How bad do you want to be a reporter? Bad enough to work nights and weekends? The poor glutton for punishment that’s chosen will cover city and county government. Sports and general interest feature stories.

In exchange for your long hours and tireless efforts you will be rewarded with low pay and marginal health insurance. Please send resume, and 3 writing samples to wonclive@yahoo.com This is a full time salaried position located in beautiful northwest.

Those are the exact words posted in this job ad for a reporting gig at the Illinois Valley News, the independent paper of record for Illinois Valley and Cave Junction, Oregon.

The IVN has a lovely listings section that quotes George Eliot for some reason and a police blotter that inexplicably mimics the infamous Arcata Eye’s (sorry guys, but Kevin Hoover still does it better).

You know, $20,000 a year probably goes pretty far in those parts. And nobody would deny you’d be having fun.