March 20, 2013

WaPo job notice: "This blogger should be able to identify trends, cutting through the noise of the Internet to bring context and perspective to a Washington audience."

"We envision at least a dozen pieces of content per day, with the knowledge that one great sentence can equal one great post. This assignment requires not only the ability to aggregate content, but the skill to execute the types of stories that others will aggregate and share.... This is a job that will require early mornings to get a start on the day’s news and may sometimes require late nights covering awards shows and other live events. For example, a recent Monday may have seen posts on topics including: Justin Timberlake’s rumored second album of the year; the History Channel’s controversial depiction of Satan as someone who looks like President Obama; reactions to media coverage of the Steubenville rape trial verdict; the recovery of a long-lost Rembrandt self-portrait; the new Beyonce song; a follow-up to that day’s 'The bucks start here' feature in the Style section; reflections on the season finale of 'Girls'; and more."

Too hard or too easy? I'm linking because this job notice is being treated as if it's horrifyingly arduous, and, in my view, it's obviously what anyone offering to blog for WaPo ought to be able to do.

I write more than 12 posts a day on the average, by the way, and I'm just reacting to stuff that interests me and writing for the intrinsic pleasure of it.

44 comments:

Meade said...

I'd take that job but they'd probably insist that I relocate to D.C.

Unknown said...

I thought it was from an article about your blog.

gemma said...

Meade -- you are so right

edutcher said...

You are answering the call of the blogoverse.

They are mere cogs in the Ministry of Propaganda.

pm317 said...

They can't do serious news and journalism. They are now trying to cut into volunteer bloggers territory who do it as a hobby. Pathetic.

Oso Negro said...

Don't even think about blogging for Wapo, Professor! You want to keep your skirts clean enough to angle for Presidential Debate Moderator in 2016.

Nathan said...

1. Browse Buzzfeed, Gawker, Memeorandum, Metafiler, Reddit for post ideas;

2. Troll popular blogs in order to get links;

3. ???

4. Profit.

Nathan said...

Oops. I meant Metafilter.

I see I'd never qualify, I need layers of editors and fact checkers.

ByondPolitics said...

O.M.G. You really think it's worth noting that you're capable of doing an entry-level job? Why?

Titus said...

Sounds horrible.

tits.

madAsHell said...

I'd take that job but they'd probably insist that I relocate to D.C.

I think you are narrative challenged as well.

In other news....
Obama posted his March Madness picks, but we haven't seen a budget in four years.

Nathan said...

Finding topics to write about would not be difficult. Find something to write about those topics would be.

I have absolutely nothing to write about Justin Timberlake's rumored second album of the year.

That this possible topic was the first one proposed tells us something about the Washington Post's idea of its target demographic for this notice.

edutcher said...

Every one he's proposed can't even get Democrat, much less Republican, votes.

Titus said...

I am curious to pay and benefits-not that I would do the job but what kind of pay does some fuck receive doing this?

What kind of pay to big bloggers receive?

Craig Landon said...

Writing about press room politics would be more entertaining, but probably discouraged.

bagoh20 said...

"Obama posted his March Madness picks, but we haven't seen a budget in four years."

Pretty much the same story: Most everybody loses, a few win in the long run. Tons of play by play along the way.

bagoh20 said...

"I'm just reacting to stuff that interests me and writing for the intrinsic pleasure of it."

That's what makes a tough job easy. I consider fostering this feeling in people to be my primary mission at my job. When you enjoy something, you can do it longer, harder, and better, go home satisfied, and return the next day ready to go again.

George M. Spencer said...

I think Glenn Reynolds already has a job.

Richard Dolan said...

The list of topics they offer as a 'for instance', are as predictable as dew in the morning. Wouldn't want to challenge those WaPo readers with something a bit off beat, now would we.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Too hard for me, but then that's why I don't blog. I consider it a good day if anyone responds to any of my comments.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld said...

