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>Confession time: I am not actually THE “Ex-Tribber,” >if in fact that is one person and not a bunch of >people who happen to use the same umbrella pseudonym. >I used the pseudonym "ex-tribber" for two reasons 1). >I didn't care to come up with an oh-so-clever nickname >like Wood Steen. 2). I wanted to convey that I knew >what I was talking about. I figured the name was fair >game because it was a rather vague, but I’ll be more >careful about that in the future. > >As for why I left the Trib, it was a combination of >particular experiences that would have made human >resources cringe and journalism ethics professors >despair. I continue to read VoyForums and occasionally >post (under different pseudonyms each time) because I >still keep in contact with some of my former >co-workers, who I have the utmost respect for, and I >visit Pittsburgh often and have an interest in the >city, including the local newspapers. > >I know people at the PG seem to think anyone who stays >at the Trib simply doesn’t have any ethics or doesn’t >care about the integrity of journalism. While this may >be the case for some people there, I can assure you >that many of the people have, or at least started out >having, a great passion for the field of journalism >and would love to leave the Trib. But despite views to >the contrary, things aren’t as simple as just >quitting. I think people need to understand that the >Trib has the tendency to suck all life, passion and >human dignity from its employees. > >I have often compared working at the Trib to being in >an abusive relationship. I know from my experience and >talking to others who have left (and some that are >still there) that we were made to feel like we were >worthless and should be thankful the Trib hadn't fired >us. Between the nights you can't sleep, the nightmares >that someone somewhere would find fault with what we >you're doing and the dread of waking up in the >morning, it's hard enough to work up the energy to >make dinner let alone begin a job search. And then one >day, you might get a pat on the back or a note of >praise for working so hard, and you figure maybe >things aren't so bad. > >But eventually things get so bad for so long that >apathy and hopelessness turns into a desperate fire to >leave. Some people have been so desperate they take >large pay cuts (which is astounding considering how >little the Trib pays), turn to PR despite previously >despising the entire industry or simply quit with no >job in hand. In my case, I did none of those things. >It took me a while to leave (two years in fact after I >first started looking) because I vowed the Trib wasn't >going to win. I wasn't going to give them the >satisfaction of going to a smaller paper or leaving >the industry. I found a job with a newspaper company >that paid me more, was more respected and had >significant opportunities for job growth in addition >to many other benefits. > >I've been at the company for less than a year now, so >I still have something of a post-traumatic stress >disorder and I can't quite wrap my head around working >with professionals who treat their employees with >respect and dignity. Sure, people complain about >management here and sure there have been layoffs, but >if there's anything to be thankful to the Trib for, >it's that I'll never take a professional work >environment for granted. > > >>Confidential to Ex-Tribber. >> >>You fascinate me. You left the Trib how long ago -- >>no, I don't know who you are but your contributions to >>this board under your pseudonym have appeared for >>quite some time -- and still here you are, using a >>name that defines you in terms of a place it appears >>you despise. >> >>I read your postings and thus in one sense participate >>in your comments. So please don't get the idea I'm >>trying to do a job on you. I am not. In fact, I'm >>drawn to what you have to say. >> >>Did the Trib (or one of the people who run the place) >>do something in particular -- was there a >>precipitating moment -- or did you finally just have a >>bellyful? Was it an event or attrition or a combo? >> >>And how did life work out, afterward? >> >>I speak from experience. Not at the Trib but at >>another paper where one day I blew a gasket and quit. >>My level of rage scared me. Believe me, the business >>can do that and has to more than one person. >> >>Your case might be informative and useful to this >>board, especially to the youngsters. >> >>This is merely a request, and forgive me if I am being >>presumptuous.

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