Cursing in the newsroom

[Angola!]

Funny this should come up now.
In my newsroom, not only is cursing not OK, any sort of loudness is not allowed.
Last week, all four of the sports people were told by the EIC that we had gotten so out of hand that some of the news reporters wouldn't come into the office at night on our account. I guess they complained it was a little too distracting. We were all threatened with being suspended for a day without pay if there were any further problems.

Since when are the forking news reporters in the gosh darn newsroom at night?

At our paper, election night. And they act like it's some big forking sacrifice. Then they complain when sports people start eating the pizza brought in to atone for this huge inconvenience.

Nothing cracks me up more than news reporters (not all, just some) who have never had to write a story on deadline at night and to watch them freak out.
Plus, this thread may be my favorite thread ever. Great stories.

 

[PhilaYank36]

I am the mutant offspring of a drunken sailor and a truck-driver with a nasty case of road-rage, you motherforkin' pieces of shirt-eatin' tools. fork all y'all.

 

[buckweaver]

Once upon a time, they were setting up a Web cam in our newsroom, to rotate around the room and show, umm, streaming video of a "newsroom in action" on our Web site. Whatever that means.

They had the idea of using audio with it ... except they made the mistake of placing the camera right next to sports.

After a week, the camera was moved to the other side of the newsroom, practically about a mile away. Then they scrapped the idea altogether. One of my proudest forking accomplishments.

 

[Willie-Butch]

Web cam in the newsroom? Nice.

Nothing puts that eat-my-ass smirk on my face more than watching news reporters squirm on deadline twice a year when they're actually in the office at night. To hear their non-stop bitching about it, though, makes me want to puke.

(Note: I've only worked at small and mid-sized papers; I'm sure the news reporters at bigger papers actually work deadline regularly.)

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I used to work for a guy who addressed people as, "Hey, shirthead."

 

[Platyrhynchos]

Friday I dropped the G-D word (which I never do) because one guy called in the morning and said his daughter was sick so he couldn't cover this event he was scheduled to cover. I said I'd do it. Had to cancel my plans for Friday night. Then he came in at 2 p.m. and said his daughter was all better and would be able to cover the event.
I was so pissed I had to leave the office for a while. But, I kept my tongue in check.

 

[expendable]

Friday I dropped the G-D word (which I never do) because one guy called in the morning and said his daughter was sick so he couldn't cover this event he was scheduled to cover. I said I'd do it. Had to cancel my plans for Friday night. Then he came in at 2 p.m. and said his daughter was all better and would be able to cover the event.
I was so pissed I had to leave the office for a while. But, I kept my tongue in check.

And you did correctly to keep the tongue in cheek. He could've blown off the whole night, but thought enough to come on in.

I have to watch where I cuss, but I reserve the right to pollute the air with four letter words at my desk. Funny though, that when I got a new(er) computer a few months back, my need to cuss was cut drastically.

 

[Comma Chameleon]

We've got some real talent on this board. I'll bet someone could write some killer lyrics to "Cursing in the newsroom," sung to the tune of "Smokin' in the boys' room."

 

[slappy4428]

I used to work for a guy who addressed people as, "Hey, shirthead."

I did not.

 

[imjustagirl2]

Our sports desk is loud, crude and pretty insulting. While we all know it's all done in good humor, some of us (ahem) have voices that carry more than others. Occasionally, we get an e-mail from the boss saying "Tone it down. I know it's loosey goosey back here, but we do have to respect others." And we try...but heat of the moment, things get said. And he knows that.

 

[Comma Chameleon]

There are times when it's absolutely necessary to ask people to quiet down. But, overall, if you can't work in a loud newsroom, you can't work in a newsroom.

Agreed ... mostly. I can handle the noise of productivity, people doing their jobs. It turns into a kind of white noise I can ignore. But when people talk for 45 minutes, loudly, about their fantasy team and where they had dinner, and why it sucks to be them, meanwhile I'm trying to write two stories on deadline, it's a whole other ballgame.

 

[wedgewood]

I applied for a job in Tweedlefork, Va. a few years back and during the interview, the EE made it very clear profanity was not allowed in the workplace. Guess that parallel universe y'all were talking about earlier does exist.