Prima donnas in the newsroom

Previous shop, I was told that the lead columnist was something of a bully who didn't want anything changed. Turns out he chose his words for specific reasons but certainly wasn't above 1) fixing a mistake or 2) a reasonable discussion about differences of tone and approach. For some copy editors, it's easier to grumble and do nothing rather than take a little mature initiative with a challenging situation.

 

I was lucky, I guess. My rag didn't have many prima donnas, but it did have a couple. Only difference is they earned it. They had great copy and broke news. They also weren't assholes about their favored status. It just was what it was, and everybody lived with it.

 

I'd say there are more deskers with God complexes than prima donna columnists if only because there are far more of them.

 

I never had that kind of spare time on any desk shift I've worked. My policy was always correct it if it's something small like 14 vs. 15 rebounds. If the writer has a question about it the next time I see them in the office, I'd discuss it with them, but if not, I'd correct it and move on.

But, if it's something huge, like a quote that makes me wonder 'Is that what he's really saying,' I'd call, check and verify. It takes judgement to know which is which.

 

I remember when I was getting started we had a columinist that had that superioty complex and once chewed out a desker for some rewrites that really weren't a big deal.

A few weeks later, he filed a spring training story and listed the Baltimore Orioles in the NL East. Desker let it stand.

Columnist looked stupid, had to say he made a mistake the next week. Desker made his point. The world was a slightly better place for a couple of days.

 

If desker saw it, knew it was wrong and let it go, desker should be reprimanded at least and possibly fired.

It's not his job to teach high and mighty columnist a lesson in humility. It's his job to make certain embarrassing mistakes don't see the light of day in print (or on the web these days). If he has a problem with columnist acting like an ass, take it up with the boss. Don't embarrass the paper to make a point.

I say this as a desker who has had to deal with all too many high and mighty columnists/writers acting like asses over the years.

 

I am with you, Joe.

I also wonder if the desker actually caught the mistake and let it stand or allowed that perception to stand.

 

And let's not even address the fact that the desker owns the error every bit as much as the columnist. It's a team game.

 

Screw that. Blame the official scorer.

 

One of my favorite bosses, who really helped my career, was one of the old school columnist-and-also-sports-editor types. He hired me at his paper in the early 1980s.

Understand, I love this guy, and wish I could make the trip of 2000 miles someday to see him and have a few drinks together again. He's now just a columnist, no longer a boss, and people would certainly know his name here.

For the record, people know I know Simers, and it was NOT Simers.

Anyway, one of the first times I caught his column in the morning (PM paper) I literally changed one comma. Either added or removed one.

One comma.

He came out between editions and wanted to know who made the change, and I said it was me, and he very calmly instructed me to put the comma back (or remove it). And he said not to ever make a change to his column again without asking.

He was that wired in to what he wrote.

30 years later, I have guys who basically rag on me (in a funny way) if I call to tell them I made a substantial change in their lead. I guess they trust me now.

But this guy, don't touch a single character without asking. Not mean about it, or anything like that. But no changes.

 

we had a young dude a couple of years ago who thought his copy didn't stink and his opinions and views of everything happening in the sports world was above approach. and i mean, he hadn't been in this business two years max. i wanted to say, 'dude, when you've ridden in a lot of rodeos, then you can tell us how to ride the bull.' (or in such cases, talk the 'bull'.)