Mil/Space/Aero contractor behemoth Raytheon is hiring "journalists" must for a year-long assignment in Antarctica. Bloggers accustomed to writing at home in their underwear should plan to bring much warmer underwear. Snip:
Raytheon Polar Services is the primary contractor for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) U.S. Antarctic Program. We are currently looking for a Journalist to deploy to McMurdo Station, Antarctica on a contract basis beginning in August of 2006…While at McMurdo Station the journalist conducts research and interviews with a variety of U.S. Antarctic Program scientists and participants. Writes articles, takes photographs, does editing and layout, obtains approvals, and publishes and distributes The Antarctic Sun.
While BoingBoing readers may be able to read about journalists contracted by Raytheon, the reverse is not true: BB reader Buck Crouch III points out that Raytheon uses SmartFilter to block BoingBoing.
permalink doesn't work, so go here and look for Job ID: TSC105386, " Journalist (2006 – 2007) — Raytheon Polar Services – Experience Antarctica." (Thanks, Cyrus!) Image: NOAA.
And speaking of Antarctica, a shout-out to all our BoingBoing readers at near the South Pole. McMurdo Station in the hizzouse!
Previously on BB:
– South Pole co-ed Jell-o wrestling
– Will the real Antarctic anti-Santa please stand up?
– Santarchy in Antarctica, and More
– Life in Antarctica blog, and blogging in Antarctica
Reader comment: Richard says,
Xeni, I'm disappointed. Given the corruptions of journalism that you at other times diligently chronicle, do you not find it somewhat odd helping a military contractor devalue the word? With this call for chilly embeds, Raytheon is hiring a PR person–a house shill–not a "journalist" in the sense of a reporter who might possibly write something not predigested or approved by Raytheon. Even worse is that US tax dollars will be used for this purpose.
Reader comment:
Brad Johnson says,
Instead of worrying about whether Raytheon is an evil space-laser contractor hiring pr flacks at taxpayer expense or if it's enabling the nobility of the journalistic profession, how about just giving a link to The Antarctic Sun, which the hiree would be working for: Link. I wonder how much the current Antarctic Staff would appreciate being called "press release writers."
Reader comment: Oren says,
A lot of the purpose of the "Journalist" in Antarctica will be to interview scientists involved in the NSF programs. I suspect that job is actually created by the NSF. They also need someone there to run the Antarctic new paper thingy. I'm not saying the job title shouldn't be shill, "journalist" is probably pushing it, but getting paid to write down there is pretty cool (cold). Besides, it's nice down there.
Reader comment: Holly Beale says,
i have a small nitpick: the south pole is not mcmurdo. they're two separate, isolated stations. you say:
"And speaking of Antarctica, a shout-out to all our BoingBoing readers at the South Pole. McMurdo Station in the hizzouse!"
The South Pole link goes to Big Dead Place, which "is intended to assist you in your stay at McMurdo Station."
here's a link to a french/english blog of another caltech person who is one of only 64 people overwintering at the south pole station.
Reader comment: Chris Maytag says,
You've got the base name mixed up. There is a McMurdo station, but it's on the coast. McMurdo is the largest of the US bases on the continent, with Amundsen-Scott at the pole being about a fifth of its size (by population).
Reader comment:
Mykle Hoban says,
I just got back from a summer season at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and was somewhat tickled to see your post about the journalist opening, as well as the ensuing discussion. The folks who commented are all right, more or less.
Emily, the editor of the Antarctic Sun, was always the first to admit the the Sun was not a newspaper in the normal sense of the word. Everything submitted had to be filtered through both the Raytheon and the NSF PR departments, and the final descision was in the hands of the station NSF representative (who was referred to as Big Daddy B, Bravo Delta Bravo, or just Bresnahan). It was not uncommon to have articles like "Wassat On Your Head?"
intermingled with well constructed reports on various science projects. Anyway, just thought I'd throw my two cents in there as well. Also, it's not a year-long contract. The Sun staff are exclusively summer people.P.S. there's a blog of my own experiences on the ice here. There's a bit included about this year's Santarctica.
