While I'm not sure whether I want to continue in the daily newspaper business when my tenure with the Union-Tribune is up this Friday, I continue to look at the journalism job sites because that's where my training and experience is.

As someone who thinks that the recent talk of government bailouts of the newspaper industry is a bad idea, you can imagine my surprise when I saw this ad.

Seeking reporter/writer for elected
official's website

Looking for a new challenge and a new venue for those writing and reporting skills? Then help us create a paradigm-shifting website for one of Los Angeles’ most effective and popular elected officials, L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. With fewer journalists covering our political institutions, we’re looking for a writer with sharp editorial skills to produce web stories across a variety of topics, including health, transportation, arts, environment, criminal justice and the economy. Our goal is to connect and communicate with constituents on issues that impact their lives and intersect their interests.

This part-time job is best suited for applicants who’ve worked at newspapers, have superior story instincts, appreciate the complexities of government and have embraced the visual storytelling and community-building of the Internet.

To apply: Send cover letter, resume and clips to Joel Sappell, deputy for special projects: [email protected]

This reads like a reporting job, but it's really more of a public relations job. The sad part is that apparently Supervisor Yaroslavsky's office believes that a reporter working for the government can somehow pick up the slack left by the shrinking media with any credibility. If this is the future of journalism, it's a dark future indeed.