Given a choice

[danaeris]

Given a choice between two years at Ryerson at the expense of tuition+living expenses, or going to live somewhere like Simcoe or Sioux Lookout to work at a small local paper, and making some profit, what will I choose? Note that the later listed salary as 23-25K -- small, but not so small for a small town where living is probably cheap. Of course, at Ryerson expenses would be much higher but I'd be happier, and could teach skating to help cover living expenses (so not a total loss of money).

Going to a small town could be a great experience... Simcoe isn't so far, but then, it's bound to be less interesting than Sioux Lookout, which would be bloody cold, but would have things like dog sleds and shit. Now that's a Canadian experience... On the other hand, I suspect going somewhere like Sioux Lookout would basically be equivalent to choosing to be celibate for the duration of my stay. AND to be without close friends. Would I be able to get broadband there? Probably not. Maybe then... Man. Talk about isolation. Dunno about that.

(both are advertising for reporters)

Comments

[angel-thane.livejournal.com]

The latter option is clearly preferable.

where are they advertising? What sort of reporters are they looking for?

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Description
The Simcoe Reformer, a small daily newspaper located in rural southwestern Ontario, has an immediate opening for a general assignment reporter. Day and evening shifts. Some weekend work required.

Qualifications
Ideal candidates should have knowledge of and an appreciation for the type of news that is important to small communities. Applicants must possess a strong news background and photography skills and have at least two years experience reporting. Daily newspaper experience is an asset. Ideal candidate will be able to juggle multiple assignments, be self-motivated, a team player, have strong news sense, and be able to do some desk work. May include some sports reporting. Must have reliable vehicle and be willing to relocate.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Description
Would you like to cover sled dog races, visit a gold exploration camp, take part in Aboriginal games as well as interact with and report on some of Ontario North’s warmest and most exciting people?

The Bulletin, a respected weekly community newspaper, has an immediate opening for an enthusiastic and mature reporter/photographer who will welcome working on a wide variety of assignments.

Sioux Lookout is a lively, multi-cultural community of 5,500 people located 60km by road north of the TransCanada Highway midway between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.

Starting salary will be in the $23,000 to $25,000 range depending on ability and experience.

Qualifications
A reporter with car is preferred. We supply digital camera.

They are both advertised on the Jeff Gaulin job board, as well as a few other websites.

[yiab.livejournal.com]

my guess would be that broadband is doubtful in both places. if you're unlucky and sioux lookout is as small as small as i'm guessing you might not even be able to get a phone line.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I don't think its as bad as all that. Their Chamber of Commerce has a website and so do a lot of their listed businesses. It's a pop of 5500 iirc, but they have a college there and stuff. All of the businesses have phone and fax listed. Of course, the position only pays 23-25K, but out in the middle of nowhere I bet that money would go far.

Totally unrelated to this post

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

Hey there. Just FYI, I'm friending you. So you don't think I'm a stalker of some variety, I'm friend to thesteeldonuters pyat and velvetpage, and fiancee to sassy_fae. I'm also a huge nerd. Pleeztameecha.

[funos.livejournal.com]

Consider also that in a more rural area, a car is a must.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Yup. I should remember to figure that into budgeting before I decide I can live on the money...

[pyat.livejournal.com]

The Simcoe paper covers a nice area and the town itself is very pretty in places, though rather short on book stores. It's the largest population centre in Haldimand or Norfolk county, and it has a number of services/conveniences that you might not expect to see in such a relatively small town - big box stores, move theatre, etc.

In addition, you might be able to commute.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

BTW, I have to ask...

Do you have a car?
Do you have a journalism degree or diploma of any kind?

If the answer to either of those questions is "No," you're going to find yourself at the bottom of the resume pile. The Simcoe Reformer does have a car available for its staff, as does the Regional New This Week of Caledonia, but most places rely on the reporter him/herself having a reliable car.

As for the diploma, they get a relatively high volume of applications. Without a diploma you might not even get interviewed, not unless you have an impressive portfolio.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

I don't have a car, but I could get one, as I have a license and cash.

I don't have a degree, but my internship portfolio is pretty substantial. I won't list where I've worked here because it is an unlocked post, but it includes two well-known magazines, an award-winning weekly community newspaper in silicon valley, and the communications office of a large physics facility. I've also done some freelance writing and editing. It amounts to nearly 1.5 years in a variety of newsrooms, plus the freelancing I've done. And of course, I have the clips to prove it.

One of the questions I need to answer is whether that's enough, or if I need to get a journalism degree anyway. To freelance, obviously not, but I just don't have the balls at the moment to freelance, even though its what I want eventually. Getting a job at a small paper, journal, or magazine is another story, or could be.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

The portfolio should go a long way towards helping you get your foot in the door, particularly if you sell yourself well in the cover letter. You have to keep in mind that a lot of people apply for these jobs, if only because everyone thinks journalism is easy.

Now, mind you, they're damn right. :)

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Dunno. I figure, journalism is easy. Good journalism is harder. Good science journalism... very difficult. I like the challenges involved in the latter, though.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

To some extent that's true of any profession.

However, community reporting is easy by any measure. It's simply undemanding, even if you ARE being an intrepid crusader for truth, rather than a column filler.

It's easy in the sense of "No early mornings, indoor work, no heavy lifting, a measure of local respect and celebrity, and a lot of free meals at Rotary and Lion's Club meetings." Sometimes murders happen, and you get to be intrepid and hard-nosed! It's also fun to chase fire trucks along country roads.

Of course, you do get strange people yelling at you a lot, and advertisers trying to get you to do profiles about their stupid store. But really, the hardest part of community reporting is reading council reports, not falling alseep during zoning law debates, and looking for newsworthy items in a muncipal budget.

I would venture to say that my experience in tech reporting was even EASIER. You rarely have to stand in a field and interview someone about their cow. You sit in an office and conduct interviews via phone and email. You attend industry events and get free gadgets. Sometimes, they fly you to a convention, where you get even more free goodies, as well as access to some of the most elaborate buffets this side of Vegas.

For the most part tech reporters deal with very large companies that have offices full of staff who work full-time to molly-coddle reporters. It is rare that your editor will want you to dig deeper than the press release and an opion from a bored industry analyst. This depends on the publication, of course, but most tech reporters work at trade magazines that exist to sell advertising and keep businesses informed of new products. I knew tech reporters in their 50s who had no idea how to file a Freedom of Information act request.

The hardest part was always writing. In community reporting, I had a large volume of text to produce. In tech reporting, the challenge was making the content interesting.

Science journalism may be harder, I don't know. There are probably fewer buffets. Then again, it's a really cool field to be in. You can tell sparkling anecdoctes about what those chaps in Michigan are doing with emergent order, and what that means for the religious right. Those benefits alone probably put science reporter in the "fun" category.

Of course, the opinions expressed above are those of an extremely lazy and unambitious fellow. Your mileage may vary. :)

The first several months of my LJ, back in 2001 and 2002, contain a lot of anecdotes about the life of a community reporter. I seemed to be reading a lot of books in a lot of diners. Once, I was almost arrested, but that was an exception.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

BTW, I hope I don't sound arrogant. I don't intend to be.

I'm just long-winded!