All businesses have been feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, but the pinch at Newsweek may be more than just the economy. Advertising revenue continues to drop while other publications like Time and The Economist are seeing their advertising dollars increase or at least remain steady. Many disgruntled employees believe that they know the reason for Newsweek’s struggles and her name is Tina Brown.
Tina Brown is one of the senior editors, but some believe that she acts like the only editor. Employees know to submit their stories near the end of the week to avoid too much interference from Brown. The other senior editors feel like she is overstepping her bounds at well, as they quit within hours of each other. The cause of this sudden upheaval seems to be a change in Brown’s luck. The editor has also been known to be very impulsive and exacting; however these traits no longer seem to be bringing the favorable results to Newsweek that they once brought.
However, it isn’t all uphill for Newsweek. Brown remains optimistic and some of the employees who had quit are now returning to Newsweek. Some employees find working at Newsweek dreadful while others enjoy it and praise Brown. This is reminiscent of a family who feverishly cleans their house before having guests over to create the appearance of cleanliness which they only see when preparing for company. Some workers at Newsweek may be creating a façade with happy faces and cheerful statements regarding their boss, while others may be more truthful. Although it is impossible to tell, some level of this is almost sure to be taking place.
Being aware of this situation can be beneficial when handling similarly difficult situations in life. People commonly change their answers to the same question to evoke a desired reaction out of the listener. This fact is particularly important when trying to collect information from your subordinates, for they are likely to try to please or impress you with their answers. This can cause them to be misleading and even tell outright lies. This effect often took place to some extent in the Newsweek office, for it is likely responsible for the vast differences in worker opinions of Brown.
Article:
Related:
Photo: Ziegler, Jonathon. Tina Brown. Photograph. Women's Wear Daily. 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. <http://www.wwd.com/media-news/print/tina-browns-rocky-days-5378680?full=true>.
No comments:
Post a Comment