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Courthouse News

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The 'Papa John' of Legal Reporting - Reporter Courthouse News Employee Review

1.0
22 Apr 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Not stuck in a newsroom or cubicle, as you work independently from any virtual office. Interesting and creative co-workers Flexible schedule, generous vacation and sick leave Interesting cases to cover, at times

Cons

Crappy equipment, no support when you need it--like not being able to file a story from a courtroom because of CNS server issues. My experience is that The CEO/Editor/Publisher is truly the 'Papa John' of legal reporting, in my opinion. There is little or no respect for the reporters who are not only expected to send daily reports from several courts per day, but they are also expected to break news stories for sub-standard, slave wages, around the clock. The job is considered 'part-time' so management does not have to pay for insurance, but management expects complete loyalty, 24/7, and CEO/Publisher/Editor changes his mind, on any given day, on what stories he deems newsworthy. Verbal abuse is quite common, via email, from management, and if you dare respond and stick up for yourself, you are told it will go in your 'file.' No joke. As well, from my experience, the word 'misogyny' is synonymous with this company's culture. If you are female and speak your mind, disagree with the CEO, or any of the male editors, managers, bureau chiefs, (I use that word editor, loosely, as most --not all--of them are not qualified to edit Ranger Rick magazine), you will be told that you are "combative" etc. It's a very 'frat-boy" oriented company, with the CEO as the frat president. If you have no experience as a news writer, or little experience, this is a great starter job, only if you do not expect a raise for the duration of your employment and you can deal with the CEO's nepotism, unprofessionalism and tantrums.

Explore other reviews about Courthouse News

5.0
24 Dec 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

All position tasks were done independently and with trust and support from management, positive client interactions as well as with court personnel, flexible hours during the day.

Cons

Not any cons during my employment

3.0
9 June 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The hours/pay/benefits are very generous. Management is very forgiving regarding time taken off. It's an incredibly equitable company. Filing the daily reports is straightforward.

Cons

I mean, look at the website and read the articles. Because of the owner's delusions of media grandeur, the company perceives itself as a major media outlet and expects accordingly of its employees but remains ignorant of the reality of modern media, including how things like Facebook work or how a website should look. This means that reporters are forced to cover and write stories that are both poorly edited and unread by any audience. It often feels like a child wearing grown-up clothes. This generally means that employees who work for Courthouse News without outside clips stay with the company for years, perhaps out of loyalty, but surely also out of necessity, as a CNS portfolio is not built to impress.

7
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