D-Day Has Arrived At My Shop. Wish Me Luck.

True dat.

Too many of the suits don't care what the photo looks like, how the story reads or even if the damn headline is misspelled. Just get the damn thing out on deadline and don't dare put down any overtime.

Oh, yeah, and be sure to turn in your request for furlough days before you go home.

 

Sad day today. I was out covering a news event within walking distance of our office. I saw there a copy editor and photog, both of whom were laid off during the big purge a while back.

The copy editor, a former reporter back in the day, and the photog were covering the event from a different angle, hoping to pitch a story to a magazine or bigger paper. It was awkward; me taking photos while the photog was there. He and I sat beside each other for an entire year.

Both are great people, and good journalists. That's why they were there. But it was sad knowing they had to work so damn hard and take some chances just trying to pitch a story.

Then, on the way back to the office, I passed my old night editor (also laid off) in a crosswalk. There was an awkward hello as we kept walking in opposite directions.

Just a sad, strange day.

 

This is the life of a freelancer. You do all that, and maybe, hopefully, someone will be interested and say that, yes, they want you to do the story. (But most of the time, they say no...or that, yes, it's a good idea, but no thanks, if we want it done, we'll have a staffer do it).

It is also why you want to keep your job, almost no matter what, if you want to stay in the business.