Reporters generally respond favorably to intelligent questions, calmly stated. Copy desk chief occasionally asks a rimrat to lay out page or help in the slot. I usually assist in the slot, particularly with local-front stories, and paginate when absolutely necessary. There is no compensation. Our only strength is the ability, so far, to survive the daily crush of work without any horrifying errors making it into the paper.
Dissatisfaction is high, morale low.
Nobody does really good work. It's a disaster. Copy desk chief, a couple of ACEs. Late 20s to mid 50s, with a bulge in the mid 30s. It's old, creaky, occasionally slow and no longer supported by the manufacturer, but a good system.