http://www.yourfuturejob.com/job/news-writer-bikeradar-com-fp00170/

You’ll possess excellent writing and research skills and have experience of writing copy quickly and accurately for websites.

At least they are aiming to make improvements.

Duh, I thought I was about to apply for the job at number 10….

Receive product – check annual advertising income from the products manufacturer – review accordingly, sounds like a pretty simple job to me .

Receive product – check annual advertising income from the products manufacturer – review accordingly, sounds like a pretty simple job to me .

You missed “make sure you get to keep said product as a long term test (honest guv)”.

thanks for the heads up…

*Not quite* the original advert……… 😉

Department:Online Editorial
Location:Bath
Contract Type:Permanent
Job Ref:FP00170
Closing Date:13/11/2012

Do you want to write breaking news for the world’s number one bike website? BikeRadar.com is looking for a passionate News Writer to join the team, to cover anything from the latest Specialized Roubaix to rumours about SRAM’s new 12 x 1 drivetrain system.

As news writer you’ll write daily news and features for BikeRadar.com and upload these to the website. Working closely with the Advertising Sales Director you will generate ideas and follow up on leads to produce engaging and original news pieces that will drive traffic to BikeRadar.com, based on projected ad spend from a range of product suppliers and manufacturers. You will attend press events and trade shows, build strong contacts with the industry as well as conducting interviews to secure exclusive content for the website and free items for yourself to “test” on a “long term” basis before selling them on Ebay or Pinkbike.

You’ll possess excellent writing and research skills and have experience of writing copy quickly and accurately for websites. A journalism qualification or equivalent is needed alongside a sympathetic approach to “editorial support” for key advertising clients, regardless of our advertised “Honest testing policy”. A passion for bikes and the industry is essential, as is a keen interest in the internet.

If this sounds like the perfect role for you we want to hear from you. To apply you’ll need to submit your CV and a covering letter telling us why you would be great for the role. As part of your application please submit a 300-word news story about something current in cycling and also a cheque for £1000 to ensure your application is viewed favourably.

Job Description – News Writer – BikeRadar

Andyrm – A well written and honest post . Have you considered applying?

No forget that, you appear too honest 😉

I get the impression that all mags are one way or another in the pockets of their advertisers. They push products so hard and never really seem to give clear advice without the obvious bias toward keeping said advertisers happy.
I used to work for a large well known hobby distributor and when it came to advertising in the magazines they had total say over how their products looked when tested, and the general consensus was if the magazine wrote negativly about said products; the distributor would withdraw advertising immediately. In a magazine that features said distributor ALOT, loosing advertising revenue on that scale would put them out of business.
I don’t therefore take any magazine or website seriously when it comes to testing.
Especially those that really labour point of being unbiased; common sense dictates along with their business nature that they simply cannot be unbiased. It all comes down to the bottom line.

Shotsaway and Killforchips – I worked in ad sales for many years in various publications including some that you would think would be too left-leaning to bow to commercial pressures…….

“editorial support” was always the clincher when closing a deal!

End of the day, ads pay for publication and wages. Sales director of corporate advertiser with £150k annual budget can swing his d*ck pretty fearlessly when banding that kind of potential spend around – and no ad sales exec (likely to be on a £15-18k basic and reliant on commission to make a decent living, and to hit target to survive to next month) is going to let some perceived moral objection get in the way of that.

It’s what has always made Future’s policy so laughable for me, because I know exactly how it works in the real world………

Working closely with the Advertising Sales Director you will generate ideas and follow up on leads

Not sure how much of it you kept from the original ad, but this starts alarm bells ringing. It isn’t the Financial Times, but normally editorial want nothing to do with Ad Sales, to avoid turning it into advertorial…

My god, do you guys above think that bike tests have been skewed because of money from the advertisers?

Where oh where does that leave integrity of our fave journalists?

Chipps? Got a comment? 😉

Not sure how much of it you kept from the original ad, but this starts alarm bells ringing. It isn’t the Financial Times, but normally editorial want nothing to do with Ad Sales, to avoid turning it into advertorial…

I tweaked that bit!

But based on personal experience from working on 3 major publications (not bike industry) and their associated websites, I can tell you 100% this is EXACTLY how it works in the majority of magazine publishing enterprises.

As a publishing/advertising industry insider, I’d suggest that ST seem to be less directly influenced than the average.

The polar opposite is of course magazines like Rouleur and the MTB equivalent which carry next to no ads (if any) but have a cover price of almost £10. So less a bike mag, more a “lifestyle publication”, destined not to be read, but to be left on glass coffee tables at jaunty angles to show how cool you are……… 😉

Whole front page of the Guardian was a vodaphone ad last week, which can’t have pleased the core readership much.

Whole front page of the Guardian was a vodaphone ad last week, which can’t have pleased the core readership much.

Hahahaha brilliant! Must have a look on the website and see if there is any comment anywhere….. 🙂

I opened this thread all excited wondering if my current manager was leaving. Then the disappointment set it when I clicked the link, and then my boss rang with another bullshit excuse to why he wasn’t going to be in on time. Which considering i’ve waited around for him in a hour of my own time after working through the night, hasn’t pleased me much. The incompetent lying bearded fat drain on public funds knob!
And breath…..sorry about that