Opportunity to do great things; squanders it with outdated policies and practices
Pros
The only pro is that overall the staff was friendly
Cons
Where to start? Outdated practices regarding work life/office culture. The publisher absolutely didn't want folks working from home and would openly express disdain for those that did. The office culture was nonexistant, but I think he wanted to actively hear people on calls or see them typing. Very micromanaging-- aren't reporters supposed to be on the go in the field? Why does it make you nervous when they aren't at a desk? No editorial support or process. They didn't give assignments and would look to reporters to come up with all the stories. Not that pitching isn't a normal expectation but it seemed like the editors didn't really know what was going on. Also never received notes/feedback or have the opportunity to view/comment on edits after handing off my draft, and oftentimes the editors would introduce errors into my story that my sources/subjects would be angry with me for. Diversity is nonexistent and the few folks of color on staff always felt uncomfortable there.
