Hiring Writers for CBSSports.com NFL Correspondent Network

[NQLBLQ]

Enough from me, I have a lot to do today, including: praying to my Ickey Woods statue, shaving my cat and taking a nap.

Wow.

 

[ThatGuy]

Anyone who thinks they will get a foot in any door writing for BR is wrong, among the circles I hang out with they are fast losing their credibility...and trying to get creds for the Super Bowl is one of the toughest things in the world to do...when I was with FOX you nearly had to give a kidney to get one and out of four people we tried to get in, only one was accepted and that was only for outside events not the game itself...careers aren't started by winning contests, good solid writing and paying your dues are what get you in doors....

I'm under the impression that CBS Sportsline is playing a 50 percent roll in all of this and since they're televising the Super Bowl this year, credentials won't be a problem. However, I was also under the impression that the Lions would win nine games last year, so I could be wrong.

Also, if you're foot is already slightly in the door, then this isn't a bad job. If you can afford it and you already have some solid clips (read: not b/r), then this is a great way to make some connections.

Enough from me, I have a lot to do today, including: praying to my Ickey Woods statue, shaving my cat and taking a nap.

Um...I was working for FOX who carried it that year and it was still tough...and BR still sucks...and as long as your cat doesn't try and shave you while you nap then you are ok...

 

[write receiver]

Ok, forgive me for being so cynical, but this whole B/R thing gets under my skin. Check my posts at the beginning of the thread if you want to see how I feel about this particular scenario.

But really guys (and gals), B/R is a FAN SITE. It's not real journalism. Not in the slightest sense. It's a bunch of people posting random articles on what they think of the BCS or Brett Favre, or whatever in the world they want to talk about. And that's fine. Good for them.

But I have two people that worked for me in college who are taking B/R internships over the summer as 'editors.' THIS makes me sick. I am not an editor right now and won't ever be one. But I for one, would not take in very high regard an applicant whose college internship was editing for B/R. You're not even editing for AP style, you're editing basic grammar and spelling. I just don't see how it's practical. But they dangle something out there that looks appealing and college kids jump all over it.

What do you guys think? Would you really look at something like that as a positive on a resume? Maybe the NFL beat deal because you can actually get clips. But the internships? Doing basically nothing? I wanted to talk them out of it, but who am I to tell them what to do. I think this whole B/R concept is stepping on the toes of real journalism and in NO way should any journalist be in support of it.

Rant over. For now.

 

[NQLBLQ]

You're not even editing for AP style, you're editing basic grammar and spelling.

Actually, you edit to the B/R standards. And let me tell you, it ruins your ability to edit to AP style. I was an editor for a few months there and I wanted to bang my head against the wall every night (see my sig at the bottom of the post). Really you edit for readability. Some of the columns / articles that are posted are so God-awful and un-readable that I had to quit and move to the next piece. Bad, bad, bad writing on there.

But like I said before WR, for the right person, this is a great gig. You can write: "It was AWESOME to watch Tom FREAKING Brady throw for 5 touchdowns while sitting down the row from Ed Werder and Skip Bayless from ESPN. Then after the press conference I actually spoke to Brady, OMG!!!!!"

 

[SEeditor]

You know, I've been reading this thread and it's pretty scary. For folks out there, like myself, who would like to add some NFL writing to the resume I thought this might be a decent gig to at least build some sources, clips, etc. But the more I read this thread, I wonder if someone with a legitimate journalism background who would go after this position for the possibilities of connections and clips would be making a mistake in doing so.

I agree that the money isn't great for the probablity of long hours, but it seems like it would be something that potential connections and clips would be worth it if somebody doesn't get bitten by the stigma that seems to go for writing for Bleacher Report.

 

[Mark2010]

As we are finding out each day, this is a VERY expendable industry that society can easily live without.

Wrong. Without a free and INTELLIGENT press, democracy will cease to exist. And to have an intelligent press, you need to pay folks decent wages so as to attract folks with intelligence to the industry.

That may well be true. And such is part of the tragedy of corporate-run journalism. The people running the places don't care.... certainly not like in the old days.

Write a good story, fine. Write a crappy story and bury the lead, fine, so long as we make deadline and don't get sued. That's the prevailing attitude of management at a lot of places. I never got bitched at for being scooped, writing a poorly-organized story, etc. I got bitched at plenty if I missed deadline.

If quality mattered, do you think some of these veteran reporter and copy editors would have been laid off this year? It has nothing to do with performance. Not now, anyway.

 

[Andy Auger]

Moderator, with all due respect, please feel free to remove this post but it is not intended to pile on. I really think he needs to consider the consequences of what he writes:

Andy, this is intended as sincere advice, offered to help you (and your peers) -

If "Andy Auger" is your actual name, when you apply for a job someday, your prospective employer will Google you. The search will turn up all of these rambling, attitude-laden rants (which also evidence your inability to punctuate, spell or capitalize) -- particularly that in which you brag about getting A's without doing your work and that you "work the system." No matter how much you scorn the older generation, it does the hiring and no decent editor reading this will give you a job.

That is only one reason why you should respect any writing you post online (whether on a board, blog, forum or social networking site). The second is respect for this board, its members and their experience. The third is respect for yourself.

You know, I was going to stop, but you did have to pile on that last one.

A job is not going to be compromised by my posting on here. Specifically, if an employer actually does look a these will see it has been an almost all against one mentality here. My original post was not vulgar, it was the ones that others posted that were blasting me, criticizing me, etc.

If you want to take a look at the source of my apparant "attitude problem" take a look in the mirror because each one of you who responded to me in a negative way initiated my "attitude". I appreciate the true constructive criticism.

You all talk about being better, and more accomplished then myself and all of this crap that old people just love to pile on. You all are no better then me by stooping to my level, remember that.

That is truly pathetic.

To all of you who think I actually care about being a serious journalist for a life-long career, I plan on going to law. This is simply a hobby that turned into an intriguing potential career when I realized that I am half decent at it. If something pans out great, if something does not pan out, cut the losses and move on.

And really, who gives a fork about spleling in a forum, GET A LIFE!

 

[joe king]

To all of you who think I actually care about being a serious journalist for a life-long career, I plan on going to law. This is simply a hobby that turned into an intriguing potential career when I realized that I am half decent at it. If something pans out great, if something does not pan out, cut the losses and move on.

See, now that will help get you hired.

 

[pseudo]

I repeat:

 

[playthrough]

I think we've run our course here.

If anyone gets one of these jobs, let us know.