WSJ survey: Newspaper reporter is worst job in U.S.

He probably should have said he wanted a pony, too.

This was a joint which routinely put everybody on "salary" so they could work them 70 hours a week, and promised people four weeks vacation a year knowing full well the staff was so tight nobody could ever really miss more than maybe two days in a row of work.

Companies do this shit because they think they can get away with it. And lots of times, they can.

Epilogue: Mr. News Editor solved his own particular problem a couple of months later by getting another job (that actually paid living wages).

He gave Mr. Publisher exactly 15 seconds notice: he walked into the office, threw his keys on the desk, wheeled on his heels and walked out.

Nobody in the building (in management anyway) ever saw him again.

 

It seems to me the biggest drawback to being a reporter is that in order to (try and) keep your (terribly low paying) job you have to work long hours day after day for, well, ever...as has been recounted on this site countless times by people who have to come in on their day off, or cover some tournament many miles away, etc.

Reporters work the same number of hours of many other professions...but those professions generally all come with a comma in the paycheck figure, and maybe a set of initials after the name, and a beach vacation in the summer and a ski vacation in the winter.

 

My biggest beef along those lines wasn't even doing something on your day off, but schedule vacation six months in advance, have tickets to something, reservations, etc., only to be told the week before "sorry." I don't know how many times that happened. No more.

 

The part of newspaper work that caused the most stress on my family life wasn't the pay or the long hours, it was, as has just been noted, the complete inability to plan any family activities down to the shared meals category due to the capricious scheduling that's part of the territory.

 

It's a calling. Those swim meets wont cover themselves.

 

Unless it's major breaking news (a natural disaster, a big criminal act), there's no reason for there to be a need for someone to have to cancel their vacation plans, especially when they're made 6 months in advance. It's called "proper planning" by management. If they can't manage their resources so that anyone can take off for vacation, that's on them.

Enough "Sorry, but I put in for this vacation six months ago, and unless you're going to pay me back the money I've already spent reserving this, and tell my family why your lousy advance planning means I can't go, I'm going on my trip. See ya in a week," spiels from all the workers will stop the last-second vacation cancellations.

And if the bosses pull "leave and you're fired", then tell them that you'll be letting all your co-workers know that nobody is ever allowed to take vacation time again because like you, they'll get fired if they take their vacation. Tell them they'll enjoy the shitstorm of employees streaming into their office to complain.

 

I've been in this business for almost 30 years and have never seen someone with a previously approved vacation request be told at the last minute, "Sorry . . . "

Yes, they will tell you, "Do not make any plane reservations, etc., until your request is approved." But once it's approved, that's pretty much it. You do not tell someone that the $3,000 they spent on tickets to Europe are worthless because "We need you to work next week."

Are there really people here who have let themselves be bullied by their employer like that? Who have actually had money spent for a vacation go to waste (without reimbursement) because they were not allowed to take it?

 

In light of this and a rather long and pointed thread regarding CNHI, I wonder why the industry rags don't take a critical look at that company? More furloughs than any company, a seemingly shady top level who appeared to commit some shenanigans a few years back with moneys from the Alabama state employee retirement fund. You hear crap about the Tribune Co., and Gannett, but this particular company seems to exemplify the very worst of the industry.

Yet there's little if anything ever said about it outside of this board. Why?

 

I'm guessing that the internet has pretty much wiped out peep-show theaters much like it's wiped out newspapers.

I imagine there's a joke somewhere in there about equivalencies, but I'm not about to make it.

 

I should have been a lumberjack, dammit!

 

Most workers at shit newspaper jobs never have to worry about losing vacation deposits, plane tickets, etc etc. because they don't make enough money for that shit anyway.

For a reporter in a shit newspaper job, taking a 3-day weekend, driving 100 miles and staying at a $35.00 motel is the height of luxury and adventure.

 

We had the same system -- don't buy tickets until you get the vacation approval form. It didn't work well. More than once, the approved vacation form was waiting in my mailbox when I returned from the vacation.

Having said that, I never had anyone try to yank my vacation at the last second.