Missing It

I had a medical situation a couple years ago. I went in to explain it to my boss, and he said he didn't want to hear the details. Said that was the corporate position now, that the less they know the better. Just let them know if you need time off so they can fill the shifts.

That really brought it home to me: We are not people to management anymore. At all.
That attitude soon trickles down everywhere, and now nobody really cares about anyone else.

 

Exactly! Your post speaks volumes as to how disgusting a profession we are in!

 

Maybe it was in the delivery, but legally, they're not supposed to pry. It's a HIPPA thing, and that is not remotely limited to journalism. You basically cannot be questioned if you say you're taking off for medical reasons, and no speculation is allowed.

Where I work -- far from journalism -- it gets people upset because someone will be absent a few days and if anyone knows why they have to whisper it or it's some kind of confidentiality issue. It's worse if a boss knows because that's viewed as having an impact on whether the person is granted leave or not. Any questions related to "how are you doing" are seen as passing judgment on granting you leave.

 

Thanks KJIM. Was thinking the same. They can show some compassion but they can't discuss any medical issues. And as you know, in any newsroom, if one person gets that info, the entire newsroom will know before long.

 

The matrix of lies that exists at the top of the newspaper chain is as bad as any. Maybe worse, since they lie to those who labor for an industry in hospice care.

 

Good point, and it makes sense in retrospect. Thanks for that.

 

A lot of good stuff here. It's so sad what's happened to our business, and what's happening to us.

Like I said on Page 1, some days I miss my old job. I enjoy what I do now, but I have this empty feeling when I think about my previous life in newspapers. I guess it's like missing an old girlfriend you knew was bad news, but you missed anyway.

 

This.

 

Exactly the point I've made for a long time, especially for copy editors. If there's a PR opening, the company will hire someone with PR experience (and PR is an easier sell for a reporter who applies than a copy editor anyway). If there's an opening for a digital editor in a different industry, they want people who have on-the-job experience with Facebook, Twitter and video editing (which many of us on sports desks haven't worked with, although we're usually willing to be trained). If a magazine publisher is looking for a copy editor, it will hire someone with magazine experience. You really have to hold out hope that there's a hiring manager who thinks a bit unconventionally -- and it seems there aren't too many of those.

 

So are they going to hire another writer? What does the SE say?

If not, or if it's unclear, I think you should at least look around and see what opportunities are out there.

I am pretty sure that a healthy work-life balance is not the main thing most newspapers are stressing for their content providers these days. Or any days in the near future.

It's much easier to make a transition to a new career (where you might even need to take a pay cut to start out or go back to school for a bit) if you don't have a wife and kids yet.

 

Agree. I'd be mad if they said they didn't want to hear it and if I took too many days off I'd be fired. But if they will give you the time you need, that's great.

If someone wanted to tell me what's going on with them, I would listen but would tell them they don't have to share if they don't want.

I would never ask them to explain their medical issue so I could determine whether they deserved the time or not, though.

 

I'll admit I got lucky in that respect. I was just cold applying to a bunch of places online and my resume ended up on the desk of an editorial manager for an in-house marketing team that happened to have also started in newspapers. He knew that my job skills would not only fit in marketing, but would actually elevate what his team was capable of doing.

I've been able rifle through resumes and interview people for positions in the last few years, and I've always tried to keep an eye out for former/current newspaper people. Perhaps I'm biased, but if I see someone who has survived a few years in the industry, I can be pretty sure they can handle what I do daily. I remember when I first started doing marketing writing, I was shocked at how easy it was. "You mean I get two weeks to write this? But it's only like 500 words! I wrote that in 15 minutes in my car while borrowing McDonald's wifi."