Q: My situation is this: I've been working part-time for over a year at a small daily as a copy editor. Recently, they cut back on my hours because as a part-timer I'm not allowed to average more than 32 hours a week.
When I was hired, they knew that I really wanted to be a reporter and the paper also has a magazine that I've written for before and recently wrote for again. However, my boss is already saying that he doesn't want to get in trouble for giving me too many hours because of the articles, so I'm afraid those assignments may dry up.
About a year ago, I asked about getting an internship there or somewhere else as a reporter but was told that A) I couldn't be both intern and employee and B) I couldn't write for any other publication unless it was nonprofit and not a direct competitor. What I want to know is can they do this? I didn't sign a contract and non-competes aren't legal in my state.
Frankly, I really need the money that writing articles brings in and it's ridiculous to let my ideas and ability go to waste. But I also need the money from my current job. Any ideas?
Caught
A: Yes, a newspaper can forbid you from writing for competitors. It just makes sense. Why would any business -- especially one that gives many of its employees a public nod (bylines) allow them to work for a direct competitor? Would readers be confused? How would you decidedwhether to write a hot story for this publication or another? How could editors trust that what you learn at a news meeting or in an office conversation would not walk right across the street? I might even draw the line at local non-profits. I would not feel comfortable having staffers write for -- and get paid by -- local non-profits that are the subject of news coverage. How could readers trust our reporting on a business that was paying some of our staffers?
The question lies in how your editors define a direct competitor. If you can't write for publications whose circulation areas overlap with their overlap your newspaper's, I get that. But national publications? That has to be negotiated case by case.
The real issue is that you want to get more writing hours. Work with your bosses to see if you can be transitioned from 32 hours of copy hours of editing to more and more of reporting -- and build up to a full-time schedule. If they won't do that, learn whether there is something you need to be better at -- and look for a new job.
