Your workday could start three hours after everyone else went home for the day - or for the weekend. Your clothes will frequently smell of cigarette smoke. Just as often as not, your ears will be ringing in the morning. And you'll be digging every minute of it.Sound like you? If so, you might be a candidate for a music/nightlife writer position at the Detroit Free Press.

Detroit is one of the world's great music towns - think Motown, Aretha Franklin, the Stooges, Bob Seger, techno, Eminem and the White Stripes, to name but a few. It also has more than its share of nightlife, with bustling clubs and downtowns throughout the city and suburbs, many reflecting the diverse cultures and subcultures that thrive in metro Detroit.We want someone who can match those scenes in talent, charisma and intensity.

We expect the person will spend about 40 percent of their time covering music, 40 percent nightlife. The other 20 percent will be up for grabs, including entertainmentand lifestyle general assignment. And we're very interested in our new hire identifying - and executing - in content areas where we're currently falling short.

Producing content for the web will be a major component of the job, including late-night and weekend filing from nightclubs and concert halls. It's expected that print material will appear on 1A and lead key features sections such as Life, Entertainment and Play. The ability to work a beat, spot trends and break news is an absolute must, as are clean and zippy writing and a track record of accuracy. Expertise and interest in hip-hop, R&B and gospel are a plus. The reporter will be part of the grand Free Press lifestyles team, and its subset ofentertainment reporters. Collaboration with our music critics will be especially key.

If you're interested, send resume and clips to Steve Byrne, Deputy Features Editor/Entertainment, Detroit Free Press, 600 W. Fort, Detroit, MI, 48226 or This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it