An Unfortunate Subheading

The top story on the front page of the Washington Examiner's Sept. 29 edition contains a perfect example of what we were taught NOT to do in J-school.

(edited to add)

I wish I could have been in the newsroom to hear the conversation about that. Wonder what was going through the copyeditor's mind...

Here I go again!

It's been a while, I know.

My commute, job and the cares of a new house have been taking up most of my time. But, these things have provided me with outlets for my writing and editing. As mentioned before, my job is largely editing. But freelancing for a local quarterly and blogging for the local paper keeps my hand in journalism. My most last assignment for the magazine didn't even require me to do much of anything more than what I do every day -- ride the train.

I'd like to do more writing though - and get paid for all of it. Maybe when I get my life back on a regular schedule, I'll be able to look into other media outlets and pitch stories.

I'm keeping my eyes open and jotting down ideas.

Making the Big Bucks

Well, not really. But I am now a member of the salaried workforce. Remember the interview I mentioned two post ago?

Yeah, I got the job.

So these days, I get up at 5 a.m., commute an hour and 45 minutes to and from work in D.C. every day, and when I get home at around 7 p.m., I eat, pick out my clothes and lunch for the next day, and go unconscious until the morning.

And THAT's why I haven't posted in a month. That, and the fact that I'm doing well to keep up with the blog I'm under contract to write, let alone this one and the other personal blog I have. But it's temporary; I'm getting used to my new life schedule, so I should be back on track with regular posting soon.

Thanks for your patience!

When is a chimp not a chimp?

The flap over the Feb. 18 New York Post political cartoon by Sean Delonas is a strong argument for critical thought and pre-publication editorial review of images and implications of their associated meanings, both current and historical.

I can understand the Post's editor's insistence that the drawing was not meant to be racist and was intended to be commentary on two hot news issues. What I do not understand is how THAT particular illustration made it past the editors and copy editors in the first place given the manner in which the issues were juxtaposed.

History professor Jelani Cobb at Spelman College commented in a CNN.com article:

" 'When I looked at it, there was no getting around the implications of it," Cobb said. "Clearly anyone with an iota of sense knows the close association of black people and the primate imagery.' "


It may not have been intended to be racist, but it seems to demonstrate at least blatant ignorance.

In the same article:

"Cartoonist John Auchter of the Grand Rapids Business Journal in Michigan said Delonas had to expect people to be offended.

'The racial connotation of what he drew, it's really silly that either he or his editors couldn't anticipate that [reaction],' Auchter said. 'When I think about all the things that are thrown around here with the accusations of being racist ... that is one of the things as a cartoonist you have to be aware of -- what you're doing and that you know things are going to be taken that way. You are the first-line editor.' "

Both the chimpanzee attack story and criticism of the stimulus are newsworthy and are justifiable subjects for political cartoonists, but should have been (in my opinion) handled in separate frames.

It is said (I paraphrase), those who are ignorant of the mistakes of the past are bound to repeat them. Let us grant that the cartoonist and none of the editors were somehow blind to ramifications of the associations and parallels drawn (no pun intended) in the picture. Still, the ensuing uproar resulting from its publication, definitely highlights the need for diversity in the newsroom, not merely in terms of the actual race or ethnicity of the personnel, but also in their cultural fluency.

As a copyeditor, I believe it is my duty to the reader to make sure that words or images do not convey inaccurate or unintended meanings, so I keep aware of the current and historical uses of terms, phrases and images, both in the U.S. and internationally, as well as their etymology and origins. I know I can't know everything, but I try. Fortunately for me, it's a pleasant task, since I'm all sorts of curious about other cultures, languages and idiomatic communications other than my own.

See also: Bob Steele's article and Keith Woods' article at the Poynter Institute's website

Waiting for good dough

On Monday, I had an interview for a contract position as a technical writer for a government agency in DC. The appointment was with the project manager, who is actually an employee of a consulting agency. She seemed pretty impressed with my sparkling personality, intelligent questions and obvious enthusiasm.

So my recruiter says. He thinks I have a good shot at receiving an offer. But then, he may be a teeny bit biased in my favor because he has a soft spot for my alma mater. I'm just hoping my somewhat flawed results of the Word proficiency test (formatting a sample government doc) won't count too badly against me. I'm just a little rusty, not improficient. (Yes, it is too a word! I know, because I just made it up.)

If I am hired, I actually will be working for the consulting agency rather than a government employee, which is kind of disappointing in that I will have none of those lovely perks, but I'm hoping that perhaps there will be more flexibility in the private firm. Taking this job also means a long commute, which makes for an even longer day. But since I'll be on the train, I'll have time to read, nap or work on other writing projects.

