One Secret to Keeping a Job–KISS ASS
When I worked for the Tribune, I also knew that I would never really fit in at the Deseret News. It’s a WHOLE nuther atmosphere over there, something illustrated in GREAT BIG WHOLESOME MORMON FASHION for the world to see by columnist Doug Robinson.
He claims that Nielsen got what was coming to him, because you do not “bite the hand that feeds you.” Of course Robinson HIMSELF fails to note that the HAND THAT FEEDS him is the same hand. It is EXTREMELY hypocritical of him to admonish Nielsen to NOT BITE THE HAND, when Robinson HIMSELF is STROKING the hand just by writing the COLUMN.
Robinson writes:
There are a few long-standing, common sense rules to remember if you want to keep your job.
Never beat the boss at golf. Never fail to laugh at his jokes. Never yawn when he’s telling stories about his adorable kids. Never take his parking spot. And, oh yeah, don’t go to the newspaper and say something that challenges his agenda and supports his competition.
In other words, PLEASE KISS ASS.
I would like Robinson to give me ONE INSTANCE–that didn’t end up in a court battle–in recent years of an employee being fired because they gently disagreed with their employer’s stance. And that is what Nielsen did.
By TELLING their many members how to think, at, vote, and WHO TO MAKE A TELEPHONE CALL TO, the LDS Church is yet again dabbling in politics, and throwing their VERY BIG, very rich HAND into the mix, and guess what? That HAND IS GOING TO get slapped.
So keep stroking the hand, Doug. It doesn’t matter. The world at large sees it for what it is.
June 21st, 2006 at 9:37 am
God, this slays me. My job forbids me to not publicly spew my politics (I’d be standing on a street corner protesting the war if my job wouldn’t feel the repercussions.) Why? Because I have a very high profile job, in a very small coastal town. I will gladly tell you my view, my boss has no problem about that, but for me to say so in a public forum, suddenly becomes the stance of the station (and yes my boss is against the war.) I understand that, it doesn’t alway sit well with me, but as a “journalist” I know I need to publicly not take sides. That is the job of a journalist (I didnt’ say commentator, that is a whole different dish of fish. )
One problem here is that a publication owned by, well say a big political, religious organization has only one point of view, one self-serving function…and that is to serve the church. You’re all going DUH! Cele. So I am not shocked by such fawning, self-advancing proclaimations from Doug, because, while in a different life he might have been a journalist, while working for the big political, religious organziation this is the Church Paper he’s just a commentator of a slanted view.