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What Would Your Boss Do?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by NightOwl, May 22, 2008.

  1. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    He would have complained about it in the office openly, then told his boss that it really wasn't a big deal and wondered why we were all upset about it.
     
  2. joe_schmoe

    joe_schmoe Active Member

    My SE would stay. Then again, he's a hands on, night shift type guy anyway. The higher ups are out the door. Actually happened a few weeks back. System goes down about 6:30, by then two of the top guys are already gone, the AME gets off at 7, and he just said good luck and left at 7. Thanks. He's useless anyway, but he does still have page skills and coulda probbly probably given a lat hand to newsside anyway.

    But yeah, they pretty much left the copy desk and the sports guys on our own. System came back up a little after 9.

    Our last management group, when we lost the system one night at least ordered about 10 pizzas for us. Many of us had already gone to dinner though.
     
  3. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    My immediate bosses would probably shuffle around like old geezer chickens with their heads cut off, panicking.
     
  4. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    At least they sent catered food the next evening. My bosses would NEVER do that.
     
  5. Birdscribe

    Birdscribe Active Member

    Last two bosses I had would have not only stuck it out to the bitter end, but made it better by their abilities and presence.

    That's why one of them is running things at a major metro and the other was promoted out of sports into running a chain's state-wide papers.

    Then again, I had two earlier bosses who would have left vapor trails leaving the office. One of them isn't in the biz anymore, the other was just relieved of SE duties at his paper.
     
  6. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    I'm in the "it depends on the situation" school. If staying will help, I'd stay. If it's a technical deal, and there's nothing I can do about it, I might leave, but be in constant touch (at their discretion, not me constantly calling).

    Sometimes, not being in their hair might be the best. Again, it depends.
     
  7. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    I haven't worked for a managing editor yet that would have bailed. All team players and none afraid to get their hands dirty.
     
  8. budcrew08

    budcrew08 Active Member

    My personal feelings as a managing editor now is that I want to be in the middle of the shit, getting my hands dirty, diving in and getting things done. In a team environment, you want to be (or have) at least one of the bosses who doesn't mind getting a little dirty once in a while.

    In one of my old shops, we had a boss who went shit went bad, they were out the door, and fast.
     
  9. mpcincal

    mpcincal Well-Known Member

    Night Owl's story makes me appreciate my bosses (executive ed and managing ed) all the more.

    Our executive editor, who could make a habit of sitting in his "ivory tower" like his predecessor, is always available for help and will sit down with us and produce pages if we're short-handed.

    I started the thread a few months ago about the night we had a power outage for about four hours. The bosses were on the phone trying to find out how long the outage was, and one of them suggested finding a generator, which one of the employees got from home. We ended up doing some work powered by the generator outside the door and a bunch of extension cords.

    EE and ME generally take off early evening on smooth, uneventful nights, but always check in on us right before they leave and let us know that we can call them if there are any problems.

    There are complaints I have about our paper (and company that owns it), but they aren't about our editorial brain trust, that's for sure.
     
  10. three_bags_full

    three_bags_full Well-Known Member

    Honestly, I wouldn't want any of the management hanging around. They'd just get in the fucking way and distract me. Plus, I'd hope they have enough faith in me to handle the situation without their help.
     
  11. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    If they can get their hands on copy and move some things, or answer phones, or help finish the agate -- I'm serious -- then they should stay. If they're going to stand there simply watching the proceedings with their hands on their chins, then I agree, let the daily people get the paper out.
     
  12. beardpuller

    beardpuller Active Member

    I work for people who would have been in there with their sleeves rolled up.
    It's one of the things that keeps me going in this messed-up business.
     
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