Anybody else with helpful co-workers?

[Cubbiebum]

The newest member of our newsroom is a English major not journalism. I try to avoid giving her the pages when I design sports. We are a morning paper, I'll give her the 1-2 pages at 9:30-9:45 with our deadline at 10:30. I'll typically get it back 10:20-10:30. No idea what takes her so long but the worst part is she constantly marks things that are sports terms in AP style. It doesn't waste much of my time because I know what the AP style is for it but it is really annoying and a big factor in her taking 30+ minutes to proof 1-2 pages.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Several years ago, on Election Night, I got my pages done a half-hour before deadline, just to get out of the news department's way. I then sat there for more than a hour before they got done. Didn't complain, didn't say a word.

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs. We had six games, and from two of them our writers had trouble sending their stories. I'm finishing up pages right on deadline, when the news editor who made us so late the night before just starts bitching up a storm about us being late. At that moment, I hit the button to send the last page, then turned around and unleashed a tirade that included multiple F-bombs. The guy shut up, and didn't speak to me for almost three weeks.

 

[Starman]

It's a combination of blatant grandstanding/brown-nosing, like they're the only one in the office who cares about deadline.

It's also a kind of indirect agitation that they should be in the management chain, since obviously they care enough to call people out about deadline to the whole newsroom when nobody else gives a ****.

We have a couple people in our office who do it a lot. With each of them, I've used the line, "And when is YOUR next page due? Oh yes, that's right, they don't allow you to put out pages on deadline."

That got me called in for supposedly making "hostile remarks" in the newsroom.

That this happened gives me great comfort, for some weird reason. :D

Guess who went running to Big Daddy crying like a ***** ;) that I had said nasty things to him?

 

[printdust]

Several years ago, on Election Night, I got my pages done a half-hour before deadline, just to get out of the news department's way. I then sat there for more than a hour before they got done. Didn't complain, didn't say a word.

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs. We had six games, and from two of them our writers had trouble sending their stories. I'm finishing up pages right on deadline, when the news editor who made us so late the night before just starts bitching up a storm about us being late. At that moment, I hit the button to send the last page, then turned around and unleashed a tirade that included multiple F-bombs. The guy shut up, and didn't speak to me for almost three weeks.

I'm losing something here. You got out 30 minutes early on election night. How did the news editor make you late?

 

[BTExpress]

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs.

I'm still trying to figure out what state has its high school playoffs on a Wednesday night . . . or has its elections on Thursday.

 

[RickStain]

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs.

I'm still trying to figure out what state has its high school playoffs on a Wednesday night . . . or has its elections on Thursday.

I can think of one that starts its playoffs on a Wednesday.

 

[Rhody31]

Schieza's a great co-worker.
He needed to use the sports camera over the weekend and since he's not a douche like the other new people, I let him. Then it turned out he didn't need it. We were trying to figure out how to get me the camera because I need it for an event Monday morning and he dropped it off at my house at 7:30 a.m. - just left it in my car for me.

 

[Ace]

The helpful co-worker might not be trying to be an ass.

Some people are just anal about deadline.

Some people aren't anal enough about deadline.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Several years ago, on Election Night, I got my pages done a half-hour before deadline, just to get out of the news department's way. I then sat there for more than a hour before they got done. Didn't complain, didn't say a word.

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs. We had six games, and from two of them our writers had trouble sending their stories. I'm finishing up pages right on deadline, when the news editor who made us so late the night before just starts bitching up a storm about us being late. At that moment, I hit the button to send the last page, then turned around and unleashed a tirade that included multiple F-bombs. The guy shut up, and didn't speak to me for almost three weeks.

I'm losing something here. You got out 30 minutes early on election night. How did the news editor make you late?

I think he's referring to the news editor being late on Election Night, with nothing being said because "It's Election Night. They're not used to working on deadline!". The next night, sports was late, and the news editor started bitching him out.

 

[printdust]

Ah yeah. It's always funny to watch a newsroom that gets out by 7 battling the deadline like the sports guys do. Sports guys who are at high stress levels four hours after they've left the office then ***** the next morning why they never see sports guys before noon.

 

[I Should Coco]

Several years ago, on Election Night, I got my pages done a half-hour before deadline, just to get out of the news department's way. I then sat there for more than a hour before they got done. Didn't complain, didn't say a word.

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs. We had six games, and from two of them our writers had trouble sending their stories. I'm finishing up pages right on deadline, when the news editor who made us so late the night before just starts bitching up a storm about us being late. At that moment, I hit the button to send the last page, then turned around and unleashed a tirade that included multiple F-bombs. The guy shut up, and didn't speak to me for almost three weeks.

I'm losing something here. You got out 30 minutes early on election night. How did the news editor make you late?

I think he's referring to the news editor being late on Election Night, with nothing being said because "It's Election Night. They're not used to working on deadline!". The next night, sports was late, and the news editor started bitching him out.

Yup. And while I've worked in situations like Starman and others have described, I'm happy to say the teamwork at my current shop is really good.

If sports is running late, the three of us on the "news" desk can chip in with late pages (or even late phoners), since all three of us have worked as sports writers or sports deskers at some point. And sports has returned the favor on election night or when there's breaking news.

Not sure if this is because we're all cool guys/gals (hello to any coworkers reading this :)) or if it's just because we've had so many layoffs/open positions unfilled, there's no time for anyone to ***** at each other. It's a scramble to put out the paper every night.

