Etiquette

[Writer33]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles down the road had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

 

[Barsuk]

Dude, that's how the food chain works. You ought to be happy your reporters are doing good enough work that the big boys down the street are taking notice. Circle of life, and all that jazz.

 

[Stitch]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

Good thing I don't work for you. Shouldn't you be flattered that a larger paper thinks your writers are good?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

He did nothing wrong.

 

[Writer33]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

Good thing I don't work for you. Shouldn't you be flattered that a larger paper thinks your writers are good?

The reporter knows exactly what I think of her work and she is very good.

 

[Ace]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles down the road had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

Why don't you call and offer one of their folks a job?

 

[Writer33]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles down the road had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

Why don't you call and offer one of their folks a job?

If I did, I would the reporter at his or her home. Not the newsroom. That's all that bothered me.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Are you the boss? If not, why are you even entertaining thoughts of talking to the editor. And if you are the boss, then this disqualifies you from hiring anyone from another paper. You may only hire newbies.

 

[Tarheel316]

I agree with Barzak. Be glad your reporters are good enough that somebody else wants them.

 

[SF_Express]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles down the road had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

I literally don't understand the question.

It's life in the biz.

Maybe she just shouldn't have mentioned it to you. But beyond that, it happens all the time, it's business, not personal, and it's the way things work in our chosen profession.

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

Man, Writer33, you sure have a lot to learn about how the world works.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I'm glad Lynn Hoppes doesn't cry like a little girl every time someone tries to raid his staff.

 

[Angola!]

Man, Writer33, you sure have a lot to learn about how the world works.

I can see being mad about the guy calling the reporter at work.

Is that normal?

Anytime I've been offered a job out of the blue, they found a way to get ahold of me at home.

 

[Ace]

I'm glad Lynn Hoppes doesn't cry like a little girl every time someone tries to raid his staff.

Maybe writer33 is Lynn Hoppes.

 

[Editude]

I heard about a much better gig in the press box at an NFL exhibition game, told a buddy I might be interested and took a call from the SE that night at work after I finished writing a gamer and notes. It happens. And I took the job two weeks later.

 

[Ace]

I work news side at a small daily. A couple of weeks ago one of our reporters takes a call. She hangs up and tells me the editor of a slightly larger daily approximately 30 miles down the road had just offered her a job. She turned it down. I've sat on it for a while because my first instinct was call the editor and tell her if she ever tries to take one of our reporters away that I would drive down and jam the phone she used to call our reporter down her throat. However, being the happy go lucky sort that I am, I didn't. How would you folks handle such a situation, if at all.

Why don't you call and offer one of their folks a job?

If I did, I would the reporter at his or her home. Not the newsroom. That's all that bothered me.

What if he had called her on her cell phone while at work? Is that different?

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I took a follow-up call at work after an interview for the job I currently have. Moment he called I knew they were serious about hiring me, since they tracked me down at work.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I've worked with and alongside writers who are covering one team for one paper one day and a competing paper the next.

That's the extreme other side, but that's how it sometimes works.

 

[Writer33]

No, I'm not Lynn Hoppes. Ace, you bring up an interesting point and one I hadn't considered. There probably isn't anything wrong with that. Yeah, as someone else pointed out I might have a lot to learn about how he world works (I've only spent 55 years trying to figure it out), but I think it was in poor taste to call her on her newsroom phone. Thanks to all for the feedback.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The most stunning aspect of all of this is that the writer didn't leave.