Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Fluff publications die naturally

The problem with being editor for a fluff publication of a company paper was control of content. Writers not submitting articles by deadline was another - but that was at least something every editor had to deal with. When one is caught between what management wants published and what everyone else wants to see in the damn paper, journalistic freedom goes to shit.
You've got the creative ideas from the writers and the contributors which you naturally nod to. And then you've got the veto powers from up high - which you must nod to. Nodding both ways hurts the neck. I could have been dictatorial about it, but that would have taken the fun out of the whole thing. That was half the reason we were slaving away extra unpaid hours of work anyway. Plus, I'm crap at dictatorship. I'm more for the collaboration, and seeing the kick everyone gets when our babies come out of press.
I worry about the future of that publication, mainly because I know so much could have been done with it and so many people look forward to it. The light-hearted who wish to be entertained go straight to the back and check to see if their pictures (or those of the objects of their affections) are on the "social party page". The rest get fed with front page company charts and updates and the usual recognition articles on pages three to four. The intellectuals in need of a good read head for the really great column on page five. Is it scary I still know the pagination layout by heart?
The prime-evil thought in my head is I'm glad it died with me and the guys I worked with.
I'd hate to see some remaining nefarious individuals take up the banner of publication. They would on the pretense of having the interests of the masses as their prime concern when in reality, the paper is just another pet project coated with emails and meetings they can use to pad their resumes when aiming for the next step up the ladder...To whoever comes next as editor, I wish you more success with it than I had. To the asswipe popularity contestants...you can take my last issue and shove it up yer drunk asses.

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