Great people, good company, industry in crisis
Pros
The people at WSOC are the shining star. Easily half of the employees are really great people - friendly, talented, encouraging and positive. The company, Cox Media Group and the parent company, Cox Enterprises, are both very good organizations. There's a strong emphasis on good culture, training and employee development, and a positive and optimistic forward-thinking mindset. Benefits are great at Cox Media Group - very low cost, high quality insurance, and good retirement benefits. WSOC is a very community-connected organization, and there is ample opportunity to get involved. From community events to ongoing projects and initiatives, if you want to be involved and share some of your time and talent, all you have to do is raise your hand. Many of the employees at WSOC have been there for years, and while they'll tell you that things have changed dramatically in their years, they'll probably also tell you that one of the biggest reasons people stay is their coworkers. In some groups/departments, there is a very family-like feeling of closeness and support.
Cons
There are some bad apples at WSOC, as there are anywhere. But in general they don't last long, and can be avoided or handled such that they don't impact your quality of life or day-to-day. A good number of people have moved to Charlotte from places where it's unusual to make eye contact be friendly, so the general feeling around the city is less openly friendly than in years past. The same is true for WSOC. There are a good number of people that walk around looking at the ground, and are seemingly unfriendly until you get to know them a little bit. There's also a big difference in culture amongst the different departments. I would encourage anyone considering a position at WSOC to meet some people who work in the department and try to get a tour. You can tell a lot by what you see and hear going on. It's important to keep in mind what the purpose of this business is. It's selling ads. If you want to be a journalist and cover important stories, this might not be your best bet. The goal is to show advertisements to the most eyeballs possible, to get a high rate for the ads, thereby making the most money possible with the medium. What gets you more eyeballs is not groundbreaking journalism - it's crime, blood, and disaster. In my opinion, it's important to be okay with that, and to not carry any misconceptions about what the goal of this business is.