“I need to find the joy and excitement I once experienced as a journalist,” an editor told me in a recent comment on my blog. “I just don’t feel it right now. I pray it will return.”
This editor, Emily Olson, managing editor of the Register Citizen in Torrington, Conn., is not one of the curmudgeons I addressed recently, resisting change in newsrooms. She is leading change in her newsroom. She was described by her publisher at the time (and now her group editor), Matt DeRienzo as an “unsung hero” of the Journal Register Co. turnaround. In the video below, Emily discusses the Register Citizen’s Newsroom Café , recognized by the Associated Press Media Editors as Innovator of the Year for 2011.
So why and how has someone who shared in the innovation of the year lost her joy and excitement for journalism? And how can she regain it? Let’s start by reading Emily’s comment:
It’s been more than 15 years since I decided to leave my job delivering flowers and planting trees at a nursery, go back to school and become a newspaper reporter. Since then (1997) I have built a career as a writer and editor and watched the world change and move under my feet – first with digital cameras and jpgs, which replaced film and contact sheets, then digital layout, web postings once a week, and in the last three years have observed and taken part in – to some extent – the skyrocketing changes that our industry has embraced. I have a title that has the word “managing” and “editor” in it, but they don’t go hand in hand right now because in spite of the massive changes and rolling waves that crash on our desks, we still have to read email, copy and paste, process in photoshop, built unending queues of pages and try, in the midst of it all, to become a ninja.
Well, I pray that my bosses over the years are doing OK. Most of them have moved on, some of them stayed behind, and some of them, like me, are trying to keep up. Am I a curmudgeon? Probably, and that’s pretty sad, to be labeled as such, but I also believe that what I am doing is often so contrary to what is happening around me that I feel like giving up.
Saying “don’t let your bosses” do anything to slow you down from reaching your goals is so, so easy to say when you’re on top. What happens when you’re constantly reminded that you’re never doing enough, and you can’t seem to get out of your own way? What happens when you are saddled with people who simply refuse to budge?
Mr. Buttry, I’m not asking for answers. Your thoughtful blog, which I just read, was inspiring, and it does remind me that I need to find the joy and excitement I once experienced as a journalist. I just don’t feel it right now. I pray it will return. I want to be better, and I want to excel in my company. I was once told I was the glue that held the newsroom together. I sometimes wonder what will happen when I get so watered down that I can’t do it anymore.
Want to know what the best part of my day was today? Editing a story for one of my staff members. It was a fleeting moment of normalcy in an otherwise grinding experience in my newsroom.
And before you respond, DON’T tell me I should leave if I don’t like what’s happening; I never said that. I just wonder where I fit in all of this – and why nobody seems to be able to give me a real answer to that question.
First things first, Emily: You’re not a curmudgeon. A curmudgeon is someone who resists change, glamorizing a past that he or she probably whined about then, too. We have a different word for hard-working people who sometimes feel overwhelmed and confused by change: human. Thanks for your candor and thanks for asking for help. That’s an important step and I want to help.
I will address this on two levels: Advice for Emily (and other journalists who I know are struggling with the same issues) and advice for newsroom leaders and news company executives:
Advice for Emily
You sound too stressed and busy to read a long blog post attempting to inspire you to be happier. The post you commented on was my attempt at that. And I already provided some thoughts on rejuvenating a career. Today I’ll try to provide a few brief, practical tips:
- Schedule enjoyment. Fence off an hour a day (a half-hour, if that’s all you can manage) for a work task that you enjoy and work on it uninterrupted (away from your desk is a good idea). Don’t check email, Facebook or tweets. Don’t answer the
funphone. Edit a story that will be the highlight of this day. The grind will be there when the hour is done. It’s sometimes easier to do this earlier in a day rather than later. - Stop doing something. Examine your daunting workload and identify something you should stop doing. Maybe you do it because the managing editor has always done it, but 20 new duties have been added to the ME’s job since this one was added and it’s not as important as it was then. Tell (don’t ask) your boss that you’re going to stop doing it. (Or maybe you’ll do it less or assign it to someone else or meet the need in a different way.) And then stop doing something else. And something else. We’ve added too many tasks to our workday without taking any away. Take the initiative to change your workload. Your stated goal isn’t to protect your sanity and restore your joy and excitement. The goal is to do the new things better (but you’ll help with those other goals, too). If you go too far, the boss will let you know. But if he’s smart, he’ll follow your example and revise his workload.
