This content was published: September 24, 2008. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Heading off to one of the toughest editorial boards around
Photos and story by Dana Haynes
My boss got called out of town abruptly yesterday. Being an idiot, I asked, “Can I do anything while you’re gone?”
Yes, in fact, I could. She was supposed to sit down with the editorial board of Willamette Week today at 2 p.m. So now I’m sitting down with them.
Waiter, I’ll take two aspirin to go, please.
Don’t get me wrong. I know a lot of the folks at Willamette Week. We’re friends. I spent 20 years in Oregon newspaper newsrooms. We’re kindred. But they are notorious for being a tough, tough editorial board. They ask hard questions. They grind. They dig.
And, what’s worse is, I can’t ask for an endorsement! I can’t say, “Vote yes.” That’s totally inappropriate for me, because I’m a staffer. All I can do is present them with the information on workforce development, the long waiting lists to get into classes, the old technology in the classroom.
I’m not the advocate. I’m the information guy. And that makes the editorial board thing that much tougher.
I’m joking, mostly. It’ll be fine. And I’ll let y’all know how it goes tomorrow. But if I don’t post tomorrow, understand, I’ll be at home with an ice pack on my head.
Send your feedback to dana.haynes@pcc.edu. And thanks in advance.
About Dana Haynes
Dana Haynes, joined PCC in 2007 as the manager of the Office of Public Affairs, directing the college's media and government relations. Haynes spent the previous 20 years as a reporter, columnist and editor for Oregon newspapers, including ... more »