To Err is Human

To be a journalist, it takes more than having a love of writing and talking to interesting people. With all the ups, like with any profession, there are some downs. Keep in mind, I love my job. I

wouldn't trade it for anything. That doesn't mean there aren't days I don't want to tear my eyes out.

For some reason if you're a journalist, I have found, the public doesn't think you're human. It's probably because all they see is a name and a story. So since they don't think you're human, people can't BELIEVE when you make an error.

STOP THE PRESS! We have a journalist who's human and makes mistakes? That's front page news if you ask me.

I vent this to you because I want to write for the record that I am human and the past couple days at work have been horrendous because I made mistakes that I let slip through my fingers.

I wrote a story about a city's budget and how the community center they built is $1 million in a deficit. I misquoted the city manager in regard to the city budget general fund and the role it played with the community center. I don't really have an explanation for my mistake except I didn't read the story before I
sent it off to be copy-edited. When the assistant to city manager called me and related the mistake to me, I apologized and told her I would make a correction. Of course I got nothing but a condescending attitude from her. Why do people who are employed by cities think
they're so much better? And why do they think and expect me to be perfect?

Of course I know journalists are held to a higher standard of accuracy, but when mistakes do happen. When they do, is it really necessary to be condescending and rude? Really?

There were a couple other indiscretions this week that hit the stands. They were small, but big enough to aggravate the public. As a journalist you have to learn to let the meanness of people just roll off your back, because if you hold on to it, you'll never be productive.