- Work on mastering new skills. I’m sure that Digital Ninja School feels like one more thing to deal with when you can’t handle your current load. But learning new skills is important on multiple levels. Competence builds confidence and together competence and confidence can guide and embolden you in reshaping your workload and your workday. As you master new skills, you can perform them faster and you can use them in performing or replacing old tasks, so they can streamline or invigorate your work. And learning is fun. Learning skills and tools like blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Storify, liveblogging and Pinterest has changed my workload and made my work more fun.
- Do something fun at work. Even if it’s an effort, force yourself to have some fun with colleagues. Maybe it’s a birthday cake (or drink after work) for a colleague. Maybe it’s a celebration of an achievement (doesn’t have to be big). Maybe it’s sharing something funny with colleagues. Make an effort to have fun and work will start to be more fun (for your colleagues, too).
- Sprinkle some fun in your chores. I know you’re not a big Twitter user. That’s probably one of those new chores that add to the rolling waves that crash on your desk. You do need to master Twitter use for journalism, but sprinkle a few fun tweeps in with the batch you follow: @FakeAPStylebook, @geneweingarten, @OHnewsroom, @johnemcintyre, @DFnewscat and @badbanana are fun. I’m not the only person who thinks my wife, Mimi Johnson, shows some good humor in her tweets.
- Treat yourself now and then. Make sure you’re having fun and/or releasing tension outside of work. What helps you relax or have fun? A funny, dramatic or romantic movie? A canoe trip? A drive in the country? A massage? Some enjoyment outside of work makes the grind more tolerable.
Advice for newsroom leaders and news execs
We need journalists like Emily to enjoy their jobs, or we won’t succeed at transforming our newsrooms. Here are some suggestions for bosses of Emily and other similarly stressed middle managers:
- Listen. Sometimes it just helps for middle managers to vent occasionally. The topics of venting may be things outside your control and all you can do is listen and sympathize. But both of those help. Listening also helps you identify little ways you can help and major crises you need to deal with (perhaps in time to head them off). And when the boss listens, the middle manager feels more like hanging in there and trying again.
- Praise. One of the most important things a leader can do is praise middle managers (who generally have thankless jobs). Praise must be specific to be effective; a half-hearted “nice job” doesn’t count and may even be counterproductive. This is most important in times of change and times of heavy demand. When you demand new tasks and new skills of managers (and other staff members), let them know how they are doing. You need to give feedback that identifies where they still need to improve. Praise is the most valuable, least costly, most useful, most underused management tool. It’s absolutely essential in great economic times when you can dish out great pay raises and occasional bonuses. It’s twice as essential in tough economic times, especially when expectations are changing. Praise tells middle managers that their efforts to change are working and that their long hours are appreciated. Praise tells middle managers what you value. Emily said she was “constantly reminded” she’s not doing enough. She needs to know when she’s doing enough and well enough. If you’re one of those managers who don’t praise people “just for doing their jobs,” those people start to dislike doing their jobs for you. I did the research on this a few years ago: Managers who praise their staffs are more likely to inspire their staffs.
- Decide what to stop doing. Executives need to stop piling more work on middle managers. We have to tell them what to stop doing (or, better yet, ask them to help us figure out what to stop doing). When we simply add to duties, their work doesn’t please us and doesn’t please them, and we get the frustration Emily expressed. We can’t just keep piling on new stuff. That just results in Emily’s feeling that she’s not doing enough. We need to say what old stuff they can stop doing, show them how to use new tools to do the old chores we need to keep doing and identify places where lower standards and less work are acceptable.
- Help with those immovable objects. Those people “who simply refuse to budge” are a challenge that top managers need to address with the middle managers. We need to make expectations clear (again, including what people should stop doing). We need to provide the tools and training that staff members need to meet expectations. If people are making slow progress, we need to support Emily and other middle managers in bringing them along. But if they are refusing to budge, we need to make the tough decisions and move them into other jobs or let them know that they need to find a new newsroom or a new career.
What advice would you add for Emily or her bosses?
This blog post was inspired by a comment on a blog post that was inspired by a comment on a blog post. Have I developed a new model for blogging?
