Until you step in my shoes

Not my definition of dysfuntional, ygbfkm.

 

I'm sure you're the exception and never complain or make things difficult for those around you.

 

I spend half of every night complaining... on my good nights ;D
What I'm saying is what you decribe going on in a newsroom is not dysfunctional.

 

It's completely typical of newsrooms, yes, but in my limited dealing with other professions, the type of mania evident in newsrooms would drive most people up the wall.

 

Gator,

I understand. I get bitched at or questioned every day all the time -- from readers, writers, other editors, photographers, etc.

You can't take it personally. But I found a lot of comfort in:

1) Not letting the crap bother me if the complaint was something that I could justify for reasons of space, deadline, news judgment, etc.

2) Realizing when the person had a legitimate beef and trying to fix it or do better next time.

That's all. I just get a sense from folks on here than anyone who complains is an idiot who doesn't understand the job. But sometimes it's someone we need to listen to (rarely if it's a photographer, though).

 

Yeah, I think I needed a minute to cool down. My first reaction was instinct, and that instict was to be pissed right off the bat. Should have taken a different approach.

 

Agreed I would play up the local package...people can get news on the pro teams from a number of other sources, and many had probably already seen those games. The local angle was your chance to give something fresh to your readers...I'd side with the photog on this one...if nothing else could more of the photos (slideshow) gone onto the web?

 

The way things are going photogs should just be grateful they are being sent anywhere and anything they shoot gets in the paper. With the shrinking web width and overall lack of newshole - papers have a harder time squeezing pics between the ads, and more papers having their reporters shoot fotos with digital cameras (making it easier to make bad shots presentable), I can see papers cutting their photo staffs, maybe having one or two staff shooters, one to fix submitted and reporters fotos and one to shoot lead art.

 

Hopefully, you rank the photog, so your response can be:

"Do what you're fucking told, or we'll get someone who fucking will."

 

You might use one of the other shots with next week's advance. Or next year's tab. Make sure -- tactfully -- she's aware when you do.

 

Now you know why coaches get pissed at columns that question their play-calling.

 

Fuck photographers with that attitude. Whether their photos are used in a full-page picture spread or not used at all, they get paid the same either way and they need to STFU. (Granted, you have to use something if you send someone that far for a shoot.)