One of the problems with the media is that all these idealistic young J-school graduates see themselves as a force for “changing the world.”
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Its the duty of senior editors to reign in and moderate the impulses of the young J-school reporters but the older staff are sympatico with the liberal agenda. The newsrooms themselves are rotten.
Tell me about it.
Things weren’t quite so bad back in my day, starting in 1983.
I should note that professional standards were higher in the hometown press, where I spent my entire career. I can hardly imagine what it’s like working for a major metro daily.
For example, no managing editor I worked under would allow anonymous sources, except under the most exceptional of circumstances, and then usually after getting the OK from our lawyers.
My editors basically cared about getting your facts straight and your copy in on time with minimal errors. I was able to do this for 25 years.
Then I finally became a managing editor myself only to see the company go out of business shortly thereafter. But that’s my personal heartbreak. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that nobody gives a damn about your problems. Just do your job and carry on.
Right now, my job is taking it easy and being a grumpy old man, both of which I can hardly fail at.