Twelve posts a day? Insty would be a Stakhanovite hero at the WaPo.

XRay said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bob Ellison said...

The awards shows might prove difficult.

MadisonMan said...

That list of for example articles was a compendium of what you blogged about the other day. That was my first thought. Then I saw it included the Beyonce song, and I don't remember you talking about that.

Mark said...

Why don't they just headhunt VodkaPundit? He'd be perfect.

tiger said...

I see it as more of a gossip columnist that real journalism.

'Justin Timberlake's second album of the year' is considered worthwhile news? And yeah there is a great song buried somewhere in "Suit and Tie".

Mark said...

Yeah, the award shows beat is a real buzzkill.

Bob R said...

Seems to me if you want to get PAID to blog that's pretty much the minimum.

David Davenport said...

1. Browse Buzzfeed, Gawker, Memeorandum, Metafiler, Reddit for post ideas;

2. Troll popular blogs in order to get links;

3. ???

4. Profit.


But if you got to those Web sites, you're slumming. The WaPo, on the other hand, is classy and very grown-up.

As for profit, I think that newspaper is going to start charging for reading its Web site.

I am curious to pay and benefits-not that I would do the job but what kind of pay does some fuck receive doing this?

I'm quite sure that job pays enough for the blogger to live in an apartment as nice as young-ish people's flats in the big city in TV sitcoms.

Astro said...

Sounds like a job from hell, to me. Covering awards shows and celebrities and 'pop' news? ugh.

Paco Wové said...

Someday, Byond, perhaps you too will find an entry-level job you're capable of. We're all pulling for you!

MBR said...

What an awful job - the very definition of wage slavery and alienation. Working really hard to write about some entity called "Beyonce" that one knows nothing about and cares even less for! No!, No, no!

Titus said...

What's a Insty?

Fritz said...

Emphasis should be placed on the "to a Washington audience."

Common sense need not apply.

Wince said...

I write more than 12 posts a day on the average, by the way, and I'm just reacting to stuff that interests me and writing for the intrinsic pleasure of it.

Anything in the WaPo ad about finding a dude?

Ann Althouse said...

@mm There are 6 suggested topics, and I wrote about 1: the rape trial. I noticed the other things mostly but passed them over.

I'm interested enough to write about Girls, but I'm not going to comment on an episode, even though I watch because I don't think many of my readers watch. If I thought I had an audience for that, I'd enjoy going into it.

Pat said...

Wait, Justin Timberlake has an album out this year?

LoafingOaf said...

First of all, Althouse does not write 12 posts a day. Writing a post does not include going to the Drudge Report and seeing what the right wing blogosphere is worked up about today and setting up a comments thread for it. Many of the posts take about 5 seconds of work and do not count asm "writing a post".

Secondly, Althouse couldn't handle working at the Washington Post because they'd tell her she'd actually have to correct errors.

rhhardin said...

I hope they'll be able to tell a hemline trend from a hemline cycle, in identifying trends.

It's like global warming.

rhhardin said...

An Insty is a quickie only faster.

Russ said...

I halfway agree with Oaf. (Only half)

I assume WaPo is looking for more original content, or editorializing events, than Althouse puts out, rather than a metafilter filter.

Instapundit is the same way: a link aggregator with some minor opinion color thrown in.

I'm guessing they're more interested in something like Kausfiles in terms of content.

Well, actually, they're probably just interested in clicks, and Ann and Reynolds seem to be doing fine on that account.

Rusty said...

The best high school newspaper in the country wants to try out the innertubes eh.
Spreading Washington Post lame-assed opinion out over the aether.

Shit like that got me banned.

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

topics including: Justin Timberlake’s rumored ... ...season finale of 'Girls'; and more.

Shows where the major newspaper in the Nations's Capital is focused!

The size and power of Government must be reduced.

Carthago delenda est.

carrie said...

Loafingoff--The Washington Post corrects its errors? I think the WaPo is looking for someone to take on Drudge.