Archive
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Some very insider news and talk from Merritt to Hinton and everywhere (fine, just one place but I need to have a life too so quit complaining) in between, rounded out by a series finale and a scary story.
The Merritt News’s John O’Connor asks in an editorial if the proliferance of on-line reading isn’t decreasing our ability to concentrate. It’s not a new idea, but one that’s always worth questioning, especially because it concerns how we do our jobs. [Foreign source alert: if you're bored and interested in the topic, you can read this take on the subject from the Atlantic Magazine].
The Invermere Valley Echo welcomes a new reporter, Madison. No full name is given, on-line at least, but she seems enthusiastic from this introductory column. Welcome.
Even further east, the Hinton Parklander reports that one of their former reporters, Birgit Stutz, has published a book about her involvement in a dramatic horse rescue (yes, we are talking about Alberta here).
“I was approached by an agent from Harper-Collins after the horse rescue two years ago,” said Stutz.”An agent sent me an email out of the blue. I thought it was a scam, it seemed too good to be true.”
Though she intended to ignore the email originally, Stutz responded at the insistence of her husband and was soon set up with co-writer Lawrence Scanlan.
Rochelle Baker of the Abbotsford Times writes about a South Asian man turned away from a Christmas party that wasn’t allowing “East Indians” in the door. The man, Ken Herar, writes a column for the Abbotsford/Mission Times, meaning he was probably exactly the type of person the organizers wanted to keep out. Or not.
And Cornelia Naylor of the Chilliwack Times wraps her multimedia series on local musicians and the instruments they play with a story on a timpanist (someone who plays a few really large drums). The video, like all the others in the series, is terrific. And here’s a photo gallery.
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Have I made an error? It wouldn’t be the first time. Leave a comment and I’ll duly update the post.
Seen something else I should know about? Want to write a post? Have better photos than the Creative Commons Flickr pool ones I use? E-mail bclocalreporter(at)gmail.com.
We’re making inroads into our census of B.C. community newspapers, but there are still a lot of blanks in the Journo-lust Spreadsheet. How many journalists work at your paper? How often do you come out? Who’s your publisher? Participation is free! The benefits unlimited! The exclamation points boundless!
Photo courtesy of Jim Barter via Flickr.
Friday journo-jobs (Dec. 10/10)
Kamloops Daily News – associate news editor
From Gaulin: “This position reports to the News Editor and is responsible primarily for copy editing and pagination on the evening shift.” More…
Not many opportunities open up at small-city dailies in B.C. so one imagines competition will be stiff. The requirements aren’t too hard to meet, though. You need strong organizational skills and proficiency in Indesign and Photoshop. You should also be able to prove that you can creatively lay out a paper. Closes Dec. 17. You’ve also got the reassurance of having a publisher (friend of the blog Tim Shoults) who used to be a reporter (right Tim?).
Whistler Question – reporter/photographer
From Gaulin: “The Whistler Question is looking for a full-time reporter/photographer with a passion for the arts and small town living to write for our community weekly newspaper.” More…
You need at least one, but hopefully two, year(s) of experience under your belt and the ability to lay out pages. You’ll cover news and arts/entertainment. Closes Dec. 15.
Alberta (or how to write a proper job listing)
The Ponoka News/Rimbey Review is looking for a reporter/photographer. Check your pulse. Ideally you have “a year or two of weekly newspaper experience” but you can also be a journalism grad. Ponoka is near Red Deer. This is the type of posting that could be a sign of conflict to come. Warning signs include quotes like “If you do not understand the commitment necessary to serve rural communities, do not apply” and “The successful candidate will work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends. If you are looking for a 9-5, weekends off job, please do not apply” and “If you get homesick easily, do not apply.” Either the editor has had some real bad experiences with uncertain reporters, or he’s a real hard-ass; take your pick. Closes Dec. 18.
On the other end of the job-listing spectrum, the Athabasca Advocate is looking for a sports reporter, or rather a “sports junkie.” Wheras Ponoka’s listing is stern, gruff and heavy-handed, whoever put together this one sounds like someone you’d like to work for. “So what’s in it for you? Salary and benefits that pass muster; a fun, friendly office with lots of cool people in it; and real opportunities for promotion, assuming you’re as good as you think you are.” Athabasca is an hour north of Edmonton. You need to be a competent journalist. There is no deadline listed.
In the same vein, the Lac La Biche post is also hiring a reporter and also has more of a sense of humour than Ponoka:
Do less work, earn more money!Oh, wait — this is journalism, you know that isn’t true.
But the good news for the next reporter at the Lac La Biche Post is that our newsroom has expanded by one position, so there’s more bodies to share the workload of a busy Alberta community newspaper.
You need a degree and hopefully some experience. Closes Jan. 5.
Finally, the Red Deer Advocate is looking for a temporary reporter for a short-term, 15-week gig. Closes Jan. 7
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Have I made an error? It wouldn’t be the first time. Be my editor by posting corrections in the comments section (the button is up above, by the headline). I’ll duly update the post.
Seen something else I should know about? Want to write a post? Have better photos than the Creative Commons Flickr pool ones I use? E-mail bclocalreporter(at)gmail.com.
Help complete a census of B.C. community newspapers by filling in the blanks for your newspaper in the Journo-lust Spreadsheet.
