What's your shop like?

Every where I have ever worked, I can be myself.
Laid back, dedicated, off-color, work hard when the shit starts flying...but otherwise, kick back and actually get to know my co-workers. Hell, maybe even grab a beer after deadline!

My buddy's shop in another state seems to be run by pod people. He is a lot like me and likes a loose, but fun ship.
He's been there for a few years know, barely knows anything about anyone...and even small swears outloud or a semi-crude quip nets him dirty looks.

Maybe it's the age difference (where I work we are mostly in our late 20s-mid 40s), his is a bit more "veteran"... anyone have the problem of being in a place where you can't be "yourself"?

 

a newsroom without swearing isn't a newsroom at all...


Mine's pretty laid back. Everyone cares about the product and enjoys kicking ass, but we know how to have fun. We know how to drink, too.

 

My shop is like whoa.

 

My friend's shop is about "get 'er done" no matter the quality, as long as the profit margin goals are met by the mother company. And be on guard for gettin er done with less next week.

Sounds fun, eh?

 

My shop is pretty conservative in that nobody really uses bad language, but I don't get stares when I let out a string of feelgood words. As one put it, "you have to let Expendable be Expendable."

 

Our department is pretty laid-back. The rest of our little news enterprise is run (and now staffed) by "pod people." Boring. The writing in our A section is so boring that I rarely read it anymore. We hired this gal from the AP and now she thinks all the newspaper's copy should read just like AP.

No hatin' on the AP peeps out there. Just sayin' maybe we should be a little more conversational with the in-house pieces? Yes? Oh, I mean no.

 

My last shops featured plenty of swearing, which was fine by all involved, and an incredible amount of wholly offensive comments every two minutes.

 

In the two stops before this one, the newsroom was filled with lifers. I was the youngest person there by at least a decade, if not two ... suffice to say, social interaction or fun in the office was minimal.

Current spot has a good blend of youth and experience. I've never worked with a larger collection of pranksters and smartasses, which is a huge plus in my book. Still don't plan on hanging around for an extended tour, but my time here will be more enjoyable.

 

At 33, I'm the oldest person in my shop. But I still get carded and I act like a 13-year-old, so blending in isn't as hard as you'd think. Problem is, most of them are better at what they do than I, so that makes me feel old and intimidated. And fat, but that would be there anyway.

 

There wasn't much swearing in my shop until we got CCI.

Now that they've installed NewsGate, sailors blush.

 

We don't curse a whole lot in my shop, but I reserve the right to utter George Carlin words when I damn well feel like it.

When the publisher and CEO aren't around, we get work done, but we also have fun. I'm known as the office comedian, but I can also get serious when the situation calls for it.