The start of the end? Already?

03-07-08

I had another strong Thursday and early Friday. I got a great story and leads on several other strong ones. The few people aware of the paper's existence were all pumped at what I did. One AD told me that my new paper was a joke and he was glad I was there to make it better. One coach asked if the "guy" still worked there and laughed at his experience with him. Another coach said she had never heard of the paper. The Rocky River school pr lady was thrilled with the paper. She said she bought four copies on her own and was so proud of me.

When I got to work I learned they print 800 of the main paper. About 400 of them go to newstands and the rest are given mostly to old folk homes and some to schools. The other three papers have 200, 65 and 65 copies distributed to newstands. I was shocked at the low numbers.
About 35 of the main papers are mailed in bulk. But the guy told me he never mailed last week's because I had moved up his deadline. I asked his stories be done Monday. He did one. He spent all of Monday and Tuesday morning writing a second. Never bothered with the rest. So I don't understand why he couldn't mail the papers. Turns out he mails papers on Friday- why I don't know since the paper gets returned on Wednesday night. I guess that is what happens when you have the guy whose is supposed to mail them doesn't have his own car. Well he missed today's bulk deadline of noon so no one will get this week's papers either.

Unreal.

Yesterday all the woman had to say about the paper was to complain about how one ad looked. I pointed out it looked fine on the pdf and showed her. The printer told me it was a problem with the pdf provided by the company, she showed me what to do to fix it. The woman got mad because I told her all she said was negative and it would not hurt her to be positive. She started yelling. I told her I understand you yell at everyone else who works here but that doesn't work with me. Oh she was offended. She said she can yell at me all she wants and I am sensitive. And she never yells at anyone else. I told her I worked hard for her. I worked 50 hours so I was making less than 7 bucks an hour. I told her she was paying the guy more than that yet he can't write his four stories and get the paper out. Oh was she mad.

So today I was in the office for an hour. The big snow had started. I couldn't do much work because the dial up was too slow and I was way ahead anyway. I left to go to city hall in Rocky River. The guy wanted me to sign out where I went when I wasn't there. I said no way. I was getting paid salary and as long as the paper came out -- who cares where I worked from. They had my cell phone if they needed me.

So I am with the mayor when she calls. I tell her where I am and tell her I will call her back. She said well thought we had a meeting scheduled. We didn't and anyway she didn't even come in. She then yelled at me over the phone. Accused me of being rude to her and being a bad boy. She said I was disrespectful and I made demands. I asked her to tell me one demand I had made. She went on and one but the 7 dollar an hour comment. She said I was never in the office. I said I was there until 4:30am the first week and got there at 5am the second week. She said that is your job. She said I lied about being able to do layout. I said if I can't do layout how did the paper get out two weeks in a row. She said the paper was worse then before I got there

Stab me in the heart.

She has no clue what a joke her paper has become. She said I knew nothing about newspaper and I better improve soon or else.

I asked what that means. She just said it over and over.

So in my mind, I think I quit. I don't need this. I am so close to my dream but I can't live with these people. It is too much. I am not being miserable for $350 a week with no benefits and no appreciation for what I am doing. I will finish the issue I started and then stop unless another miracle happens. When I interviewed they said I could take off the first two Fridays to go to my brother's conference tournament and the first round of the NCAA D3 playoffs. I didn't go the first week because I had so much to do. And the storm scared me off from going the second week. I sacrificed family for someone who doesn't care.

I talked to the once a week ten dollar freelancer and she said they go through people like me like water. She said she really wanted me to stay. I told her she was vastly underpaid and could get work elsewhere. She said there was a new ad person but when they refused to pay her she quit. I figure I will never see a dime from this and then she will damage my rep even further. The two weeks proved this is what I should be doing or at the very least just writing features but I can't live like this. Working unreal hours only to be abused for nothing.