Lynn Hoppes: Keep your passion alive

This column had 18 uses of the word "I" relating to Hoppes. If I were his editor, I'd kick that back for an ego-deflation rewrite.

 

Your two-sentence post had two "I" uses related to you.

 

Not really sure what gets accomplished by badmouthing a dead guy, but whatever. Stay classy.

 

IJAG: ;D

 

:-*

 

it's a gag, hoppes.

 

Really, if APSE wants to be of service in these awful times and wants to do something more than just talk about how terrible it is, they should form a committee to explore ways to help the displaced and then quickly DO IT. Get volunteers to critique resumes. Interview experts in other fields about how journalists can best market themselves when looking for jobs in PR, corporate communications, book publishing, etc. Advice from editors who've been there and mental-health professionals about how to deal with the anger and frustration. Advice to the remaining workers about how to cope with that nagging feeling that this isn't done yet. Maybe a hotline for people to call when they are at their wit's end. APSE has a rare opportunity to show that it's about more than self-aggrandizement. More action, less talk ... if they actually give a shit.

 

Fantastic post, Frank.

 

You mean that might help more than another pep talk about how, hey, this guy got fucked, but he's still going to stick with it! Because he has "passion"!

 

A nice fantasy, Frank. But impossible.

It's much easier for APSE to continue to hold contests which have less meaning as time goes by, acting like everything is as it was when the business was healthy. It's easier to just have the current officers write diatribes about what a wonderful calling this is.

Actually beginning an effort to help the increasing number of displaced journalists rebuild their lives and feed their families, well, that's a challenge.

 

Even before the huge downturn of the last couple of years, Orlando was very weak in retaining or developing its talented desk people.

 

Well said. Piotr and Frank.

After all, there are more than enough SE's to go around who display the same laziness and path-of-least-resistance mentality they allegedly decry in their staff.

The Chris Simmons', Kevin Whaleys,' Dan Dinsmores' and yes, Mike Harris' are conspicuous by their absence in this description.

And JoeW? Dead-on nails as usual.