Not only did her boss see the note, but it was accidentally sent to every client in four states. When a newspaper is interviewing a possible new editor, the reporters are on the phone in a flash, calling other reporters in newsrooms where the editor worked before. If he or she gets hired, the story in the paper the next day won t be nearly as juicy as the story put together for their own use. When I was in St. Paul, I had had one dinner with Steve Newhouse and within two days, everyone in my newsroom knew about it. By the time I arrived in Washington, the reporters at the bureau had dug up everything about me but my birth certificate.
Reporters are kvetchers as a matter of profession and storytellers by nature.
The best papers in the world can t cover themselves. Reporters are the most frantic about their image and you can never get them to put their name on a quote. It s a good place to get a good firm whack against your boss. I have made cold calls into The Washington Post newsroom and gotten help from complete and total strangers. Even good news is hard to keep secret.