Update: Dan Conover, one of the most insightful commentators on the news business and journalism, adds six more pieces of advice for news executives and newsroom leaders in his Xark! blog. It’s great advice: Stand for something; fire all the assholes you promoted; cut back your production schedule … If you found this helpful, I recommend that you read Dan’s piece. I also encourage you to read the thoughtful comments below. Also, here’s some of the reaction on Twitter:
@stevebuttry If we could implement today’s blog across all industries, we would triple productivity and halve mental-health care costs.
— Mark Loundy (@MarkLoundy) April 26, 2012
For all you old fogies who have real journalism experience and need to liven things up a bit: wp.me/poqp6-24K via @stevebuttry
— Brandon Goodwin (@bgoodwin0922) April 26, 2012
Advice for another Emily (much needed by this one!): How to recapture joy, excitement of journalism. wp.me/poqp6-24K via @stevebuttry
— Emily Miller (@mcemilywrites) April 26, 2012
Every newsroom has an Emily, so read this: RT @stevebuttry: How to recapture joy & excitement of #journalism. awe.sm/5lasS
— Kathy Lu (@kathyluwho) April 26, 2012
@stevebuttry All good tips and many are in place here. The one that helped me the most was eliminating a useless daily duty.
— Madison Taylor (@tnmadisontaylor) April 26, 2012
Good for any journo not just editors. MT @stevebuttry: how to recapture the joy & excitement of journalism wp.me/poqp6-24K
— Bessie Kingof (@Bessiejking) April 26, 2012
Thanks @stevebuttry for some great tips for editors who get bogged down in the daily grind. ow.ly/ax0QA
— Robyn Tomlin (@robyntomlin) April 26, 2012
Just shared via email to cohorts. Good stuff. MT @stevebuttry How to recapture joy & excitement of journalism? wp.me/poqp6-24K
— Jim Santori (@JPSantori) April 26, 2012
Listen to Emily Olson in the video below, so you get an understanding of the urgency of helping journalists like her recapture the joy and excitement of journalism.
Nice writing job Emily, very insightful and I think reflective of what many throughout the company are feeling! Grateful you had the courage to put it out there!
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Thanks Pam.
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As a friend and former colleague of Emily’s I can say that, despite how she feels, Emily has always had a great attitude, both toward change and toward doing unwanted, ditch-digging tasks. As a former boss of Emily’s I can say that she is one of the hardest working people this company is lucky enough to employ. She deserves a raise. And flowers.
Steve, I think your advice to her is great, and this topic is one of the most important you have ever covered. They talk about underwater mortgages — they don’t talk about underwater journalism, which is the type of journalism many in the industry seem to practice.
I used to say that The Register Citizen should be called “The Sisyphus Daily.” And don’t steal that. It’s copyrighted.
But Emily’s attitude always tended to transcend those concerns — she managed to work as hard as the workload required, even as the workload continued to pile higher and higher. And laugh and smile, too. Glue? Forget glue, Emily was the grease in the wheels, the keystone, the metaphor of your choice that signifies primary importance.
I would only add one item to your list, Steve — Take a walk. If the kettle is getting too hot and deadlines (plural) are looming take 5 minutes and walk around the block. Get distance, get a tiny bit of exercise, and come back to your desk to meed those deadlines with a refreshed mind.
Thanks, Steve, for covering this item. And thanks, Emily, for your candor. I miss working with you.
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Thanks Jordan, very much. Still hoping to get down there and have lunch soon. I miss you too!
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Emily, Just in case nobody’s told you lately: You rock.
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I think Emily is being too hard on herself. My guess is that she’s passionate about her job and it’s that passion that leads to her disappointment. She expects so much of herself that she feels down when she isn’t able to meet her own expectations, worse when she isn’t able to meet the expectations of her supervisors.
Emily, we are all trying to figure this out together. I applaud your candor. I’m sure that there are a lot of people out there who feel the way you do but don’t have the guts to say it. Steve’s right; you’re human. We’re all human. And we do the best we can in the time that we have.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I think of Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird.” There are so many good quotes in this book. But this one applies here: “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”
Whenever I run, I try not to think of the total miles, but take it one mile at a time. If I think of the total miles, I wouldn’t be able to put one foot in front of the other. It exhausts me just thinking about it!
