It’s Getting Ugly Around Here

Every time I think I’ve seen the furthest lengths a person will go to for control, something else happens that makes me wonder if control is like a big black hole in space. Yesterday’s issue with the client wanting to view copy has now turned into a stalemate. I’m getting notes telling me pointedly that the article will not be released for publication until her marketing people approve it.

Do we not live in an electronic society? Is the copy she received the only one? I sat most of yesterday shaking my head, marveling at the lengths she’s going to in order to attend to her company’s honor. Sadly, she has yet to realize that I’m doing exactly the same thing and that I’ve done tons of compromising for her with the editor’s go-ahead. She did, in fact, win the battle to see the article. He gave her that due to its noncontroversial nature. He did, however, have me stress to her how highly unusual this was and that we were doing that as a goodwill gesture to her – a gesture that will not be repeated. I reiterated that we must have it back by end of day to go to print. Her (paraphrased) response – she can’t possibly meet the deadline, so tough beans to us. That, folks, is exactly how not to respond when someone’s extended beyond their own policies in order to accommodate you.

The publication has no obligation to this woman or this company. Her responses, however, do speak to someone who doesn’t understand that journalism isn’t something you can dictate the terms of like you can with your marketing department. I suppose I can forgive her for that, if in fact that’s the basis for her staunch refusal to bend even a little.

The editor has taken over communications with her. Judging from his notes to me, I think she’s about to be educated in the order of business and that her acceptance of the interview without any prior mention of her strict company policy voids any complaints that will be forthcoming.

It’s sad when it comes to a power struggle, and such an obviously useless one. The article in question profiled her company positively, and exclusive of any other company. Thanks to a stupid, relatively unenforceable policy, that company may in fact lose out on free publicity. Yea, there’s a policy worth keeping, eh?