Jobs

I was a reporter for this newspaper and was absolutely appalled by how badly its two managing editors treated me and my co-workers!

It seems as if they hire reporters with only a year of experience and expect award-winning articles that only someone with at least five-10 years of experience is capable of producing (they want people who turn in excellent work, but they don't want to pay the salary that a more experienced reporter requires). They also force you to work 12 hour days.

The male managing editor is a bully who uses intimidation and humiliation tactics on anyone he thinks isn't succeeding (on one evening, he LOUDLY threatened my job in front of all of my co-workers). With a very nasty tone of voice, he micro-manages and nitpicks every little thing, and he even had the nerve to imply I wasn't smart enough to have a college degree. The female editor, meanwhile, acts like someone who may not be mentally or emotionally stable and throws the"F" word around the office like confetti, something which I personally found very offensive! On one evening, she asked me a question and I tried to respond but she kept interrupting, and for every time I tried to talk, she kept yelling at me louder and louder in front of the entire staff because she didn't like my answer. Things got so heated at one point that I actually believed she was going to hit me.

I can understand why I might deserve this sort of treatment if I came to work with a bad attitude and treated my bosses with disrespect, but that was hardly the case–I was courteous and respectful to everyone and always showed up on time. They could have dealt with me on a more professional level if they weren't satisfied with my performance, but they chose not to (bosses I've had before and since ALWAYS act professionally with workers who aren't measuring up–usually behind closed doors). BTW, I've worked for other newspapers where I received excellent evaluations.

I found another job and got out of the Athens Banner Herald as soon as I could. Other reporters followed my lead. I've been told by my sources that nothing has changed since I left and the two demented managing editors are still treating the new reporters just as badly as they treated me. I've also been told horror stories about reporters who were there before I was.

People who work in the journalism business also warned me not to work for Morris, the corporate company that owns ABH, but I ignored them and later regretted it!

These two managing editors demeaned and degraded me and tried to rob me of my self-worth........fortunately, they didn't succeed, because I have since gone on to a job where my hard work earns me respect (and pays better)!

Bottom line: DO NOT WORK FOR THE ATHENS BANNER HERALD!