Likewise, I think we feel overwhelmed when we look at the digital forest. But don’t look at the forest, look at the single trees that make up the forest. Twitter is one of them. Pinterest another. And so is Storify. Don’t feel like you have to learn everything all at once. Choose one thing a week and soon you’ll have a forest of trees.
And when you do fail, and believe me I have failed over and over, pick yourself up and try again. I could say so much more, but seconds are chasing minutes and I have to move on. But here’s a column I wrote some time ago about failing. Maybe it will help. http://buffyswritezone.blogspot.com/2009/08/we-learn-from-our-failures.html
Hang in there. You’re part of this brave new world in journalism. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s damn tough. But when it gets tough, remember your successes, those small steps you’re taking in this digital marathon that we are running in together. You are not alone. We are running beside you. And when you fall, we’ll pull you up. And when you stumble, we’re there to help. And when you reach the end, we’ll be there cheering you on.
Best, Buffy
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Kind of like one day at a time. My mantra, along with “easy does it.” thanks Buffy.
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This is a classic in journalism management. Heck, it’s a classic in management, period.
Nice work, Steve.
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Fortunately for Emily, she works with me. And the constant reminder that the Nyan Cat is a member of our newsroom. But I digress…
I can’t add any input that journalists with years of experience can toss her way — or Steve’s — but I can say that although she might not know it, Emily is a tremendous asset to the Register day after day. Her mentoring of a young journalist has gone a long way; I’ve learned exponentially from her.
It does, however, pain me to see the grueling expectations plopped on her lap that probably aren’t tasks she wanted to handle in this industry. There’s no doubt that the workload (for any of us) is where it should be; it’s much, much more. There’s no doubt this industry is sputtering at an agonizing rate, while the “higher-ups” constantly milk every employee for his or her “worth.” And there’s also no doubt that people like Emily got into the journalistic business with specific intentions that have since been beaten down by the corporate media machine, asking for silly additional routines to be added (I, for one, completely agree that the Digital Ninja School is a sea of missteps. But hey, if you don’t drink the Kool-Aid, you’ll get scrutinized — or worse). Sounds like, as Loundy stated above, “it’s classic in management, period.”
Remind me never to get into management.
Bryan Adams once sang, “There ain’t no use in complainin’ when ya got a job to do…” And the Nyan Cat says, “Nyan nyan nyan nyan nyannyannyannyan.”
Ricky Campbell says: Emily, I don’t have any words of advice for you. I’m too young and dumb and full of hope. But you’ve contributed to my short career and I appreciate every moment of it. Keep up the good, albeit daunting and tiresome, work — It’s greatly appreciated.
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I hate to tell you this, Ricky, but you will probably become “one of us” on some level some day – and you’ll be GREAT!
nyan nyan nyan … you get the idea.
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Reblogged this on deborahpetersen and commented:
I am posting this because I see too many talented people leaving newspapers.
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Wow Emily. Thanks for sharing. Steve, thanks for sharing too.
This hits home. Literally.
During my 16 years of marriage, both my husband and I have not only worked at newspapers, but worked at the same papers together, both in Connecticut and California. We love journalism. This week my husband made the difficult decision to resign and take a new position. He will still be a journalist, but not at a newspaper. For the first time in our marriage, we will not be carpool pals. And more importantly, we will not be working together to save the profession we love. Even though he is my husband, I knew him first as a journalist, and I can tell you that this is a big loss for our newspapers and digital products.
I won’t try to speak for him, but speaking for myself, I can say that for me, the hardest part is working in an industry that is shrinking. I am not nostalgic for the past. I oversee our iPad App and Social Media efforts, and see the digital world as the logical place for doing great journalism. However, in the five years I have been on the staff here, there has been zero growth, just a decline in resources.
How do I cope? For me, the happiest times are when I am playing with new social media tools and teaching journalists (just as they are teaching me). Last week, Mandy Jenkins and I had the opportunity to conduct Social Media training sessions in Vacaville and Chico. The journalists there soaked in the six hours of training: asking questions, challenging ideas, and having a good time. They put the tools to work before we left the building. And, the next day, sitting in my office, I must say that joy is what I felt when they tweeted me their Storify projects. At that moment, I was pretty darn proud of them and pretty darn proud to be journalist.
Hang in there.