The fact that it's a long-term contract position means that it isn't a career-track job; however, this will give me the chance to try out a different type of writing and editing on a larger scale than to what I've been accustomed to see if I like it better than journalism. Plus, the proposed salary range starts higher than the upper limit of the range I had been asking for in other applications for employment.

And that in itself, my friends, is a strong reason to accept the job offer.

Why I'm not moving

With my recent and ongoing unemployment woes, many of my friends and family asked me, "Why don't you go to where the jobs are?" -- 'where the jobs are' meaning New York City to them. I seriously had considering relocating, despite the city's reputation for high expenses, at least until my savings dwindled to the point of barely making my rent beyond any hope of moving. But my hesitation to plunk myself down in Gotham to look for work without actually already having some kind of income has been completely justified.

An article posted on the New York Daily News Web site this afternoon reports that to be considered a member of the financial middle-class, one has to make a six-figure salary. The writer cites evidence from a report* by the Center for an Urban Future that the high cost of living is the reason. It turns out that the money I have been living on for the last six months would have held out for only six weeks in the Big Apple.

I think I'll stay put a little longer, especially since I'm scheduled for my first interview since November.


* This links to a PDF of the report findings.

This is why "new media" rocks

On my daily perusal of the headlines, I came across a link to this on the NYT website. It's a panoramic picture of President Obama's inauguration made up of thousands of individual shots. I zoomed in in various spots and could actually see members of the crowd in detail.

When I checked out the former First Lady up in the podium seats, I nearly choked thinking that she had the nerve to be wearing a sweatshirt to the event. (I know it was wicked cold, but that's what wool coats are for.) But I zoomed in some more and relaxed when I realized it was a nice, collarless coat. I think.

But coming back to the overall picture (pun intended), this could be an excellent time-waster or a way to prove that you (or friends) were there.

On the other hand, it's a little bit unsettling, in a "they're watching you" kind of way.

Still, technology like this is a fascinating news-telling tool, allowing us to see both the scope and the details of a scene. Imagine the impact of and reaction to pictures of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, London, Berlin or anyplace else during the Second World War, of the Million Man March, of scenes in Iraq or Afghanistan, of the Grand Canyon, or the submerged Titanic.

How many words would such a picture be worth?

Wow.

New gig

It looks like I may be starting another blog, this time for the local paper. It's unpaid (sad face), but it gets my name out there (I hope) and keeps me in the habit of and accountable in my writing and reporting. There's actually some kind of contract I have to read sign and return, which I shall pore over to see if I agree with the terms.

I'd better be careful about overextending myself; I still need to make time to do more job-hunting, despite the freelancing and the temp job I think I will be starting sometime next week, if all goes well. The bills are coming due and I am going broke.

To paraphrase a quote from the film "Short Circuit": Need income!

Yeah. I'm kind of a nerd.

Obama is a rockstar

Today, I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States and the first African American to hold the office via various live streams (CNN.com, Yahoo.com courtesy of ABC, and the BBC.com) and was amazed at the proceedings.

Of course, the obvious moment of history-in-the-making was not lost on me, but the rockstar reception for Mr. Obama as he took his place before reciting the oath of office surprised me. I suppose I should not have been surprised, as it seems the "O-BA-MA!" chant has become almost de rigueur at his appearances.

Notwithstanding, the apparent orderliness of the crowd surprised me even more. Yes, I know the security was tight and it was COLD, but I like to think that nobody wanted to ruin the once-in-a-lifetime occasion for themselves or anyone else. I'm sure there were moments of unruliness and there may have been protestors out there somewhere; in fact, I desperately hope that if there were, the news outlets covered them, too. Just because the inauguration seems to have been the moment 'everyone' had been waiting for, it's no excuse for limiting all aspects of coverage to only the picturesque images of public inspiration.

And most of all, I was pleasantly surprised to see and hear President Obama stumble a little as he repeated Chief Justice Roberts' recitation of the words of the oath of office. Right then, Mr. Obama appeared a little excited, nervous and as perfectly human and flawed as everyone else. It heartened me to be reminded that whatever his confident exterior is at any other time, he's just a guy with a really important job, and that he needs a lot of support (in addition to much-needed and guaranteed criticsm) to perform it well. Regardless of what anyone says about his predecessor, Mr. Bush, that is also what I liked about him. Yes, I laughed at his gaffes and yes, I was indignant at his apparent arrogance, but the fact that he acknowledged and all but embraced his flaws, allowed me to have a little more compassion for the man than many of my acquaintances did.

