Re: Why Do I do stupid things.

[Joe]

I disagree Tony, I don't feel I deserved to be fired. Here is the full story. Before I continue, I am a News Photographer for a TV station. Here's the situation.

 

Ok, my brother earlier had asked me if I wanted to go out with him and his wife and I said yeah but would probably have to meet them because I would get off at 10 and they would be going out at about 9:30.

 

So that was that. I got paged at 2:40 and asked if I could go ahead and come in, which I normally come in at 4 so I would be going in an hour early. Great, works great for me. Be off at 9, and go with my brother and his wife. My station avoids working overtime, we just don't have the budget. Understandablem, so we go in an hour early we get off an hour early.

 

I go in at 3, do the things that needed to be done. Get in at 6:45 and the producer says there is something I had to go shoot in a small town that started at 9. He knew I came in an hour early, and I said "I had something planned tonight".

 

He said that was fine, shoot some town stuff and I would be done by 9. Before I left, twice he had told me that the video WOULD NOT be used for that nights' newscast. Twice he indicated that it would not be used for it. For two reasons.

 

1). It's a closed city council meeting, information couldn't be released until 72 hours later.

 

2). I can't be in the meeting, even if I was I would never get back in time to cut video.

 

So I go and shoot what had to be shot and called the producer and all I said was "got the video, bye". I had figured that since I did my duties for the day, nothing else was planned, I didn't have to take the video back.. afterall it was't going to be used that night.

 

By the time I got back to the station it would be time for me to get off work, and I figured that since the producer knew I came in an hour early I was to get off at 9. And I assumed that since we had earlier talked that I had plans he would of figured I went home. Afterall, on a number of occasions I just go home, nobody ever tells me when they leave.

 

So I figured why waste time and gas and go all the way out to the station when I'm not needed and I'll be off the clock, technically. So I went home, no problem as I've done this hundreds of times. I go out and get back and find out that not only did my station call my house, but my boss.

 

What the heck, so in the morning my assignment editor calls here's the conv.

 

AE: When was you going to bring the video back?

 

ME: I was told twice that the video wasn't going to be needed.

 

AE: Well, you never showed back up last night.

 

ME: Technically no, I had thought the producer would of figured that I went on home, afterall nothign else was left for me to do and since I came in an hour early I am off an hour early.

 

AE: Oh, well we was all worried that something happened. We actually called the highway patrol and sheriff to make sure you wasn't in an accident.

 

ME: Well, I discussed with the producer that I had something planned for when I got off work, and since I got off at 9 I didn't think he would think anything of it. Afterall when I've done that a 100 other times nobody cared.

 

So ok, my thing is this. I was told twice the video wasn't needed, if it was needed then they should of paged me. It was claimed that I was paged "numerous" times. Ok, I beg to differ. I had my pager with me the whole time I was out with my brother and his wife, I was not once paged.. at least I didn't get anything. Had I been paged, of course I would of responded. But I wasn't.

 

So this is the situation, now.. do you feel I should be fired? I think the fault lays in the hand of the producer just as it does mine. If the producer wants video, tell me.. don't tell me twice no then change your mind.

[Tony T]

I hope you don't get fired...and I suppose I am not in a position to know whether you should be fired or not because I'm not privy to your work habits or history.

 

But I have worked for two television stations in the 13th largest market in the United States and have been a correspondent for both the NBC and CBS network news divisions.

 

I can tell you that assignment editors and producers are busy, fickle and most of them have little time to accomodate individual employees. They just want the job done.

 

I can also tell you that most people in TV news are dedicated professionals who don't look at the clock and work because they love to and not because they have to put in 40 hours to get a pay check.

 

I certainly understand everything you said and in most businesses you would be absolutely, totally 100 percent correct in feeling you did right. But in the news business, when you're sent out on an assignment and you have a $50,000 video truck in your charge, you bring it back to the station, give the footage to the producer or appropriate editor, and check out like you're supposed to.

 

I have a feeling you may be in a smaller, more informal market, but I think you are starting to learn that the people you work with take their jobs seriously...and in the light of the latest terrorist events around the world they want to see your face before you get off work.

 

Make some rules for yourself. No matter what people at work tell you, show up 15 minutes before you're supposed to and be sure to stay until your shift is up and make sure everything is turned in and your equipment is ready for the next day.

 

Schedule all social events at times that will allow you to accomodate your work schedule first.