So, I went on the server at work today to look in the archives. I needed an old story of mine, so I typed in my initials to bring up my work. Well, it also brought up what seems to be a letter about me from one editor to the other editors. In this letter, she is saying some nasty things about me. She's accusing me of doing certain things that I did, in fact, do, but only because she told me to do them. She's my boss; I generally do what she tells me. It's a very mean letter. And it was posted on the server. It was not e-mailed to the other editors. It was posted on the server where anyone one of my coworkers could read it. All they had to do was go in and search for any of my old stories. (We have to go look up other reporter's old stories frequently.)
There is clearly a communication gap here because she cites several things where I was trying to clarify something with her. I basically cover two beats for two different papers, although they are "sister papers." I am the only reporter who does this. I am the first reporter they have ever had do this. And I have a ton of bosses from both papers, all of whom want something different from me at the same time. They also tell me to do things, and then the boss in the other office is upset that I did whatever it was the boss in my home office told me to do. But, when I try to call and clarify what's going on, apparently that's a problem. Me trying to understand what they want from me is a problem.
I'm just trying to do my job, but they make it as difficult as possible. It's hard to follow 10 different sets of rules, and they seem oblivious to that. I guess I just can't do two people's jobs well enough for them. But, believe me, I have tried, and I have beat myself up over it. And it shows. I know it shows in my attitude. I've tried to hide it, but they have done so many weird things that I have become frustrated and I no longer trust their judgment. Recently, there was a story they wanted me to write, and I thought the angle they wanted was unethical. They tried to convince me it was perfectly ethical, but I didn't budge. Finally, they consulted the publisher, and she sided with me. Everything she said to them regarding the angle of that story was exactly the same as what I had said. It was just plain unethical, making assumptions, creating a link where there wasn't one. (I had nothing to do with them speaking to the publisher. They chose that route on their own.)
And now, a week and a half later, this letter from one of the editors who was told by the publisher that one of her lowly little reporters had better sense about a story than she did.
I have tomorrow off, but I'm calling the managing editor and the publisher. We're having a meeting Thursday, and I suspect I may come out of it jobless. I'll spend tomorrow sending out resumes.
My Trusted MOGs
Yuck, sounds like an awful work situation. Matrix management is one of the blights of corporate culture now. A job's a job, sure, but when it eats at your insides like that, it's time to move on. You're better off out of that environment.
My Trusted MOGs
That's horrible. My mom is a reporter and she has to put up with this kind of backstabbing, petty shit all the time. She even went freelance because of it but dealing with editors and publishers is the worst part of the job, she says, they have huge, easily punctured egos. I wish the best for you.
My Trusted MOGs
nightowl13 got to use "horrible" before I did, so I'll just say unbelievable. I've seen editors pull some pretty nasty shit before, but that's off the shit-dar.
Get out of there, girl.
My Trusted MOGs
I have been fired before and, while it's hard to accept the blow to your ego at the time, you will look back and say it was the best thing that could have happened. You are obviously really unhappy there and need to GET OUT. Of course, you are are now facing the #2 item on the suck parade: looking for a new job. Stay strong and know that you should be in a better place in a few weeks.
My Trusted MOGs
You need to tell your publisher exactly what you've told us. You've already presumably got her trust to a degree after the story incident. When you speak with her, bring a copy if you can of the letter that your editor posted. This should not happen in any workplace. One word of advice, though: If you go in to her with the this-is-unfair-to-me angle, you probably won't get far. More effective will be the this-is-the-kind-of-management-problem-that-is-hurting-the-newspaper angle. In other words, put yourself in her position as a manager. She probably wants to be fair, but those concerns will undoubtedly take a back seat, in her thinking, to issues affecting the business she runs. You've got to make it clear to her, in a calm and lucid way, that it is in her interest to help you.
My Trusted MOGs
Holy potatoes, kid. You need to get the fuck out of there. I can't imagine stuff like that happening at ANY of the many papers I've worked or interned at. That place is insane in the membrane. And I don't see how you could lose your job for pointing this stuff out. You could sue if they fired you for that. Not that you would want (or do want) to stay there anyway. You deserve better than taking piss from some editor who'll never make it out of the minor leagues.