Mr. Obama is not perfect; he is not the answer to all our problems or the savior of the U.S. and the world. He might be a rockstar, but as we all know, rockstars have problems of their own (see also Axl Rose, Metallica, Michael Jackson, Ozzy, Elton John, etc). Let's not put him on too high a pedestal, so we won't be too angry at how far he falls in our estimation and so he can't lose touch with the people he has sworn to serve.

At least they're still employed

The New York Times reported on its Web site today that Gannett, the parent company of USA Today, will be sending thousands of its employees home for a week without pay. This decision, coming as it does amidst an industry-wide economic shake-up, is part of the company's strategy to cut costs without cutting staff. Even Craig A. Dubow, the chairman, president and chief executive of the company is not exempt.

I almost applied to one of the Gannett papers, but didn't because I would have had no way to get to or from work. Although it seems that "last hired, first fired" will be inapplicable in this situation (so far), perhaps for me it's all for the best in terms of my personal development.

You know, the whole building confidence, taking initiative, truly knowing one's capabilities and talents thing?

Yeah, that.

First freelancing assignment!

One evening a couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the office of a local quarterly magazine to ask about the freelance opportunities I saw mentioned on its website. The graphic designer, who was the last person left in the office, gave me the editor's business card and advice on how and when best to contact her.

I followed her advice, sending off an e-mail query on Dec. 30, after the publication deadline for the last issue along with clips of my work.

Yesterday, the editor called, raving approvingly about my clips, particularly the somewhat twisted nut graf of one of my magazine articles. She interviewed me over the phone and gave me two assignments on the spot with a February deadline and asked if I would consider copyediting as well.

The sun broke through the clouds, warming the earth into spring with birdsongs and blooms; the angels began to sing and I rose into the sweet, rose-scented air.

OK, not really, but that's how I felt.

This morning my editor (I can say that now!) sent me the contact information for my subject, and I called to make interview appointments. One my subjects still hasn't returned my call, but that's fine; I'll phone tag her next week. The other said, "How about in half an hour?" And that, my friends, is why you should always dress for work even when you are working from home. I showered and dressed in record time, and got to the location just in time. Lucky me, it was within walking distance from home.

On the way, while I was scribbling away in my notebook, jotting down questions to ask, the president of the local chapter of the NAACP stopped me, pegging me for a journalist and gave me information about upcoming events. I think he hopes I will cover the events or otherwise report on them. I just might, pitching it to the local paper as a stringer assignment.

AND, at the interview site, the publisher of the magazine showed up. We were introduced by my interview subject, which was a little AWKWARD! (The publisher didn't know I'd been brought on yet.) But it was all good.

Now, after the interview, I just have to write the article (a short one) but first, I have to find the "so what?"-- the story that's hidden in all the information.

Plausible plagiarism?

Yesterday, the New York Times posted a story on its Web site about a well-known inspirational writer, Neale Donald Walsch, who admitted to plagiarizing an essay written ten years ago by Candy Chand about her son's Christmas pageant.

In his defense, according to the NYT article, Walsch says that "over the years I had it memorized" and "internalized it as my own experience" and that "I am chagrined and astonished that my mind could play such a trick on me."

Chand's response: “Quite frankly, I’m not buying it.”

And you, Dear Reader: are you buying his explanation?

How likely is it to you that any adult, let alone a professional writer, could fall victim to such a mental trick? I'm not asking if it's possible (the mind is an amazing, mysterious and powerful organ), but if it's plausible.

Considering other options

Nearly all my life, family members and friends have told me I'd make an excellent teacher. Of course, I doubted and denied any such possibility. After all, just because they think I'd be good at something doesn't mean I'd like it.

I'm having second thoughts now.

The reason everyone believes that "ME = great teacher," is because I spent a lot of time doing just that -- teaching in some form. In high school, I was a tutor. One of my jobs in college was as a writing coach. Preschoolers, kindergarteners and children up to third grade were my charges at church. I was even a private tutor/teacher for two elementary-level children. I even trained new employees at several of my jobs. Somehow, I always seem to end up teaching somebody something.

That, and the fact that I have, as one friend says, "the patience of God." (Sweet of him to say so, although I know better!)

Perhaps the solution is not to go back to school for teacher certification so I can teach at a public school or teaching at a private school. Traditional teaching takes up a person's entire life -- that's why it's considered a calling, not just a career (many of my friends and several family members are/were teachers) -- and I admit to being too selfish to make that kind of commitment to other people's kids. However, being a teacher's aide or assistant might be just the ticket. And depending on the class, I'd still get to work with words in a kind of editing capacity.

Hm...