Though former WSN Editor in Chief Adam Playford graduated a couple weeks back, his dedication to snarkily defending print journalism on the college level has not wavered. Check out the “application” he emailed in below:

Dear Lily,

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Adam Playford. I am a Gallatin student, and I am writing to apply to be NYULocal’s new sports editor.

I know you guys don’t currently have a sports section, but hear me out. I did some reporting and went to your about page, where it says that your goal is to deliver “all the discussion-worthy happenings in the school and city we call home.” I think your news site is really missing an opportunity to capture readership by not delivering unique, in-depth reporting on discussion-worthy sports happenings. For example, DID YOU KNOW that NYU has an ENTIRE TEAM of people who dance around and use swords on each other? HOW DID WSN MISS THAT STORY?? Idiots!

In regard to the questions you asked in your post about applying: I’m afraid I don’t have a personality, and I do have an overwhelming fear of graduating without linkable clicks. I also don’t have a lot of experience blogging, so I hope I won’t be at too much of a disadvantage and am glad to know that all is not lost.

I hope that you will consider my other qualifications, which are admittedly non-traditional in this new Web 2.0 world. (Are we at Web 3.0 yet? Web 2.5? Web 2.1 beta? Can you ask Cody for me? I never know what to say…) I worked a little for WSN over the last four years and at a handful of professional papers. But the ink kept coming off onto my hands, and it was icky, so I decided I should switch to blogging, since MediaShift says that is the future of journalism. I’ve also joined a support group called Recovering Reporters Anonymous and our group leader assigned me to Twitter each weekly session, so if selected for this position I should be able to provide award-winning Tweets by early next semester.

I also am an exceptionally proficient blusterer, as documented by your incisive reporting, and I have a very good sense of self-importance, so I think I would fit in well.

I would send along a work sample, but I only have a hundred or so published newspaper stories, and I know that that is not the kind of experience your news organization is looking for. I can, however, send you a poem I wrote for one of my Gallatin classes if that would help you make your hiring decision. Also, I am planning to start a blog soon, and as soon as I do, I will be sure to send you a print edition in the mail, e-mail you a link, put it on your Facebook wall AND Tweet it at you. (That’s old media, useful media, was-new-two-years-ago media and all-the-rage media — a Future-of-Journalism bingo!!)

Please consider my application seriously! Thanks!

Adam Playford

Minion Director, Ret., Washington Square News

adam.playford@gmail.com