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What's the worst thing your boss has ever made you do?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Mizzougrad96, Apr 16, 2008.

  1. lono

    lono Active Member

    Walk into the editorial department meeting and announce that the 40 percent staff reduction is permanent.
     
  2. Jim_Mora

    Jim_Mora Member

    high school cheerleading competition
     
  3. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    Nothing I could come up with pales in comparison.

    I've had my fair share of "Track this story down, there might be something there," only to find out the subjects and the SE are good buddies.

    That always just makes me furious.

    Oh, and for what it's worth, I have never, and will never, agree to work for any amount of time on any project without getting paid. Someone else (read: HR, lawyer) would be hearing about that one real quick.
     
  4. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    The sports editor at USA Today and his DMEs sat in a room and picked the reporters and editors from our staff who would be going to the 1992 Albertville Olympics.

    Then, he told me to post a call for people from the staff who wanted to go. "And, of course, don't mention that we had this meeting."

    That was bad.

    Later, he asked me to do something that I knew was really, really wrong (and turned out later to have been illegal). I quit when I thought it was wrong but before I knew it was illegal.

    He got his, eventually.
     
  5. pressboxer

    pressboxer Active Member

    Let's see ...

    There was being assigned to cover the 14-and-under girls AAU national basketball tournament one summer (the publisher was "instrumental" in bringing the event to town). Never mind that none of these teams were from within 300 miles of the host city and none of the participants had even attended a high school class. I was responsible for daily roundups, features, etc., with a 15-inch gamer and full box for the finals. after it was over, got a note that I should have interviewed more players. This after a week of dirty looks from parents for even hanging around a gym full of junior high girls.

    Then there was the fly-by-night startup "professional" football league that announced our city had been awarded a franchise. I made the mistake of answering the phone instead of letting one of the other staffers get it. The whole thing was probably worth six inches, unfortunately it was a Monday in early August with absolutely nothing going on locally. EE decides to put in on the front page, meaning I have to chase down various local government and business leaders about what a big deal it was going to be. I also had the pleasure of covering the inaugural season to justify making such a big deal out of the initial announcement. The local junior highs drew better crowds. One day I went out to practice to chase something down. The team was using a video game manual for its offensive plays.



    Another lifetime, another paper, same kind of shit.

    High school football coach resigns after two seasons because he knew he'd be lucky to finish (if he even got to start) a third. Different EE from above wants in-depth expose about why the coach left. Was there a conspiracy to run this guy out of town? The killer was that the coach had a sophomore-to-be son that just happened to play quarterback (the kid eventually signed DI from a different high school). EE wants sidebar (for news, not sports) on what that means for the locals' QB situation seven months before the upcoming season. Outgoing coach was not appreciative of the whole deal, to say the least. I told him up front I didn't expect him to comment on even half the questions I was instructed to ask, but went through the whole ordeal just to cover my ass. (Got sent back twice to "make another run" at the guy knowing it would end no differently.)

    A few weeks later the new coach gets hired. Part of his job was overseeing all athletic programs on the high school campus and at all feeder junior highs. EE's assistant had two JH kids playing various sports. Guess who got to do a news-side investigative piece on whether the new coach is going to fire all the junior high coaches?

    Happily, I have moved on in my career and am (sort of) safe from such "news judgement."
     
  6. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    I hate those 'investigate why' pieces. Not the worst thing (see my first post on this thread), but I had an editor want me to 'investigate why' there wasn't a caravan of cars that was going to follow the local H.S. hoops team to a state playoff game. The fact that the game was 200 miles away, which I pointed out to the editor, didn't cross his mind.
     
  7. floridasun

    floridasun Member

    One year, when our area was about to get battered by hurricanes, there was a mandatory evacuation for our county. Of course, that excluded newspaper employees. Some left, others stayed. My wife was 7 months pregnant and we had a 5-year-old as well. She was not going to stay at our house, but she also didn't want to drive and be stuck in evacuation traffic as pregnant as she was. So, I went to my ME and told him my situation. I was thinking any rational boss wouldn't let me finish my story and would say, 'Go, go, get out of here. What are you still doing here?!' But no, he looked me straight in the eye and said, 'Well, we need people. So, I guess you've got a tough decision to make.'

    It should be noted I was in the process of being up for a promotion. I ended up staying, sending my pregnant wife and son on a 15-hour trip to Atlanta (normally 7) and I'm still in the doghouse to this day with her (and no longer work in that hellhole).

    So, technically, I wasn't made to do it, but it was quite clear what was being suggested.
     
  8. :eek:

    Ladies and gentleman I think we have a winner.

    I can't imagine anything topping that one.
     
  9. floridasun

    floridasun Member

    Actually, I can top myself -- or at least equal it -- but for fear of outing myself more than I may already have, I'll keep that one to myself.

    I can deal with plenty of stuff. If a boss wants to be an ass about something to me, so be it. Maybe I deserved it, maybe I didn't. But when he brings in your family, that's crossing the line.
     
  10. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Fuck that. If any boss suggested I put my job over my family's safety and health, they would have had a lot of uncomplimentary words said to them. Followed by myself walking right out that door.

    You will have plenty of jobs in your lifetime. You only have one family.
     
  11. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    No. You get his e-mails too, I take it?
     
  12. floridasun

    floridasun Member

    You're right. It's one of many moments I wish I had a do over and really spoke my mind. But, caught up in the moment, I regret that I did not.
     
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