Bernstein to reporters: Quit rushing

And you know what that means: good investigative journalism is fine unless it costs overtime.

 

Wasn't it the weekly Montgomery Sentinel in Rockville, Md.?

 

Excellently played, sir.

 

I've worked on big stories on my own time and it was because I wanted to ... when you are truly on a great story the time card is just a piece of paper, sleep and leisure time can wait. I believe in that, and I've got a family ... nobody's saying work an entire Saturday or Sunday when you're supposed to be off, but stay late an hour or take your lunch break to get what you need on a big story.

You can always comp it later if and when things are slow. But if you've got a great story, you don't let anything stop you.

 

Is there a shop anywhere that doesn't have the wink, wink, nudge, nudge comp time rule? I know my guys might put in 50 hours per during football or basketball season. But I also know they're still getting paid for 40 while working 30 in the summer.

For that matter, don't we all waste huge amounts of time on the clock that could be used on a great story? Quit checking your e-mail at work. Don't jigger with your fantasy team lineup. Quit posting on SJ.

 

F*** it, then.

Shareholders! Thirty percent! La, la, la. Why aren't you doing more for nothing, little man?

Jeeves? My car.

 

My old shop in Colorado did (on sports side), until they started going to electronic time clocks, where the reporters can only get it changed by an editors approval (like if you live near where a meeting is happening and you don't want to drive in to punch the clock). I bet it fucked the sports department something fierce.

News side I spoke with an editor about comp time and she said we couldn't do it because I could sue. I just wanted to do good journalism and not work myself to the bone in the process. Comp time isn't much to ask is it?

 

what'd she say again?

 

Time clocks have no place in journalism.

 

The Montgomery County Sentinel, and yes, that's correct.

 

Modern newspaper executives who cater to shareholders above all . . . have no place in journalism.

 

Modern newspaper executives who cater to shareholders above all ARE journalism.