When part timers go bad

We had a PT guy once who, on his first story, came back to the office and didn't remember the final score of a football game. Turned out to be 3-0. Also turned out to be his only chance with us.

 

To answer a few at a time:
@TSP It was shown with permission to showcase the headaches my buddy dealt with. Obviously, this version didn't make the paper...just my inbox

@TXscribe Yes, I concur...it's soccer...and even worse, chick soccer...even worse...chick HIGH SCHOOL soccer

@WT & Write then drink: The SE, my buddy, was my PTer before he got this job. He is pretty good and tried numerous times to help this guy along. I think he "hoped" he could mold the guy to be better, but alas, no.

@pseudo No, no hiring. In fact, his paper got bought out and he may be out of a job soon

 

Agreed, it seems sort of mean. The buddy who allowed this to be posted probably wasn't interested in paying a full-time writer with more experience and talent....and then he complains that the work was lousy?

 

Even worse - Rollie hasn't shaved the 'stache.....yet still fits right in with the rest of the team. ;D

 

Yes, because SEs have the authority to hire full-timers or part-timers...he has no control on that. Man, if you do, keep your job and hire as many FTers as you can. Hell, I'll go work for you.
He's a one man staff, he takes any help he can get. But you have to admit, after hiring someone in Sept and they are still putting this crap out in March? Come on..that's not right. If the guy was willing to learn, fine...but he wasn't. He thought he was perfect. That's why it's funny...and sad.

 

Surely it's no worse than this offering from a source that allegedly knows how to write:

Also note the lack of hyphenization for "fifth inning grand slam" and "seventh inning runs."

 

Bad, but I've seen worse.

 

OMG, this was fifth-grade bad.

Where's the fucking final score!? Certainly not in the lede, where it should be.

Pet peeve: Writers who constantly write, "... Team B would go on to ..." WTF?

This guy should have been bitch-slapped just for talking shit to the editor.

 

The ONLY thing this story has going for it are some decent quotes.

Others have noticed that the final score is missing in the lede; also missing is where the match was played, any kind of context (league game, playoffs, friendly?), and the how and why Team A won. The play-by-play aspect of the story body are boring.

Also loses points for arguing w/ the editor. I've been in this game for 25 years, and I still don't think I'm so good that I can't take a little advice from an editor.

 

That's a point worth mentioning. Bring me the final score and some decent quotes and I can work with the rest.

 

I think the worst thing the writer did, all in all, was to refuse to take the constructive criticism. That is enough to warrant dismissal.

 

I worked at a 50k shop while I was in college. My SE had to fire one of the PTs because he was viewing porn on a work computer while he was supposed to be doing the agate. This guy who was fired was a complete tool and he got what he deserved. The pathetic thing about this was the firing took place less than a year ago.