Register can fill 25 newsroom positions, editor says

New details on the hiring that owner Aaron Kushner's team at the Orange County Register has authorized. Sports editor Todd Harmonson, who last week put out the word that he could reverse previous cost-cutting and hire a Dodgers reporter, posts on the website SportsJournalists.com that "there are 25 positions that have been approved in the newsroom, though not all have been posted somewhere yet." Titles already listed on the Register jobs board are business editor, restaurant critic, auto reviewer, movie critic and local columnist.

Here's the listing for the columnist:

The Orange County Register is adding a local columnist.

Yes, you read that correctly. We are hiring. The job is not for the faint of heart, however. We are looking for a great writer who has a voice. He or she must understand that less is more, and the best place to be in a local controversy is in the middle, listening and reporting. The goal is to engage our subscribers and provide them with insightful columns that are essential to their lives.

The successful candidate will:
• Write a reported 3-day a week column that focuses on critical local issues.
• Have a strong voice that resonates with the community.
• Provoke thought and community discussion.
• Write so well that people will read the column even if they aren’t interested in the individual topic.
• Break news.
• Make a difference in the community.

Orange County is a remarkable collection of 34 diverse communities, each with its own identity. The 3 million residents are about one-third Hispanic and 17 percent Asian. It’s home to the largest population of Vietnamese people outside Saigon. It has beachfront homes and gang-plagued neighborhoods. It is home to the “happiest place on earth” as well as stories of human cruelty and suffering.

Regarding the movie critic:

Hollywood is just up the road. Some of our people have made it big there. But even if we’re not in the business, we love movies. We watch them. We read about them. And we talk about them. Your job will be to fuel that passion. We need someone with a long movie memory. Someone who can help subscribers understand why they should or shouldn’t care, and why they should or shouldn’t buy that ticket. You will need to have a strong voice along with a love of the form. And you must enjoy sitting in the dark and writing in the light.

To be considered, applicants must:
* Have a minimum of five years experience as a film critic for a major metropolitan newspaper or movie industry trade publication, or equivalent experience as an arts or entertainment critic combined with a comprehensive knowledge of films from all eras.
* Be a lively and engaging writer with a strong critical voice.
* Have a clearly defined aesthetic, so that readers can gauge from the reviews whether they are likely to enjoy a particular film.
* Show that they can step back from incremental review coverage to offer thoughtful analysis of movie trends and themes.
* Regularly go to public screenings in Orange County to experience audience reaction.
* Have a deep understanding of what it takes to make a film to craft opinions into informative reviews.