Pros

Great experience in newspaper industry. It is definitely a good place to get "your feet wet". But I would not reccomend staying. Use Journal Regsiter for the experience and move on.

Cons

Poor management. Poor decision-making. Poor communication.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more open with employees. Also, show respect and approval to employees who are deserving. Help motivate employees better.

Pros

You learn so much about everything. You interview mayors, teachers politicians, lawyers township managers and so many other professionals that explain ambiguous topics to you to assist you in writing your articles. You learn almost everything there is to know and the job is really fun too. The company itself blows, but the communities you serve are where all the pleasure is in working for this company which mainly provides you with an outlet to do your job and that's it.

Cons

Really low pay ($580 every two weeks with no health insurance unless you deduct $100 from that every two weeks and the coverage is really crappy), upper management is really stupid, but some of the editors, mine in particular are brilliant and others are flakes.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in your bloody products! The service these papers should provide is so valuable, but the weekly papers are just thrown together and sloppy b/c the wages are so low and the talent and passion is not there for the most part. I could only afford to do this job for so long and I have a debt to pay now that I'm making a normal salary this year.

Pros

One will certainly get to test one's mettle. You will be thrown into the fire, but support will be available from good people if you are able to earn respect and establish the right relationships.

Cons

Low pay, but this is an industry-wide issue. Long hours due to continual downsizing.

Advice to Senior Management

Be nice. Although I am told that the corporate culture has improved due to changes in top management, it is important to appreciate that the job is where we mostly live our lives. And life is short and getting shorter. Let's help one another enjoy it, if we can.

Pros

Good people around you, in spite of bad management.

Cons

Poor pay, terrible benefits, inept management, no future. I could go on.

Advice to Senior Management

Realize that your employees are working hard in spite of you, and take better care of them.

Pros

old school newspaper people coupled with future thinking, creative idealists. the amount of wisdom and great stories were priceless. Seriously, where else could you get a demonstration of a working linotype from a guy who ran it for 20 years? A great cross section of people, from the pressmen, to the packagers, advertising, circulation, and editorial staff. I learned a great deal.

Cons

the old school newspaper people ran the place and didn't understand (or were afraid of) the modern communication possibilities. This caused a lack of growth. The publisher was a technophope! People were hired with 'technologic expertise' who didn't know the basics of using a computer.

Advice to Senior Management

Let the young hotshots that understand the internet at least have input into the growth of online communication.