Cursing in the newsroom

Well I figured that. I just can't imagine working in those conditions. I need profanity like Pookie needs crack.

 

We roar and we argue and we cheer, and when things get a little out of hand, our SE pipes up with one line -- "This ain't no barroom." And things get back under control.

 

It wasn't even cursing, just being loud, blowing off steam sort of stuff. I guess it's supposed to be a professional environment, or so we're told.
If someone else in the newsroom had an issue with us, I just wish they would have addressed it with us first.
If it comes down to respecting your coworkers and having an environment where people can concentrate on their jobs, it's kind of hard to argue against that.

 

Quiet please. Do not disturb my quest to find the proper adjective for FUCK!

(Hey, I used the blue font. I'm learning.)

 

Since when are the fucking news reporters in the goddamn newsroom at night?

 

I have a friend -- maybe he posts here, maybe not -- who used to frequently yell out that our SE was a "cocksucker!!!!"

Surprisingly, the two didn't get along.

 

When I started as a part-timer 10 years ago, I think I knew 2 curse words. Didn't take long for the very experienced sports guys to coach me up. Sometimes a string of profanities lets you blow off enough steam to get the job done and make deadline. I'm a saint until a hit the newsroom, and as soon as I walk in the doors I turn into a dirty sailor. It gets me through the day.

In our shop, we've got craters everywhere from all the F-bombs flying around.

I will say, though, there is a big difference between harmless cursing and having a total meltdown. I've seen a couple of those that were just way out of line. I've seen guys get fired. That 'hostile workplace' stuff is no joke.

 

A guy at my college paper would wander the newsroom and toss out the occasional, "Assfuck?"

Never failed to crack my shit up, especially when he would say it to the girls at the front desk...

 

I've got a lady in my newsroom who objects to my use of the words "sucks." Also because of her, my use of "GOD .... bless America!" has increased.

At night or on the weekends my vocabulary gets a little more sailor-esque.

 

People who can't handle cursing in a newsroom are like waitresses who can't handle being cursed at in the kitchen.

You don't want to hear swear words? Don't drop that four-top's dinner all over the fucking dining room floor, you miserable country-club working moron.

 

As a supervisor, I lead by example in the area of cursing. Most of the people I work with are low-key and there's not much swearing from them at all. Me, different story. I've always been the guy ho swears a lot, ever since I started working full-time jobs at 18. Some people don't like it, but I've never been good at hiding exactly how I feel. It's gonna happen, and I think most people are used to it. I think.

 

You are absolutely right that they should have come to you first. How the hell can they do a decent job as news reporters if they don't even have the guts to ask you to tone it down?

I have worked in one newsroom in my time that you never heard swearing. Then again, most of the time, that place sounded like a fucking morgue. And that's pretty fitting, since the paper has been dead for a while now.