Why are you angry today?
Tell us what’s making you upset at your journalism job.
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10,095 Responses to “Why are you angry today?”
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Pages: [505] 504 503 502 501 500 499 498 497 496 495 … 1 » Show All
January 19th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
My editor and fellow non-editorial staff members believe that knowing what customers think about our products can’t possibly help because there’s nothing we can do to change it. Sadly, the reason nothing can be done is because we have a group of people who believe nothing can be done. There are no problems that can’t be solved. There are only people who can’t solve problems.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
This site only has 10,000 comments? I can’t believe that few people hate journalism. Our paper is backwards. Everyone talks about improvement, improvement. So whenever I come with an idea and a plan, all of a sudden I’m big college boy who wants to change everything. People are all talk and no game when it comes to “improvement.” I’m the only one with the drive and the ability, so when I want something done, everyone backs off and I have to do it myself. The truth that no one wants to admit/say is that they’d rather sit back and do nothing and try to get buy on the same old shit without ever really taking a risk or trying something new because, God forbid, it might not work. As if the business model we have been using for the past 800 years is so great. Then why is our ad volume among the lowest in the paper’s history?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:13 am
I am tired of the same ol’ small publisher spiel: “if we are going to stay profitable, we need to run a lean operation.” Translation: we are going to milk our staff for everything we can, and they are supposed to be so grateful for the privilege of working here that they don’t complain. You can’t run a monthly publication with one full-time employee. This is now the third company I have worked for that has this mentality, and it’s also the only type of job available in my region right now. I am now quietly looking for a new job and the next time I hear that spiel from a prospective employer, I will be sure to run the other way. Let them get someone else who works 12-15 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no vacation time or benefits. I doubt they will.
December 20th, 2009 at 8:11 am
The other day The Hartford Courant had a Page One headline reading: “It’s the Most Busiest Time of the Year.”
I thought that was the most worstest banner I’ve ever seen.
Next I’m expecting “your” instead of “you’re” and other common grammatical mistakes in the body of the paper.
Someone mentioned the phrase may have been a sort of pun on “the most wonderful time of the year.” But, if so, it certainly was not a witty one.
This incident is but one of a thousand examples of decline in “the oldest continuously published newspaper in America.”
I wish it would just fold.
December 20th, 2009 at 12:55 am
#10074:
“Tip of the hat to AJ#10062 for ROCKIN the system and STICKIN it to THE MAN! Let’s all party while the ship sinks. Pay no attention to those screams in steerage.”
Are those the ones “starving for their art”? Can’t hear them at all and I don’t care. This is good champagne. ;)
December 20th, 2009 at 12:45 am
#10066:
“It’s an endeavor that you would do for free, even if you weren’t getting paid, as wordsmiths and artists, purveyors of truth known to be constrained by privacy, copyright, and libel. And if you’re unwilling to starve for your art? You probably shouldn’t be here at all.”
Um, yeah, tell that to my landlord. I’m also fond of the supermarket, and toilet paper.
December 20th, 2009 at 12:43 am
#10064:
“Obviously, though, you’ve never learned to give a shit about anything or anyone except yourself…”
I’m not #10062, but that’s the best person to give a shit about.
December 18th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
As of this month, the Washington Post no longer has bureaus in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or anywhere else but DC really. I’m wondering if it matters.
December 18th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Today has been nothing but one very long, annoying demonstration of all that is wrong in the PR world. I am so sick and tired of having to hold the hands of these idiotic people who weren’t talented enough to actually go into journalism and decided to sell out to the easy PR world instead.
To them, I say:
If I am writing a brief, I do not need to talk to 6 different people at your company and endure their ridiculous, boiler-plate PR pitches.
Please do not take control of the above conference call and interrupt me as I attempt to ask questions, instead telling me that now Joe Smith will tell me all about why this project is the bestest project ever, followed by Jane Doe, will tell me how this fits into your long-term strategy.
No, I will not send you my story to review and “edit” as you deem appropriate before we go to press.
No, I won’t fly 1500 miles just to sit in on your shareholder meeting. No, I won’t send someone else in my place. No, I don’t need you to record it and get me a copy of it. No, we won’t link to a replay of it on our homepage.
Please do not read press releases on my voicemail, which specifically directs you to E-MAIL me!
Please do not act confused that I want to do a story about you when you put out a press release asking me to do so.
And to make matters worse … thanks for bombarding me this week and especially today, the last day of the last week before Christmas, with your lame PR pitches that our newspaper would never, ever report on. Yes, I know that you are probably on vacation until Jan. 4. I’m on deadline though. And yes I know you probably make more money than me. That’s my cross to bear.
And that is all I have for today.
December 18th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Pretty funny stuff: http://www.facebook.com/#/OHnewsroom
December 17th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I left my thankless, demeaning “journalism” job after five years, and I’m not finding another. I’m convinced journalism is nothing but thinly veiled PR now, and I’m going to nursing school.
My boss replaced me with some cute young girl with no real experience, but an uncle in corporate with one of the large media groups who essentially promised him favors for hiring her. She makes a dollar over minimum wage, with no benefits. She’s welcome to it.
I’m happy for the first time in half a decade. I didn’t realize how much I loathed the person I became trying to survive in journalism. I’m much, much happier feeling like I’m doing something worthwhile finally, and I don’t feel like a quitter at all.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
We ran an editorial today about how our county government should keep “studying” giving health benefits to same-sex domestic partners of county employees.
My paper doesn’t provide health benefits for same-sex domestic partners of the paper’s employees.
The only reason for running the editorial was to try to slam the county executive, who’s going to run for governor.
Our local right-wing radio ranter called us out on our hypocrisy.
We look like idiots.
December 17th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Journalist deaths hit record in 2009
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BG2K820091217
The press freedom group said the 2009 tally compared to 42 deaths in 2008 and surpassed the previous record of 67 deaths in 2007 — when violence was at its worst in Iraq, which had been the deadliest country for journalists for six years.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Used to post here alot. Then I quit my job and became a teacher. Now I’m about to begin my first holiday vacation in years. The other teachers complain alot about workload, students and whatnot.
Compared to being a reporter at one of the dying newspapers, give me cranky students any day. I appreciate you all fighting the good fight because it’s so important. I needed to get my sanity and life back though.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
2010: the year the New York Times files for bankruptcy protection.