Job descriptions from hell: ‘engagement producer’

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Julie Ruff

I’ve been looking at journalism job postings lately, but my boss has nothing to worry about because for most of them, I’m either not qualified (still) or not interested. And some job descriptions sound especially like a level of my personal hell.

Example:

If you love sports journalism and have game, pay attention.

Uh oh.

Statesman Journal Media is seeking a sports engagement producer to help our organization leverage social tools and technology to create new, innovative forms of digital sports journalism.

First, the words “engagement producer” and “leverage” raise some red flags.

The ideal candidate will be able to follow multiple games, post content quickly, cover events as needed and trigger conversation around sports coverage across the social web. … This person should also be adept at demonstrating effective methods for using social networks to maximize the reporting cycle while contributing to Statesman Journal’s innovative digital initiatives.

The social web? This is quite a lot of bullshit. At least it’s innovative and digital.

Yes, we’re asking for the world. But we’re worth your happiness, particularly if you’re a star. The Statesman Journal has a well-earned national reputation for knowing how to do digital journalism in innovative ways. … Don’t waste our time unless you’re committed to working hard and loving small city life.

This is the job for you if you want to work with small-town assholes who are innovative and digital. How to apply:

Submit a 200-word cover letter, 2-3 clips showing range of work, and a resume to Executive Editor Bill Church at bchurch@statesmanjournal.com. Or impress us with your digital coolness — let’s face it, it’s a job requirement — by Tweeting your online resume link to @BillChurchMedia. (I’m willing to follow you on Twitter if you’re worried about your boss hyperventilating.)

I have so much digital coolness that it’s coming out of my ears. Can I put that on my résumé?

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Doonesbury got it right

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Julie Ruff

The comic strip by Garry Trudeau recently zeroed in on what many are calling the “war on women,” specifically Draconian laws requiring an invasive vaginal ultrasound before an abortion. More than 60 newspapers refused to run the strips, and many of the ones that did moved them to the editorial section. The Doonesbury strips in question feature a young woman and her experience at a clinic and raise several issues about the law:

1. The law is intended to shame women seeking abortions. Obviously, they’re sluts and baby murderers.

2. GOP men are the one’s leading the charge and making these decisions about women’s bodies. I recently saw Rick Santorum quoted as saying, “We need to get government out of people’s lives.” I guess he doesn’t think women are people.

3. Requiring a woman to have a vaginal ultrasound when she doesn’t need or want one is akin to rape. And then she has to pay for it.

This is 2012, right? I thought we settled all of this. I take hormonal birth control to manage a condition called endometriosis. I guess that makes me a slut, too.

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Vermont and a dream

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Julie Ruff

I’ve grown to accept San Antonio as my home, and even love it, but I’ve always dreamed of picking up and putting roots down some place else. The place has changed over the years, but it’s always beautiful and full of interesting people.

I love to travel to places I’ve never been and observe the daily lives of people there. I recently traveled to Vermont and liked it very much. Green trees, syrup and mountains. I could definitely see myself living in Vermont. What’s a little snow?

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How to eat a cupcake

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Julie Ruff

For a multimedia reporting project last year, my partner and I decided the cupcake trend would be a deliciously easy topic. I admit it was a bit of a cop-out, but it was my first real attempt at video. I like the result.

The first is about how people eat cupcakes. The second is an interview with Kate Frost, owner of Kate’s Frosting, The Cupcake Cabin and Kate’s Next Door. At this point, I’m a little sick of cupcakes, but I like that women entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the trend.

If you’re interested, the entire Project Cupcake is still online.

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Journalists making the best of a bad situation

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Julie Ruff

FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps wrote in 2007 that media consolidation has led to entertainment dressed up as news, less localism and serious political coverage, less diversity of opinion and ownership, and fewer jobs for journalists. In 2009 the San Antonio Express-News, a Hearst publication, laid off 135 people (15 percent of its employees). Of the 135 people laid off, 75 of them came from the newsroom. In 2010 I did a content analysis of the local news sections from 2006 and 2010. The purpose was to discover the impact shrinking newsrooms have on the quality and quantity of serious local news.

A short history of recent events is necessary to understand the changes going on at the Express-News:

Timeline
2007 – 2009: Nationwide economic recession
Beginning of 2009: Wage and hiring freeze announced, which is still in place.
March, 2009: 135 people laid off and 30 positions left unfilled.
March, 2009: State and Metro press runs combined into a single edition.
April, 2009: Width of pages reduced from 12.5 in. to fewer than 11 in.

The content analyzed consisted of 10 local news sections, five issues from 2006 before major layoffs began and five issues from 2010 after the most serious cuts. The issues were chosen at random, the days of the week in 2006 corresponding with days of the week in 2010 since section size is often determined by the day of the week. The news section on Mondays, for example, is typically smaller because there are usually less people working on Sundays.

The dependent variables are the number of staff-written stories, ads, and news pages, as well as the seriousness of each article. Serious news was considered journalism that serves the public interest and enhances democratic participation. The most serious news was considered informative and addressed public services, issues or politics. The least serious included such topics as celebrity gossip and entertainment. Three independent coders determined the seriousness of each article using a 5-point Likert scale, 1 being “not at all serious” and 5 being “very serious.” The coders did not consider briefs in this analysis.

From 2006 to 2010, the number of pages remained essentially the same, but during that time the size of the pages were reduced. There were also two editions of the paper in 2006, State and Metro, and only one in 2010.

Considering that the number of pages remained the same, it is noteworthy then that there was a significant difference in the number of articles and ads. The number of ads increased from 26 to 36 (38 percent). The number of articles decreased from 60 to 48 (20 percent).

The decrease in articles overall is arguably a result of the increased ads, smaller pages, and fewer reporters. But it may also be a result of Hearst’s increasing efforts to share content among clustered papers in the chain, such as the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle. One very noticeable change, with regard to increased advertising, is the appearance of a large ad on the front of the local news section.

Despite the decrease in articles, the number of articles that were considered good examples of serious public-interest journalism by the coders was the same in 2006 as in 2010 (30 each). In other words, 50 percent of the articles in 2006 and 63 percent in 2010 were considered fair, good, or very good examples of public-interest journalism.

Despite everything, the Express-News maintained its level of serious reporting. This suggests that democratic duty is still a top priority for reporters and editors working within the constraints of consolidated commercial media.

Recent related links:
ASNE newsroom census total reflects decline in traditional journalism jobs, growth in online
PR Industry Fills Vacuum Left by Shrinking Newsrooms

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