Boston Globe drops paywall for Marathon coverage

It was a legitimate journalism question asked on a journalism board. I have no idea how they are handling this, but in my experience, these all-hands-on-deck situations often mean so many are involved that no one person has to kill themselves. The smaller but similarly complicated stories more often put reporters in a bind because no one is helping them.

 

I'm sure everyone in the Boston newsrooms came together in a pinch, instantly and impressively, and worked to exhaustion all week long. It's what we do. It's everything we prepare for.

Next week, of course, it's business as usual: "What have you done for us lately?"

 

Versatile: Absolutely legit. I would love to hear some stories.

But assuming that "overtime isn't allowed" puts a spin on it that should not be there.

You do your job, and the bosses will make it right the next week.

I feel badly for all the people who assume negativity, but hey, I suppose all reporters need to be suspicious. (Honest comment).

 

Every journalist I know has worked unpaid overtime from time to time. Many have worked 15-plus unpaid hours in a single week. Management does not "make it right the next week" because the whole thing would go down the tubes if they tried. At a certain point, your entire staff is on a comp day and you can't put out a product.

 

Journalists work unpaid overtime because they are suckers.

 

No. Because they are dedicated.

Bad managers can ruin that in the end.

 

Pretty much every person that I know, journalist or not, has worked unpaid overtime from time to time.

 

I have worked in some pretty crappy newsrooms where OT was approved in major news emergencies, without any hesitation -- in one case, a day after some folk had been laid off.

The Globe's union unit is still fairly strong. I think they'll be fine.

 

I do not assume the worst about reporters. I love reporters. They'd work 90 hours in one work week around the clock on this story. I do assume the worst about managers/editors, whatever you want to call them. In this age where furloughs are accepted as standard operating procedure, where job reviews are given but raises are not given, yes I am cynical about those in charge during a crisis such as the one in Boston. Again, bless those reporters. I know damn well THEY would work 20 hours a day for 7 days on this story. The managers? In this day and age I find them to be do-nothing think tankers. Would love to be proven wrong.

 

Globe paywall goes back up tomorrow.

Unsure on NYT and WSJ, because I have not looked yet.