Roanoke copy editor/designer

[covert copy editor]

From APSE:
The Roanoke Times, a 97,000-circulation daily in the heart of ACC country, is looking for a creative and collaborative editor to join its 15-person sports department.

We want a wordsmith who is comfortable editing stories and possibly designing pages on deadline, as well as sharing ideas on how to make our sports content – in print and online – appeal to both hardcore and casual sports fans.

Our section puts an emphasis on covering ACC sports, primarily Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. We also place priority on covering prep sports as well as outdoor recreation and NASCAR. The Roanoke Valley, located in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia, is also home to Class A minor league baseball.

The ideal candidate's strength will be copy editing, headline writing and the ability to work with reporters. Initially, the position will also have the opportunity to be involved in page design one or two nights a week, but we are flexible enough that this will not be a requirement. In the design role, the candidate would be asked to collaborate with reporters, photographers, graphic artists and online producers to tell stories and present information in compelling ways. Fresh, innovative thinkers encouraged.

Responsibilities include copy editing, writing headlines and cutlines, compiling round-ups and possibly laying out pages. Proficiency in InDesign and Photoshop is helpful, but not required. Night and weekend work required.

The Roanoke Times is owned by Landmark Communications, which also owns The Virginian Pilot, the Greensboro News & Record, The Weather Channel and dozens of other smaller dailies, weeklies and broadcast outlets. We work in a team environment offering excellent pay, health and dental insurance, 401(k), pension plan, life insurance, tuition reimbursement and outstanding growth opportunities within Landmark.

The Roanoke Times is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Apply online at jobs.roanoke.com and send a cover letter, resume and 6-8 work samples to:

Jeff Gilbert
Sports Editor
The Roanoke Times
P.O. Box 2491
Roanoke, VA 24010

You may also apply via e-mail to:
.

Please apply online at jobs.roanoke.com by Nov. 6, 2006.

 

[Cosmo]

Jeff's a real good guy, and the Roanoke Times is an improving section. The space is often an issue, but there are good people on that staff and the resources to do some good stuff.

Area's very SW Virginia, but Roanoke on its own is a big enough city that it has everything you need.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

IIRC, they had three jobs open early in the summer. Was one of them not filled, or is there a fourth desk opening in the span of a few months?

 

[fromdawntodesk]

Did someone leave? If so, who?

 

[Cosmo]

I think this is one they were still trying to fill from earlier.

 

[boots]

Good spot. In Roanoke, you feel like you are on the other side of the world and in some cases, you are, but the paper is rock solid.

 

[PDT635]

Anyone else have any useful info about this paper and/or city?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Big Circus]

First post! Woohoo! As a Roanoke native, I can comment on this. I never came back after I went off to college, so take that for what it's worth.

Roanoke is a nice town...one day when I have a family, I might go back. Could be good for that. For a young person, like myself, there ain't much to do. Hope you like drinking and/or outdoor activities. There's plenty of both of those.

If anyone on this board winds up getting this job, PM me and I can let you know about neighborhoods and such.

 

[hpdrifter]

damn fine indian restaurant downtown.

 

[yunzer]

Four things to know about this job.
1. Jeff's a real good guy to work for, He was the ASE when I was there and knew a lot more than the SE at the time. The rest of the staff, at least the ones that are still there, are all good people. A lot of the writing staff has been there a number of years and the area inside and out.
2. The paper is solid. Although there isn't any real competition around, they don't miss anything.
3. The paper is, for lack of a better term, a triple-A paper. Meaning that people move on from there to big-time papers. In the short time I was there a photog went from there to the Detroit Fre Press and a copy editor went to St. Pete Times.
4. If you're young and single, Roanoke can kinda suck. You can't do anything after work on the nights you work because of the hours and the town shuts down. There are limited options for fun.
If you want to raise a family there, it can be a nice place to do that. What ever the case beware and research your housing options carefully. There are some definite good and bad areas of town.
That is all.

 

[PDT635]

***** If you're young and single, Roanoke can kinda suck. You can't do anything after work on the nights you work because of the hours and the town shuts down. There are limited options for fun.
If you want to raise a family there, it can be a nice place to do that. What ever the case beware and research your housing options carefully. There are some definite good and bad areas of town.***

- Sounds like a lot of towns in the South to me. I live in South Carolina and the same can be said about a lot of the areas around here.

Based on the posts of this thread, but the area and the paper have been getting solid review. Sounds like a very nice spot for potential candidates.

 

[SuperDeuce]

Aaron McFarling is one of the best columnists I've ever read. Love his stuff.