Before I found my true calling, on the radio, I had the best job in all of community newspaper-dom: I was the publisher of People Newspapers.
Our group of weeklies, owned by some of the same names that run D Magazine, has routinely been ranked among the absolute best in Texas. I’ve worked at a fair number of small newspapers, I’ve seen hundreds of publications of similar size, and I can tell you that Park Cities People, Preston Hollow People, and Oak Cliff People are as good as it gets. People Newspapers maintains a commitment to quality that’s increasingly rare in the media business. They are fun and intelligent and just plain beautiful to look at, week in and week out.
Doesn’t that sound like a great place to work? Funny you should bring that up.
The woman who took my place at People Newspapers, the talented Jennifer Erwin, will be moving to the D Magazine side of the business, to become our new director of publishing. D is re-orienting back into growth mode (a positive sign for the Dallas economy). So we’ve got an opening. If you’re in need of a job,
So what does the People Newspapers publisher do?
— Leads a sales team that’s primed to connect advertisers with readers in some of the best neighborhoods of Dallas. (Has got to be a motivator, a cheerleader, and a creative thinker.)
— Represents People Newspapers as the face of the newspapers in the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and Oak Cliff. (Lunch with the mayor of University Park! Mingle with the people at the Oak Cliff Peace Festival!)
— Works with the managing editor and the art director to ensure that the papers continue their reputation for excellence. (A community newspaper that’s lost its buy-in from its readers is only good for fish wrap.)
— Understands how the website and other technological marvels work together with the “print product” to serve readers and advertisers. (Have a vision for the future of the business)
If you’re the perfect candidate, you have some experience in the print media business, and have spent some time managing people and operations. You also like people, and have a desire to become one of the best-connected and best-known players in the neighborhoods that People Newspapers serves. (Or maybe you already are.) You’ve got to have some sense of what makes the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and Oak Cliff special. (Or, failing that, know how to pick them out on a map.)
Don’t worry if you don’t yet meet all these criteria. Can you sell Wick on giving you the job? Well then, you may have a shot. Send resumes and cover letters to Kristin Hull at [email protected]
Thanks, and drive home safely.
