Sports Writer, Carrollton, Ga

The Times-Georgian, a daily in West Georgia, is seeking a full-time sports reporter. Our paper covers eight local high schools and the Division II University of West Georgia. Candidates should have a journalism background, with a degree in journalism or a related field, and must demonstrate good writing and reporting skills. Applicants should be able to write a variety of sports articles, including game stories and sports features. All candidates must have pagination and page design experience. Carrollton is 45 minutes west of Atlanta. The Times-Georgian offers medical and dental insurance plans, paid mileage, paid vacation and a competitive 401(k) plan. The Times- Georgian is a member of Paxton Media Group, LLC. Send resume and writing samples to Corey Cusick, P.O. Box 460, Carrollton, GA 30117, or e-mail corey@times- georgian.com. No phone calls please.

 

It's Paxton. Enough said.

 

Another somewhat frequent visitor to our fine corner of the Internet, I believe.

 

I drove a long way to interview there many years ago, and about two minutes in I decided to tank it because I knew it wasn't a place I wanted to work.

They do play some good high school football in Carrollton, though.

 

Maybe, but it's also worth noting that because of the presence of UWG, they have a cheap pool of applicants nearby. So, a double whammy. Beginners only need apply.

 

And you will work hard.

 

Any word on the pay range? And, as I have only just begun my professional career, what have been the problems with Paxton?

 

It's been a while since I was there, but I enjoyed my stay in Carrollton. The pay won't be much above $20k, but rent is cheap out there and you'll cover some good sports teams. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

Would this be consider a step up from being the sports writer/editor at a twice-a-week paper? I am interested in getting to a daily, but with a decent gig at the moment I'm not going to leave for just anything.

 

My initial thought, without knowing much about either situation, would be that a daily would be a step up from a twice-weekly. Whether it would be for you is something only you can determine for certain.

But then I'm probably not the best person to ask, because I started with a daily right out of college, and I'm still here 26 years later.

 

From a purely professional standpoint, absolutely. Quality of life is a little more iffy. On the one hand, you'll have more time to yourself at the 2x a week paper. On the other, you'll likely have less money at the 2x. That's the jump I made, and I couldn't believe the difference in the workload. So it's back to what you want out of it. a.) If you want the respect of others in the news business, you're way more likely to get it at the daily. b.) If you want adulation from everyone else and you don't mind being called a homer, stay (I'm not saying all 2x a week writers are homers, but seems to be a prevailing perception). c.) If you want money -- go into PR.

 

I will say this: When I was the editor there, I hired two sportswriters (the opening they have now) from weekly/twice-a-week papers. Both moved on from Carrollton to larger dailies. So it's definitely a move up the food chain. As for the workload: I never worked at a weekly, but when I was in the writer slot in Carrollton, I was having the time of my life. It wasn't work to me. I wrote one to two stories a day, helped with call-ins and designed the paper one-night a week when my editor was off. No sweat!