The fourth estate, know in common vernacular as modern ‘journalism’, has long been the steadfast guardians of free speech. But, as many of us arm chair media pundits have decried for far too long (I am a former journalist myself and my wife knows all to well from my near daily rants about the decline of the media… this without the influence of Noam Chomsky whom I’ve only read sparingly), journalism has become more about cash money, and less ado about free speech – particularly in the United States.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch has killed its own employee discussion forum on its intranet – because employees started to openly worry about the change of direction at the
“Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter and columnist Mark Holmberg says his posting on the company’s internal message board last week was the first time in about two years he’s used the online forum to share thoughts and concerns with co-workers.
Now the message board — what T-D staff call the “water cooler” — is no more. Last week executives suspended the intranet forum, however coincidentally, a day after Style Weekly published a July 12 cover story, “Truth and Consequences,” which detailed considerable anxiety at the paper since a new publisher and editor took charge.
In his posting, Holmberg pointed to First Amendment rights — freedom of speech and press — after identifying himself publicly as the unnamed “star reporter” referenced in the Style cover story. (He had expressed an interest in being interviewed by Style, but T-D management denied his request.)
The newspaper’s staff is under a gag rule: Reporters and editors may not comment on the T-D without obtaining permission from the publisher or executive editor, according to a “Media Policy” memo revised Dec. 13 and obtained by Style.
The memo instructs staff that if they are approached for interviews, they are to ask the reporter to submit questions in writing, and then follow a five-step approval process that includes the promotion manager, the publisher and a “strategy for responding.” (For the full text of the policy, go to www.styleweekly.com.)
According to phone calls and e-mails to Style from T-D insiders who asked that their names be withheld, employees learned at a newsroom meeting last week that the online message board was being shut down. When they returned to their desks it was gone.
“It’s an internal issue, and we’re not going to comment on it,” says Frazier Millner, promotion manager for the T-D. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Some employees interpret this latest move by management as an infringement of freedom of speech. Where employees were simply frustrated before, the messages relay, they are now “pissed off” and “stunned.”
Since the creation of the company Intranet more than a decade ago, the “water cooler” has been a venue whereby T-D newsroom staff could openly praise or pick apart each other’s work and offer comments on issues of interest.
Employees say they’ll look for other forums to express themselves, shifting internal conversations elsewhere. Meanwhile, one reporter notes the irony of the print business and the former message board that now reads: “Page not available.”
Darn shame.
I wonder if Fox News has an intranet discussion forum?!?