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I teared up when I read this: “I need to find the joy and excitement I once experienced as a journalist. I just don’t feel it right now. I pray it will return. I want to be better, and I want to excel in my company. I was once told I was the glue that held the newsroom together. I sometimes wonder what will happen when I get so watered down that I can’t do it anymore.”
I have walked out of a job when I found the working conditions intolerable. That was once. Otherwise, i have been fortunate in journalism — the job is still fun.
I try to do what is fun most of the day. That’s the editing part. I have had to cut back on ancillary stuff as the duties piled on, but so far I think my contributions still move the needle a bit.
Steve’s advice is useful, as is (mostly) Dan Conover’s, though Conover is harsher on the dinosaurs than I would be.
To me, the core is: What about the job is the most fun? Focus on that. And yes — tell your boss when the piled-on stuff diverts you from that. But you might have to come up with a solution that solves your and the boss’s problem with the stuff you find you can’t do.
You know what makes you happy. Try to do more of that.
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It’s great that you are able to do what’s fun for most of the day! Good for you and thank you.
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Emily, all middle managers everywhere feel your pain.
Sometimes, when you’ve fought for weeks, months, years to push the immovable objects into the direction of success we are all trying to travel together, and they simply don’t budge, your hands go up in the air and you feel deflated.
What I’ve realized though, and I hope this continues, is that the feeling doesn’t last. It happens in cycles, and while I wish I could end it once in for all, until the immovable objects are decimated for good we’ll forever be going around them, pausing to catch our breath in a fit of rage. Feeling like we have given up. But somehow, just like in a race, we gather up the strength again to start pushing.
I can only hope, like all the middle managers out there, that someday we actually move them – if even just an inch. (Or perhaps I wish that someone would move them for us – realizing that we can only push so much. These days they cannot be worked around anymore.) Those moments are probably when we start to gather strength to start moving them again when the next task is thrown are way and we think that we are starting anew.
I’ve been in the same funk as you, but I keep telling myself it will pass. I work on ‘other’ projects that I know I can get accomplished. I shut out the newsroom and concentrate on clearing off a pile on my desk for me.
Take some time for you – leave the people who truly are the curmudgeons behind for an hour, a day – they won’t be going anywhere!
Maybe we need to have a middle management seminar/meeting some day!
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Yes, you’re right. It always passes, but then it comes back again. I think we just need more tools and more time to ourselves. These 70 hour weeks are just getting old. But today’s a good day. thank you so much, April.
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I was thinking about this at lunch. Specifically the part where Steve addresses what managers can do.
“Praise is the most valuable, least costly, most useful, most underused management tool. It’s absolutely essential in great economic times when you can dish out great pay raises and occasional bonuses. It’s twice as essential in tough economic times, especially when expectations are changing.”
Are we doing enough as managers to show our staffers how much we appreciate their hard work? In an era where we can’t give bonuses, what are some ways we can show them that we are proud of their accomplishments and their long hours? Here are some simple things that I do:
1. Hand-written notes or emails
2. Sometimes I’ll buy a box of Kudos bars and hand out
3. The other week I bought an ice-cream cake at Dairy Queen and we ate it during our staff meeting.
4. Of course, speaking with them one on one is always beneficial.
I think that good leaders are good listeners. We must listen to our staffers. Good leaders are also problem-solvers. After listening, we must help solve “the problem” because if we don’t, the staffer will just sink further into despair.
Like Steve said, maybe it’s NOT doing something to allow time to do something new. Maybe it’s a more efficient way to do something. And, I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it might mean adjusting my expectation based on the realities. For example, maybe the goal is for a staffer to blog every day, but the reality is that he might not always meet that goal due to unforeseen events, like breaking news or whatever.
As managers, we must continually evaluate what are staffers are doing, how they are spending their time. There are only so many hours in a day and we need to help them prioritize. We want them to succeed and become the best journalists they can become. That’s part of our deal with them. They give us 120 percent and we give them 120 percent back and work to help them become the best damn journalists they can become.
I
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Let me say first off that I do not expect this response to be posted. Truly, I do not. But I think those with corporate titles should know the truth.
Why is journalism not fun in Connecticut? It has nothing to do with the work, nor most of the people we work with. It has to do with a single individual that has been allowed to wreck havoc on JRC journalism in Connecticut.
His “progressive” approach to journalism has been anything but. One of the earlier posters spoke briefly to the Digital Ninja School concept. At its root it is a fine idea. But the base line in this instance it is for the glorification of this single individual. It’s all about Me Me Me!
