more experienced than it was when I was "bumped up" a decade ago. No question. Not even remotely comparable. If the person we hire is "better" than myself, I'll say it.

I wouldn't say this is a place for people to "start." None of the last three hires have been straight-out-of-college newbies. All had weekly or small-daily experience. Of those three:
- One went to Florida to work at a bigger daily on the beach. Became sports editor. Now back in Kentucky (where he or the wife have family ties) working for the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds farm club).
- The second went to Oklahoma to be a sports editor at a daily smaller than us. Parlayed that into sports editor at a bigger Oklahoma paper. Now out of journalism (still in Oklahoma) making more money than he would staying in journalism (short of being at a national).
- The third and the reason this job is suddenly open? I don't know where he went (think he's back home in Indiana). Not sure if he has gotten a better job (and not sure if it is in journalism at all). He was here for less than 3 years (barely more than 2).

Why would/do people come here?

- PRICE OF LIVING. You can make it on less than $11 an hour. Gas stays in the $3-per-gallon range. Plenty of quality housing. No long commutes. No heavy traffic. Don't worry about crime. Plenty of people who take jobs here aren't living with roommates or taking part-time jobs to make ends meet.

- AMENITIES. The community has plenty of restaurants and shopping. Good public park for walking (biking/running), tennis, disc golf, pedal-boat. Great youth sports park. New nature park for walking. Two high-quality fitness centers (one holds the state's outdoor swimming championships, other is a new Planet Fitness). We have a 12-screen movie theatre (another 15 miles up same street) and a bowling alley.

- LOCALE. If you need/want to get to a bigger city, we're an hour south of Louisville and no more than 90 minutes north of Bowling Green and no more than 90 minutes west of Lexington. Less than 3 hours each from Indy, Nashville and Cincinnati. Easy drives to lakes in the summer (if that's your thing). Many people don't have the added expense of flying for vacations because there are plenty of drivable ones (Florida, Myrtle Beach, Smokies to name a few) to choose from.

- BENEFITS. I've been diabetic for 10 years (I'm not fat) and have never had a problem affording everything I need. Benefits have also covered dental work and eye exams (diabetics need to be checked yearly). I've got plenty of vacation acquired. You get reimbursed for mileage and overtime.

- THE JOB ITSELF. You're not going to be overworked. You're not a one-man gang responsible for everything (stories, design, photos). You're not going to be watching a time punch clock because we write down our hours. You're not going to get stuck on the design desk day after day. You'll cover a variety of sports (departure guy was tennis and swimming and volleyball main writer, but also was responsible for two schools' previews/features/game coverage during football season. He coverered baseball and softball). While we do take our own photos sometimes, we have two photogs that will take most action shots. So you don't have to worry about shooting your own stuff and trying to keep stats at same time. The schools/programs we cover are in a fairly compact location. Six of the seven are within a 15-mile drive. So you're not criss-crossing the region on the road. And the area is pretty solid on a state-wide basis. Kentucky has just one class for most sports (except track, cross country and football) and in the past five years, we've had a state champion in baseball, another team advance to final four in baseball, a final-four team in softball, two final four teams in soccer, two additional elite-eight teams in soccer, an elite-eight team in volleyball and always have one of the 14 individual finalists in state wrestling. So you're not going to be bored to death watching a team get mercy ruled on a continuous basis.

- THE PEOPLE. The publisher, managing editor and city editor all have backgrounds in sports. The sports editor is always working with photogs and a news designer (who could be in sports if she wished but she doesn't like/want to write at ALL. Not even staff reports) have come up with with plenty of award-winning and eye-catching fronts. The sports staff has a good camaraderie. Boss is easy going. We hang out off site non-work hours.

Sorry for the long-winded rant.

Still, I would hope most people would defend themselves (and to an extent, your job and community) if someone says it's a "dead end" where "dreams go to die."

 

No criticism of you, or your town, was intended. Podunk sounds like a little slice of heaven, even taking into account the lack of bars, the lousy mall, and the inconsistent movie theater.

It works for you. That's good.

I'd still have a hard time recommending this job as a good place to start for anyone looking to have a successful career in journalism. There's no evidence for it.

 

C-KY, you don't have to explain yourself to a coffee repairman who has never had a journalism job.

 

Hey, I had a paper route!

And, of course he doesn't have to explain himself to me. But, isn't it worth discussing?

Would you recommend this job to someone you cared about? If they were looking for a successful career in journalism?

I mean, maybe it's ok if you grew up in Podunk, and can live in your parent's basement and walk to work, but other than that, who would this be right for?

Should someone consider moving there for this job?

Some places do get a reputation as good places to get your foot in the door of an industry. This doesn't sound like one of them.

When I started out on Wall St., I worked as a runner for REFCO. The pay was low, and the hours were long. But, it was one of the biggest companies in the commodities/futures industry. You got your training, and got experience on the trading floor.

Lots of smaller companies hired folks from REFCO. Sometimes it seemed like half of the trading floor started with REFCO. Lot's of people that went on to do very well began there. So, it earned a reputation as a good place to get started.

Does this newspaper have such a reputation?

 

Because it's too much of a pain to find a part-timer, and KY must not mind the current situation too much.

 

That was the case the first time I applied for the spot. I applied just to apply and go through that process.

Now, I'm not happy about not getting at least an interview but I still love my job. My boss and CK and others at the paper make it worthwhile.

 

Are you in a position to move?

 

Is the boss that makes it worthwhile the same guy who has passed you over twice now to a promotion to full time? Without even an interview?

How do you pay your bills? Do you have another job?

 

Not exactly, but I have applied at other papers in recent months.

I'm content right now -- and in spite of my not being interviewed this time, my boss is a really good person to work for. It wasn't completely his decision -- though he had some input -- on who to interview and who not to.

 

I know you didn't ask for any advice, and when you do, you're usually seeking validation for your actions, not truly seeking advice, but...

You're being delusional. If your boss wanted you to be interviewed for the job, you would have gotten an interview. And, if he told you otherwise, he's not your friend, he's lying to you.

He doesn't think you're qualified for the job, or would be successful in it, if given the opportunity.

They've passed over you twice. They're never going to give you the job.

You've been at this place a number of years. If it hasn't happened yet, what makes you think things are going to change. And, if the people who work with you now -- the people who know you best -- won't give you the opportunity, who will? That's the question any other hiring manager is going to ask themself.

You're young. Get out now. Move on. The industry isn't going anywhere, and you're not going anywhere in the industry. You can be happy doing something besides sportswriting -- and you can make more than $11.00. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can get on with your life.