newspaper reporter

by Michelle
(Ohio)

In some ways, my job is perfect for me. There's some variety a lot of flexibility. It's one of the most flexible jobs there are. But you also have to get out there and be tough and ask the hard questions and stick it to 'em...Whomever needs it stuck to them. And what I care about is how people are feeling, how their kids are and that kind of thing. And in a small town, there's a fair amount of boredom, too. The worst part is our new editor, who believes only in straight news, which means the creative columns and first-person stories we used to do are no longer allowed. I won an AP award for my columns, but the new editor still wouldn't let me write them anymore because he doesn't see any value in them. And it doesn't matter what we do as long as we write something to fill the paper. Our new editor is also a corporate sort who expects unquestioning obedience and prefers memos and e-mail to face-to-face communication. When I told him I'd rather he actually interacted with me, he told me that was some peculiar problem of mine. So there's no fun or freedom or creativity anymore. It's just quite dull, sort of mindless even. Not difficult. But hardly inspiring. I make as much money as I need and I like where I live, but work is boring. We have a variety of negative attitudes I struggle with: we have the resident clock-watcher, who is always complaining. We have the editor, who is distant when he isn't threatening to fire one of us or getting into a battle of wills with somebody. So the absence of creativity, positive change, encouragement, nurturing and support is discouraging. Just about everyone feels that way. The difference between me and the majority of others at work is probably that I really can't function very well in this environment. I don't just dislike it; I choke from the airlessness and toxicity. I thrive on interaction, encouragement and cooperation, and without that the whole job seems pointless.

But I do have a few survival strategies: 1. Be very careful who you get close to, and how much time you spend listening to them. People like to tell me their problems, which I generally like, but it can backfire if you don't lay down the appropriate boundaries. I have a problem with boundaries and it has ruined work relationships. 2. If someone near you is constantly negative, either be more positive, or tune her or him out, or strike up a more positive conversation with someone else. Whatever you do, don't engage in the negatvity. It can really affect you. 3. Don't be afraid of losing your job. Freeing yourself from that fear can really change your work experience, and makes it much easier to stay positive. You are also less likely to take as much ill treatment, thereby potentially raising the bar for humane treatment in an office or organization. Let others know how they are to treat you and they often will. But it's hard to have any proprietorship over your day (indeed, your entire life) when you're living in a state of constant fear, e.g. "If I don't do what they say, they will fire me/write me up/give me the worst jobs/give me more work/not give me the vacation days I want." Always be respectful and decent, but always say what needs saying and protest what needs protesting. How they deal with that is up to them. It's a very liberating attitide.