WSJ Atlanta bureau seeking reporter

Betsy McKay, the Atlanta bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, sent out the following announcement to the paper’s staff Tuesday afternoon:

“The Atlanta bureau has an opening for an ambitious, versatile reporter to join our team covering one of the fastest-growing and most story-rich regions of the country: the Southeast.

“This is a job for an experienced reporter who is ready and eager to trek across 11 states, from the suburbs of Virginia to the Mississippi Delta and Bourbon Street, chronicling key political races, economic woes, and the vicissitudes of a vast and diverse culture. The successful candidate will hit the campaign trail with the likes of South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley, traipse through Louisiana’s wetlands and Nashville’s floodwaters, and catalog the rich excesses of fallen titans like jailed HealthSouth Corp. founder Richard Scrushy. Atlanta reporters also frequently find themselves on the frontlines of some of recent history’s biggest disasters, from Hurricane Katrina to the Haiti earthquake to the Gulf oil spill to whatever mighty storm makes its way onto our shores this season.

“The right candidate will turn these adventures and more into captivating leders, aheds, A3 and other stories that break news and show readers a slice of this region they hadn’t seen before. Our newest teammate will also be able to balance the demands of a general assignment beat with producing scoops on a small but enticing array of corporations that offer rich fodder for B1, including private prison operator Corrections Corp. of America and Newell Rubbermaid Inc., maker of Graco strollers and Sharpie pens. Other companies covered from Atlanta include Delta Air Lines, FedEx, UPS, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

“If all that isn’t enough, there’s also the bonus of living in Atlanta, Sunbelt boomtown and cradle of the civil rights movement, with super friendly co-workers, a wide choice of spacious and affordable homes, a ten-minute commute to the office, a free workout facility, the world’s largest airport, and dozens of hip, affordable restaurants. Oh, and the Atlanta Braves, currently leading the National League East.”