We like to take stock of the journalism job market through the most obvious raw data: Job listings! This week, the Chicago bureau of the New York Times posted an ad for a reporter/office clerk/stringer. You should have: a minimum of a "few years" experience at a newspaper, and should be able to order office supplies while reporting other people's stories—and you should know that the "right applicant will care more about getting good stories and learning the craft than about the paycheck." So we're going with: The job market unrelentingly sucks.

Chicago stringer - The New York Times Posted by: [REDACTED] Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:22 pm (PST) The Chicago Bureau of The New York Times has an opening for a fulltime reporting assistant/stringer. We seek an unflappable, tested, hungry reporter to handle a variety of support duties in our Midwest bureau. We require a poised juggler of tasks — deadline reporting and writing of hard news, research and legwork for our national correspondents' stories, tracking news trends and developments every day in 11 states, paying bills and ordering supplies, and far more. At minimum, applicants should have a few years of experience at a newspaper. The right applicant will care more about getting good stories and learning the craft than about the paycheck. Please send a cover letter, resume and clips to: [REDACTED] or Monica Davey; The New York Times; Chicago Bureau Chief; 111 E. Wacker Dr.; Suite 2912; Chicago IL 60601. No phone calls please.

How much you wanna bet their office is drowning in applicants?