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Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Rumor has it “Blasphemy” is banned at The Enquirer
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Being an established media activist, I hear all kinds of rumors. And, depending on their nature, and how credible I find the individuals who pass these things along, sometimes I use them as springboards for inquiry, and sometimes I just run with the stories to see where they lead. This latest is about a poor Enquirer employee who had decorated her cubicle—trying to bring humor to a dreary office environment—and who found herself at the focus of anonymous complaints that forced her to remove decorations from her workspace!
Allegedly, our poor hero works in the newsroom, but is not a reporter. She was e-mailed by her supervisor and told to take down the following decoration:
It’s pretty common for employees to decorate drab cubicles. And while the employer has the right to dictate how their offices can or cannot be decorated, usually people are permitted to do their own thing. You know, in the spirit of free speech—a staple of the news industry.
Anyway, the alleged e-mail from Enquirer management stated that an anonymous co-worker complained about the poster, and found it “offensive.”
Reportedly, the worker wasn’t told who complained, the exact nature of the complaint, or given a chance to appeal—she just had to remove it. That’s well within the newspaper’s rights, of course, but as one employee said, “Ninety-five percent of what we publish in the paper every day is offensive, and we do it anyway.”
The whole thing seems kinda silly to me, and shows how knee-jerk and reactionary the paper is. Instead of being concerned about substantive issues (like news quality), they get their shorts twisted over this.
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02 Jul 2008 at 09:42 pm | #
Every large employer that I’ve worked for has had a policy banning the display of material of a sexual, political, religious nature or anything else someone could deem offensive. Particularly those employers that host clients. In addition, they have policies for e-mail communication and appropriate use of their computers. We’re not allowed, even on casual dress days, to wear t-shirts that display similar subjects. If I had my way I would post in my workspace my favorite picture of George Bush with a knife buried in his head. I find that an uplifting and fun image. Others might find it offensive and that could cause tension and affect the work environment, with or without an official policy. It could also impact a client. So, instead I have it on the wall of my home office. People need to grow up, pick their battles and realize they are on company property. In this economy and the competition for jobs, that’s not a wise battle to fight. Unless you’re a trust fund kid and working just for the hell of it, there are few people today that have such unique and marketable skills that they can tell an employer to go get (hold your ears and cover your eyes Justin) f*#@ed over something as silly as a poster.
02 Jul 2008 at 10:35 pm | #
Did the employee give you permission to write this story? If yes, she probably wants to collect unemployment for the summer. If no, you just showed some egregious behavior that may likely cause her some problems. Either way - it’s not newsworthy anywhere
02 Jul 2008 at 10:44 pm | #
The story was not brought to me by an Enquirer employee. But I believe my source credible. No, I won’t tell you who!
04 Jul 2008 at 08:33 am | #
from cincsuz.
If I had my way I would post in my workspace my favorite picture of George Bush with a knife buried in his head. I find that an uplifting and fun image. Others might find it offensive and that could cause tension and affect the work environment....
Suz, are you serious?
From an intelligent and accomplished person such as yourself, I think that remark is quite immature. As much as I despised Clinton and Carter, I would have never made such a remark about them or even Hillary or Obama.
Plus - to display such a photo might warrant a personal visit from the U.S. Secret Service.
18 Jul 2008 at 11:28 pm | #
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Careful Dean, the ‘right wing’ extremists have stated a lightning bolt is headed your way ?
PRAISE the LORD !
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