I probably need to stop talking about work on my blog. I know. But work is basically all I do, and my identity as a journalist (albeit a lowly visual journalist, heh heh) is central to who I am. These questions of fairness and semantics and editing and community interaction are worth talking about. I don’t think journalists talk enough about why we make the decisions we make, or what happens when the people in charge make decisions we disagree with. Does the public really know how hard-fought newsroom decisions can be? My suspicion is no. Do they care? I don’t know. But I do.
I’m just a bit paranoid that the things I write about work are going to be misconstrued as pure bitching sessions. They’re absolutely not. They’re more than that. They’re a way for me to try to get a handle on what we do as an institution and as an important node in the community. They’re a way for me to express my (sometimes unpopular) views on how we handle certain stories. They’re a way for me to work through my role in the newsroom. Sometimes I kind of feel like an unofficial ombudsman. I like picking apart why we do what we do.
So I guess maybe just as a precaution, I need to start locking work posts. I’m paranoid that the things I write here are going to be used against me, even if I obviously wouldn’t write anything I wouldn’t argue to someone’s face. I have a mortgage to pay and I actually like my job and would kick myself were to be removed from it for blogging about it. But I’ve never pretended to NOT be outspoken — hell, I was hired even after my bosses found my blog by googling me in 2004, and was waaaaay more openly confrontational and outspoken back then — and it’s important to me to be able to discuss these issues here, since it’s my only real outlet.
I’m sure you can tell I’ve got a fair bit of inner turmoil churning over this. The easiest thing would just be to clam up and stop blogging altogether, right? But I can’t. I really, honestly can’t. And I don’t want to.
They probably hired you for the same chutzpah you’re scared of being fired for – as long as you keep it off of the official site (and I STILL don’t see what the hell you said that could be construed as bitchy), I wouldn’t worry about it. They seem to respect your blog as your space, especially since you have a tendency to make it very clear that everything you write in here in your opinion. The CA is nothing if not liberal, and the serious upside to that is that they’re extremely unlikely to do anything to you at work based on your blog. Especially given that you just won those awards. You’re good at your job. You’re just not so good at the whole “unbiased journalism” thing. Neither am I, so I kind of understand where you’re coming from.
I’d been wondering what the CA thought about your blog. I think you make it perfectly clear that your blog is your own opinion and I thoroughly enjoy reading about your work & particularly appreciate the feminist perspective. I’d understand if you had to stop blogging about work, but as a regular reader, I sure would miss it.
S, I hope you’re right. :)
C, Thanks! That’s awesome to hear.