be nice to people

[excerpts from the New York Times]


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The New York Times dismissed Jill Abramson as executive editor on Wednesday, replacing her with Dean Baquet, the managing editor, in an abrupt change of leadership.


Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of the paper and the chairman of The New York Times Company, told a stunned newsroom, that had been quickly assembled, that he had made the decision because of "an issue with management in the newsroom."


Ms. Abramson, 60, had been in the job only since September 2011.  As a leader of the newsroom, she was accused by some of divisiveness...


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People in the company briefed on the situation described serious tension in her relationship with Mr. Sulzberger, who was concerned about complaints from employees that she was polarizing and mercurial.  She had also had clashes with Mr. Baquet.


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Ms. Abramson had recently engaged a consultant to help her with her management style.


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In accepting the job, Mr. Baquet, 57, made several promises to the staff in the newsroom.


"I will listen hard, I will be hands on, I will be engaged.  I'll walk the room," he said.  "That's the only way I know how to edit."





Mr. Baquet thanked Ms. Abramson, who was not present at the announcement, for teaching him "the value of great ambition" and then added that John Carroll, whom he worked for at The Los Angeles Times, "told me that great editors can also be humane editors."


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[excerpts from POLITICO.COM)


In recent months, Abramson has become a source of widespread frustration and anxiety within the Times newsroom. 


More than a dozen current and former members of the editorial staff...described her as stubborn and condescending, saying they found her difficult to work with.  If Baquet had burst out of the office in a huff, many said, it was likely because Abramson had been unreasonable.


"Every editor has a story about how she's blown up in a meeting," one reporter said.  "Jill can be impossible," said another staffer.


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Months into the job, reporters and editors once again took notice of what they described as Abramson's brusque approach, which had become only more pronounced....


Every New York Times executive editor has demonstrated the ability to cut someone off at the knees, sources acknowledge, but Abramson did it with a frequency that was demoralizing to almost everyone involved.


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...Some think Abramson's dismissive tone may even be inadvertent.  "I don't know if she realizes how condescending she can be," one staff member said.


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The condescension is often noted by others present at meetings.  On at least one occasion, sources said, an editor has privately approached Abramson to recommend she apologize to the offended party.


On other days, Abramson seems disengaged from the newsroom.  "When Jill is engaged, no one was better.  She's an incredible journalist," one former staffer said.  "But as often as not, she can be totally absent.  There are days when she acts like she just doesn't care."


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"The whole point of leadership is to make people feel good about going the extra mile for the reader," one staff member said.  "Dean makes people feel good -- which, under the circumstances, is something."


[end Politico.com excerpts]
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"Be nice to people on your way up.
 
You'll meet 'em on your way down."


-- Jimmy Durante


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