And that is his theme: Me Me Me!
I spoke to someone in Torrington recently and ask them where they displayed their APME Innovator of the Year Award. They’d not seen it, but had heard it was in the publisher’s office — which I’m told is now vacant. And with that, I have to wonder what happened to the cash award that went with it? Hmmmm.
All of us (I’d guess the editors get it worse) get nasty emails from this individual on a daily basis. They’re mean spirited, childish and too often chide us for the most insignificant crap you can imagine. Talk about taking the fun out of a job.
Another Me Me Me project? That’s easy: The Breaking News Team. Breaking news was, yes, sometimes a pain in the rear for all of us, but we got it done in a timely manner. The Breaking News Team does very little in a timely manner. That means by the time they post anything, it’s hardly “breaking.” We did it better ourselves. But if we were all doing it, then Me Me Me would never get the accolades for this ground breaking “achievement”, now would he?
I’m sure that given a couple more minutes I could give more Me Me Me examples. But I have journalism to do. Because it’s journalism that I love.
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I have inquired and the monetary award for the APME Innovator of the Year award was made out to the Register Citizen and was deposited in a Register Citizen account and has not yet been spent.
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Steve, thanks for this great post. I echo the sentiments above. Great advice, which I have shared with our staff and which I will take to heart personally.
And I agree 1,000 percent with what has been said about Emily.
We are caught between a headlong rush toward Digital First and the tedious, usually-overwhelming task of print production with not enough resources left for a print operation. Thunderdome can’t come soon enough.
As the editor in charge in Connecticut, I’m assuming the “Me Me Me” referenced above is, well, me.
No doubt, I’ve had a high profile because of the open newsroom project in Torrington and other projects we’ve done in Connecticut, including the Digital Ninja School. The Ninja School is a pilot project, and we expect to learn as we go what aspects work well and what do not. One of the most challenging and subjective aspects to this training program is the commitment to free up time in the work day of newsroom staff to have time for training. That’s hard to do in a small newsroom, and it’s damn near impossible when that newsroom is down a few positions, which is the case in Torrington right now. (Know some reporter candidates? Have them reach out to Editor Rick Thomason, rthomason @ registercitizen.com!)
The Breaking News Team handles statewide and national/international news, and was established to free local editors to focus on local news. To really focus on local news, you have to let go a bit of the details of how the people who took over the other thing are doing their jobs.
We are moving very, very fast, and expecting a ton out of our newsroom staff in Connecticut, and especially the handful of top editors who are my direct reports. Where to find the balance between the urgency of getting to a truly Digital First operation and actually surviving the process personally is an important and timely discussion to be having. I wrote about it some here: http://newspaperturnaround.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/overcoming-burnout-on-the-road-to-digital-first/
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Just as an aside, I saw the Ninja School, in part, as a resume-beef-up, if nothing else. I’ve worked for editors who don’t want you trained, because the more skills you possess, the sooner you’re out the door.
Matt (assuming he is the “me, me, me” referenced) knows that I have (openly, to his face, not anonymously in a blog comment) disagreed with him. But the Ninja School? Really? THAT is what rankles? More training is bad. Professional development is bad. “We need more time to do the same things in the same ways we have done them for years.” Right. That makes sense.
And the suggestion that someone committed an act of misappropriation should be insulting to Matt and would be insulting to me. But kudos to Steve for verifying.
You want an example of a “me, me, me” project? How about the time it took to take a personal, interesting, well-written post, dealing with issues we all face and continue to face, and turn it into a personal attack, filled with vitriol and accusation?
I’m not one to play ping-pong in comments, but that comment left me mystified. And again, kudos to Steve for actually publishing it — practicing what you preach.
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Thanks, Jordan. I considered not posting that because it was a personal attack and I normally don’t allow personal attacks. But I flagged Matt, so he would get a chance to respond. I think it’s better to have the discussion openly, even when it gets personal and ugly, than to let issues fester. I do wish “Just Me” had chosen to identify himself/herself. This would be a better conversation if it were conducted openly.
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Jordan is 100 percent right – there are few places, especially in journalism, where they want to pay you to learn! The Ninja School is better than a college course – they are offering to pay you not only your time if you do it during the work day, but also for completing courses.
