Sports reporter, Sandusky, Ohio

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=442743

 

this will not end well.

 

Another board favorite returns.

Which will be next? Roswell? Trenton? Martinsville?

 

I thought it was weird the ad says to send clips by Dec. 11 for a new posting, so I looked at the ad on the link. It must be updated since it now says May 18.

Is that about how long people last there? Five months? Wow.

 

They like to hire young, right?

 

Sandusky saw the Farmington ad and realized it was their turn to post.

 

It's pretty close to Cleveland. What could be so bad?

 

The guy they have as the new sports editor is a clown. Ran a fansite for one of the local high schools there for a while, posted on a some message boards under that name, then worked as a stringer for a couple of papers before being hired as a writer in Sandusky against the objections of a friend of mine who worked there.

Again, management is terrible. Should be a terrific place to work!

 

True. It is a nearby resort town, after all.

 

It's amazing how many people fall UP the stairs in their careers. You gotta love journalism. Still, it's a job. Good luck to those who apply.

 

I'm Mike Truax, the writer who is leaving the Register and thus created this opening, so I feel I can be honest and direct about it. I don't mind giving out my real name here.

After working at a small daily in NW Ohio, I wanted to find a place where I could do my best work. That's what I said in my job interview. Honestly, the Register provided that.

Are there the same politics as in any other newsroom? Sure. Some attrition? Sure. Added responsibilities? Sure. Is it really frustrating at times, but fun at other times? Of course — That's any newsroom.

But as far as newsrooms go, it's a place where you can stretch your legs and really pursue a story. That's what mattered to me, and that's what I found. If you want to write professionally, there are few better mid-size places to do so. The Register as a whole has dominated the Division III Ohio Associated Press awards for years now. And it really is a pretty fun area to live in, with Cedar Point, Lake Erie and the islands, while situated not too far from Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit and Columbus.

I'm leaving the Register to return to school and to normalize my hours so I can spend more time with my wife. That's all. Management and editorial direction have nothing to do with my decision to leave.

There's a lot of misinformation in this post, particularly from Bob. The current editor, Mark Hazelwood, was a full-time writer for two years at Ashland before accepting a job at the Register as a direct request from the editor at the time. Hazelwood was a writer in Sandusky for several years before taking the promotion as editor. He's won several awards, AP and OPSA, for his work, and has been nominated again in the AP awards in 2012. We won the AP Division III 2010 Best Sports Section together as well.

And about turnover: The desk has been the same three people since January 2010, when I came on board.

It's really easy to throw anonymous brickbats when you don't have to be accountable for the veracity or fairness of your statements. My training has taught me to take responsibility for what I write, and that's why I'm leaving my name and contact info.

Feel free to send me real questions you have about the position. I won't put in a good word for you with the editor and I won't forward any resumes — so don't bother trying — but I can answer a few questions.

truax at sanduskyregister dot com

 

So it really is 15 minutes from Tahoe?