There may be some interest in the fact I have left The Border Watch. This will be my only public statement.
When you hold a senior position in an organisation you learn to ride the bumps and take the rough with the smooth.
If you’re unhappy in a job you either put up with it, change the things that make you unhappy or leave.
I couldn’t change the things that were making me unhappy, so I chose to leave. I reflected on this while on holiday in January, and handed in my notice the day I returned to work.
The Border Watch is a very good newspaper with a proud history. It will be 150 years old next year.
The Border Watch is unique.
It’s the only paper I’m aware of that’s published four days a week.
It’s also the only paper I’m aware of that’s owned by a transport and fuel company.
There have been some things said and written in the past about issues that confronted my predecessors as editor.
Issues don’t arise every day and I don’t wish to exaggerate them; you’ll have to read the book for details.
At this stage I will simply point out the obvious — that when a company has diverse commercial interests there is a potential for conflict between those interests and the role of a newspaper.
When the core business of a newspaper’s parent company is not publishing, the people who run the parent company may be unaware of newspaper conventions or may choose to disregard them.
I have no axe to grind and no resentment. I simply concluded the culture is one I can’t change and it’s not one I want to be involved with as an editor.
As to the future, I have several options to consider over the next fortnight. One of these is to stay in Mount Gambier and work as a freelance journalist and consultant in public relations and website development.
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I am sad to read this Michael, and I’m sure your loss as an editor will greatly influence readers’ opinions, of how the community of Mount Gambier interpret the reasons.
I for one will miss all the valuable contributions you made, the forward thinking, and the changes you made … and the challenges … changing attitudes is difficult enough without the conflict.
Whatever you choose to do in the future, I know you will do it well.
Good luck Michael!
Maybe “Social Darwinism” is not so impossible, after all.
Michael, since you became the editor of TBW and particularly since you developed its on-line presence, I would now rate TBW the best regional newspaper I have come across. Your coverage is up to date with if not leading news coverage, and your editorial is considered and balanced.
A job well done for which you have left some rather large boots to fill!
I look forward to following your future media / literary pursuits.
Well, good luck on your journey, Michael.
Michael, sorry to hear this, but I know that you are a person who has very strong convictions, and compromising your integrity just to stay in a job *would* make you miserable.
Good luck to you, but you know what? Its all good, and just one more step on the path. You’ll be able to do anything you want to.
I think it sometimes takes as much courage to quit something than to keep on going with it.
I second with Sue says….
Twitter: mgorey
says:
Thanks for the comments. It’s amazing how liberated I feel in relation to blogging.
As an editor you have to choose your words and issues carefully.
I also have more time at the moment, but hopefully that’s a short-term phenomenon.
Hi Michael,
Sorry to hear things didn’t work out at Mt Gambier. There are always some things that are intolerable – and I reckon for a journalist unreasonable editorial interference is top of the list. You can cope with someone having a different idea about how you should do things if their reasons are based on their view of what the readers want or are based on good journalistic principles. It is difficult to cope with someone seeing the paper as something to be used for other purposes.
I’ll keep you in mind if I need anything followed up down that way.
Carlene
Twitter: mgorey
says:
Thanks for verifying my rural work to Stock Journal, Carlene. I’m doing my first job for them tonight.
I think I’ll enjoy writing again.
I heard about you leaving ‘The Border Watch’ a few weeks ago, from other people, although I only read this post yesterday.
Like many other people who have commented, I will be sad to see you leave.
There was a definite improvement in quality of the newspaper under your editorship; hopefully who-ever your successor is will continue with this and build-on your good work.
I wish you well in whatever the future holds for you.