I hope the Ninja school makes it to Ohio soon! We can’t ask for enough training or idea sharing!
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And here you go. How to cut short a very interesting and needed debate. Post a personnal attack. Bummer. Im sad, because that person (who decided to remain anonymous) considered himself more important than Emily.
I would also like to answer to “Just me” that i will never blame someone for trying, bringing ideas, acting, be imaginative. Moreover, im sure the “me, me me” person didn’t decide all these changes alone.
bah, i guess “just me” would’nt fit in a startup culture either, where you have to iterate quite often, if not pivot completely.
Anyway, who am i, right? just an outsider, from far away Belgium.
Kuddos to you Steve for your blog, Jordan, Matt, and all those who try to move forward. And a *freehug* to Emily.
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Thanks, Sam. I am hoping that “Just me” (yeah, I note the irony in that handle and the “Me Me Me!” part of the rant) didn’t cut short the discussion here. Not so far anyway. I wish “Just me” had the courage to sign his/her name, and I wish he/she had focused on issues rather than personal attacks. But I think this kind of bitterness is a real and valid part of the discussion of issues Emily raised, so I welcome it.
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thank’s Sam, for weighing in. there’s a lot of ‘just me’s’ and they have their own opinions.
it’s nice to hear from you! *Freehug” to you too.
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Thanks to everyone for their comments and feedback.
Today’s Friday and like the rest of you I’m facing a busy and hectic day; but the words of encouragement truly helped. I know I’m not alone; I know I am valued and appreciated – and I knew that before, but the frustration and discouragement are also real.
I have to find ways to implement some of Steve’s suggestions, because they are good ones.
One thing we should p consider is his idea of eliminating things that aren’t working, that don’t need to be done anymore, or that need to be delegated to someone else. What if there isn’t anyone else? And who ultimately decides what’s redundant/not needed/not working? I don’t think it’s me, but maybe it is. I know there are meetings to be held on this type of stuff. The phrases, “…but we’ve always …” and “…what happens if …” and “no, we can’t do that …” are simply stumbling blocks, but they are real and there are realities and expectations from readers, co-workers and bosses that have to be co-mingled with our daily tasks.
So, the list making begins, the discussions continue, and the days go on. thanks again to my friends and the people I met here yesterday. Let’s all keep in touch if we can.
Emily
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Thanks for this thoughtful response, Emily. And thanks for your openness, which started this whole discussion. Clearly, as you can see, you identified issues that others are dealing with. As for who ultimately decides, I would say you start the decision-making. You tell your boss what you plan to stop doing or what you plan to change. And unless the boss speaks up, you do it.
Answers to phrases: “but we’ve always …” Answer: Not any more.
“What happens if …” Answer: Nothing as bad as if we don’t change.
“No, we can’t do that …” Answer: Watch us.
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I would add: It’s a new age. We are all charting our own course. These days, it might be better to get forgiveness than permission.
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I preach that forgiveness/permission thing a lot, Hal.
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Great discussion here. Working with Emily every day (she sits about four feet from me), I see and hear her frustrations. We all have them.
But I can tell you she is happiest — I think I can speak with a tad of authority — when she truly gets to be Managing Editor (instead of Copy Desk Chief), talking to the public, editing stories, working with reporters, making assignments, etc. She’s not only happiest, but she’s at her best and truly contributing to the newsroom in the best possible ways with her experience and depth of knowledge.
Since this blog broke, I’ve already seen a difference. She’s taking all of the great suggestions to heart, and I’m confident she’ll implement many of them. And if not…I’m not too far away as a reminder. (And she’s not far away from me when I need a reminder!)
In an industry in constant flux, we all have some Emily frustrations (that may be a term that sticks in JRC, no?). She made the gutsy move of airing hers. And in turn, she’s gotten some great feedback and much empathy. We’re all learning to cope. As long as we have conduits to help one another…to vent a little on occasion…to ask for help and advice…we’ll find our way as journalists. Just as importantly, we’ll find our sanity (most days, anyway) in a profession that can be both maddening and so rewarding at the same time.
Thanks, Steve, for posting Emily’s email, and for responding in a thoughtful and obviously meaningful way. And thanks to all who have offered words of encouragement. You’ve brought many smiles to Emily’s face!
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That’s great, Rick! She deserves to smile.
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