I need money

[blue]You're right, the Crack market is drying up, now Meth is where the cash is.[/blue]

 

I think the ultimate breaking point in newspapers for me was when I went to interview for a job at the Florence, S.C. paper. A buddy was SE so I was basically hired before I got there. He wanted me to come down and visit and see the town. First night we're driving around and he shows me the grocery store where he worked as night manager for awhile when he first got there.

That's the moment I decided I wasn't moving to Florence. I understand being responsible and making sure you have financial security, but why would the SE have to take a second job like that? That pissed me off about the entire newspaper chain (Thomson) that both that paper and mine were in. (Although neither they nor I were in it much longer.) Plus this guy was single, no kids, so was the salary they were paying him really that pathetic?

Hey, he's gone on to do OK in newspapers as far as I know. I'm doing just fine in something else now. But man, I just didn't love newspapers enough to take a second job to support my first job.

 

"No outside work" (when it's obvious there's no conflict) is one of the phrases by
which you can identify a potentially world-class asshole boss, virtually instantaneously.

 

Solid avatar. Solid.

 

I agree ... sad. At my place, we start entry-level reporters at a little less than the $28K that Moonlight is making, and we've been told to actually tell people who aren't from this area that what we pay isn't enough to live on around here -- that a lot of our reporters live with their parents or have roommates. On one hand, it's nice that we're being honest. I don't remember anyone telling me such things when I was starting out. But it's sad that this is the reality of the business. As management, I don't think we even care anymore whether people are happy or that they're barely scraping by. They're a commodity. We just need them to churn out their copy and we know sooner or later (probably sooner) they're going to get fed up and leave for a better job. A lot of our people who leave don't stay in newspapers.

Anyway, in terms of Moonlight's question, I'd say look for freelance editing. I'm an editor at my paper and I have some of that on the side too. It allows you to write off your home Internet subscription as a business expense, which is a nice added bonus. But you can do it on your schedule, sitting on your couch with a laptop.

 

Temp proofreader for whom?

 

BYH. someone needs to read his shit before he clicks on the post button.

 

I tell people what the salary is for full-time reporters here. It's embarrassing as hell to tell people that, but I'd rather be honest.

 

He should ask for a raise then.

 

and hazard pay.

 

That better be a high paying job.