Counselor: Tell me your concerns about Roy.
Monica: Hey, don’t get me wrong, I like Roy. He’s well-rounded, he’s adventurous, he’s not blindly possessive of his ideas. He’s way above average as a word person. But I’ve known a lot of writers and editors who speak the visual language and then tromp all over you.
Maybe it’s not their fault. They just don’t seem to know what we need and how we work.
Counselor: You say they “tromp” on you. Give me an example.
Monica: Okay, here’s one. It’s noon, and there’s nothing on the news budget. There are a few story ideas floating about, but nobody will commit to the stories we’re going to play up in the next day’s paper. And by the time we DO commit to an idea, maybe 4 or 5 p.m., we’ve got a full-blown front-page emergency!
Then the visual journalists have to work all hours to concoct something we won’t throw up on in the morning. Writers and editors get to fine-tune their work; we barely get time to make ours presentable.
Counselor: So you’re saying decisions need to be made earlier —
Monica: Yeah, duh! On some miraculous days there is a commitment early on, and we’ll do a lot of research and work on a graphic or photo package. But then some night editor will swoop in and say, “Oh, I’m not sure that story is centerpiece-worthy,” and all that work goes down the drain.
Makes you a little hesitant to take initiative, you know?
Counselor: Because you feel as if —
Monica: And let’s not forget the many, MANY times that photo or graphic requests are made past our deadline because it’s a “breaking story” or “we just found out about it.” Then you find out the reporter’s been working on it for a WEEK.
Counselor: It sounds as if there is a communication breakdown.
Monica: I’ll say. And a failure to honor agreements. A writer budgets 20 inches, turns in 30, so we have to throw out a photo to make it all fit.
Counselor: Do you know why the writer turned in 30 —
Monica: And of course we ALWAYS have to have at least five stories on the front — that means five reporters’ stories have to start on the front; a photo with cutline and refer NEVER count as a story. Gotta have at least five, even if the fifth story is about the city council’s decision to postpone a decision on a new amendment on decision-making. Blah, blah, blah. God forbid we have some actual space to work with and give readers a page that’s actually interesting to look at. No, it’s our sacred duty to put them to SLEEP.
Counselor: Let’s go back to the idea that —
Monica: Then of course they say these outrageous things like, “This is a NEWSpaper. You can’t plan the news.” In fact, we can. Eighty percent of the stories in the paper we can see coming. The cool papers PLAN!
Or you’re asked, “Do you have a picture that matches the lede of the story?” HELLO!?! If anything, ledes need to go with pictures; that’s where readers start!
Counselor: If we could just focus on one issue for a moment —
Monica: Or, “I don’t see why you need three weeks to do a doubletruck graphic.” Well, gosh, and you know so much about it. Why do you need three weeks to do a big Sunday story? There is research, interviews, organizing, focusing and then the execution and editing — whether it’s writing or rendering. Decent work takes TIME!!!
“I’ve known a lot of writers and editors who speak the visual language and then tromp all over you.” |
Counselor: So clearly there are a number of things we need to look —
Monica: Tip of the iceberg, hon. Here’s another of my favorites: “This doesn’t concern you; it’s about content.” Oh, sure, thanks. I can use this time to rearrange the crayons on my desk.
Counselor: Monica, I have to say, I’m hearing a lot of anger from you.
Monica: You know how many years I put up with this crap? Feeling somehow tainted because I have a sense of composition and color and proportion?
I may read more than the word folks I work with, I may even have better news judgment, yet somehow because my right brain is very active, my left brain is suspect! I’m assumed to have fewer IQ points because I don’t see the news exclusively in terms of 9-point type. I’m less serious, less JOURNALISTIC, less competent. I’m UNFIT to be managing editor!
Counselor: So are you saying you’d like to be a managing editor?
Monica: Hell no. How boring would that be?
Counselor: So what do you want?
Monica: Er, uh, well, uh, I mean, uh —
Counselor: For once you are speechless.
Monica: Give me a minute.
Counselor: Take your time.
Monica: I want to be taken seriously.
Counselor: So that’s what you want from Roy. Is it possible that this goes well beyond Roy? That you want that from some other people too?
Monica: [quietly] I suppose it’s possible.
Counselor: Okay. We’re done for today. And I’ve got bad news: I have to charge you full price. The HMO says this isn’t a real problem.
