I got into a yelling match tonight, am I wrong?

If you really want to take a high-and-mighty ethical stance on this, GVLakerGuy, you would not enter the contest at all because the letter would be written under false pretenses that don't match your ethical standards. That's pretty much the end of it.

Cut off your nose to spite your face -- who cares but you? Either you might win an award in a way that's not exactly kosher to you, or you don't win an award at all. Your choice. All I can tell you is that a lot of editors take the same shortcuts when it comes to this stuff. I've been asked many times to submit a list of my best work. You know why? Because the editor didn't have time. Beyond that, you're going to win an award (or not) based on the work itself, not the letter.

Getting into an argument with the editor was high-handed and stupid. For one thing, he asked you to write the letter about your own work. It's not as if he asked you to write the letter for his award submission. It's not as if he told you to make up stuff about the story or the work you did. It sounds as if he was trying to help you out. This isn't really even an ethical debate.

 

I track it to the '80s, when computers replaced typewriters. that began the end of newsrooms as we knew them. there used to be a sound, a buzz, an excitement and energy to a newsroom. now, they're like libraries. it's not a change for the better, imo.

i used to go out of my way to work in the office as a reporter. would gravitate there in the off-season. now? reporters hide if they can.

the modern-day editors are waaaaay more corporate in their approach, much preferring suckups to ANYONE who might challenge them.

p.s. -- that said, as for this thread topic, yeah, you were wrong. this wasn't an issue for harkening back to the good old days of newsrooms. you were wrong.

 

Had a city editor at a PM paper who complained that having the news on in the morning was too distracting. Who cared about missing something on the newscast that maybe we should be getting in the paper?

 

OK, first of all, amen to F_B on this modern sanctity of the newsroom. Some of my fondest memories in the business were shouting matches -- and drinking a beer with the guy 20 minutes later.

This is one reason I'm sometimes glad I'm no longer in the modern newsroom. Of course, we don't shout at each other in here, either.

As for all the ethicists here, no, there's nothing wrong with GV writing the damn letter, and the news editor reading it, agreeing with its sentiment and signing it. Sheesh.

So I think it was the wrong battle to pick, but it's also not a huge deal that it happened.

 

Give me a half-dozen smarmy suckups and sycophants and I'll rule the world.

 

You're right, and I'm wrong. You're smart, and I'm an idiot. You're good looking, and I'm not attractive. Was that enough? Or does it take some serious ass-kissing to work at the Plain Dealer?

 

I don't know what it takes to work at the Plain Dealer -- OTHERWISE I'D WORK THERE. Duh!

The ass kissing was good, but no need to belittle yourself. It's leaving you less time to compliment me.

 

Right on point again, Ace. God bless you.

 

This thread is not ending well at all.

 

I second that. If he/she is a news editor and you're in sports he/she has no power of you. And if he/she thinks they do they're wrong. It's not your fault he/she is lazy and put writing your letter off to the last second. Too bad for them. They don't want that responsibility get out of the position and I don't want to hear he/she has had to pick up slack without an ME. Being shorthanded is commonplace in this business. I'm not saying you should have gotten into a screaming match (it doesn't exactly say if you did or didnt'), but you were totally within your bounds to stick up for you think is right or in this case what is not right.

Bravo sir, bravo!

 

Not getting into anything else you said, boy, is that naive.