Comments on: Why are you angry today?

By: anonymous

anonymous — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:33:52 +0000

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.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:29:38 +0000

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?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:13:57 +0000

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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:11:19 +0000

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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:55:11 +0000

#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. ;)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:45:21 +0000

#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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:43:14 +0000

#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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:31:43 +0000

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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:11:07 +0000

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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:17:14 +0000

Pretty funny stuff: http://www.facebook.com/#/OHnewsroom