 

[HanSenSE]

It happens without fail every election night. The reporters are told to turn in stories by 10:30. At 10:25 returns are incomplete and suddenly it's like all the reporters are channeling Chicken Little ("Incomplete returns for Podunk Dog Catcher? The sky is falling down!").

I turn to the other person in sports (who had called the meltdown a couple of hours earlier), then tell them to report what they know, deadline is deadline. Or as I always say, every team is on the clock until the last game in MLB or final NBA game is done, and if Podunk High can't get us those JV swimming results by deadline, they're just not going to get their results in the Podunk Shopping News.

 

[Starman]

The helpful co-worker might not be trying to be an ass.

Some people are just anal about deadline.

Some people aren't anal enough about deadline.

a) Whether he's trying or not, he is succeeding spectacularly.

b) It's not his job (in any way) to keep tabs on whether the sports department makes deadline or not. In fact, in the overall newsroom hierarchy, most of US rank HIM. As noted, he is not allowed to produce pages on actual deadline.

c) The page is already out. In fact, it was sent at 11:01:30, and I was returning to the sports desk after confirming it had indeed been received in composing. Him shouting out to the whole newsroom at 11:03, "Hey, guess you missed deadline, eh?" is simple grandstanding.

Next time I hear it, my response is gonna be something like, "You got any mother****in' work to do, or are you just surfing porn on your computer as usual?"

If I'm gonna be wrist-slapped for "hostile statements," might as well get my money's worth.

 

[apeman33]

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs.

I'm still trying to figure out what state has its high school playoffs on a Wednesday night . . . or has its elections on Thursday.

Some Kansas classes have first-round games on Tuesday. This means the last game of the regular season is played on Thursday. Then the second-round playoff game is on Saturday. Three games in 10 days.

This also means that every other year, election night and the first round of the playoffs are the same night.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Next time I hear it, my response is gonna be something like, "You got any mother****in' work to do, or are you just surfing porn on your computer as usual?"

If I'm gonna be wrist-slapped for "hostile statements," might as well get my money's worth.

Yeahhhh ... don't do that. ;)

 

[Mark2010]

Next time I hear it, my response is gonna be something like, "You got any mother****in' work to do, or are you just surfing porn on your computer as usual?"

If I'm gonna be wrist-slapped for "hostile statements," might as well get my money's worth.

Someone actually got fired for that. But I wouldn't be a snitch, even if I had evidence.

 

[JBHawkEye]

The next night was our first night of high school football playoffs.

I'm still trying to figure out what state has its high school playoffs on a Wednesday night . . . or has its elections on Thursday.

Some Kansas classes have first-round games on Tuesday. This means the last game of the regular season is played on Thursday. Then the second-round playoff game is on Saturday. Three games in 10 days.

This also means that every other year, election night and the first round of the playoffs are the same night.

Iowa opens its playoffs on Wednesday night (don't ask, it's a philosophy I can't explain). Even better, the next round is on the following Monday.

Last year, our biggest local high school played its first-round playoff game at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, which is about a 2 1/2-hour bus ride. The game was scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. (there was another first-round game at the same site). It actually started closer to 9. I think the team got home around 2 a.m.


Anyway, back to the thread...

 

[Starman]

Next time I hear it, my response is gonna be something like, "You got any mother****in' work to do, or are you just surfing porn on your computer as usual?"

If I'm gonna be wrist-slapped for "hostile statements," might as well get my money's worth.

Someone actually got fired for that. But I wouldn't be a snitch, even if I had evidence.

For what?

No direct threat of physical harm.

No attempt to justify inadequate work (i.e. arguing I didn't miss deadline or that it shouldn't matter) which theoretically could be interpreted as a form of insubordination.

At most, I'd probably get written up for "hostile behavior," which would bring a swift counter-complaint from me against Peanut Gallery Boy for overstepping the organizational line of command.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Next time I hear it, my response is gonna be something like, "You got any mother****in' work to do, or are you just surfing porn on your computer as usual?"

If I'm gonna be wrist-slapped for "hostile statements," might as well get my money's worth.

Someone actually got fired for that. But I wouldn't be a snitch, even if I had evidence.

For what?

No direct threat of physical harm.

No attempt to justify inadequate work (i.e. arguing I didn't miss deadline or that it shouldn't matter) which theoretically could be interpreted as a form of insubordination.

At most, I'd probably get written up for "hostile behavior," which would bring a swift counter-complaint from me against Peanut Gallery Boy for overstepping the organizational line of command.

Gee I don't know, maybe cussing at a co-worker and yelling something about porn. Most places would give you a lecture/write you up but some wouldn't put up with one reporter cussing at another in a very hostile manner.

 

[Starman]

Gee I don't know, maybe cussing at a co-worker and yelling something about porn. Most places would give you a lecture/write you up but some wouldn't put up with one reporter cussing at another in a very hostile manner.

Of course, but the fact is the "organizational line of command" Peanut Gallery Boy is overstepping is the one that has the head honchos at the top of it, and if middle-level peons are allowed to overstep the OLOC it won't be very long before everybody starts doing it.

And, in fact, he DOES surf porn. The IT guys were pissing and moaning about having to de-virus half the computers in the office a month or so ago because he had surfed to some skeezy porn page and ended up mailing out viruses to half his email groups.