Amazing....the number of Media General hits

I just checked the Sitemeter and I'm amazed at the number of Media General hits...thanks guys. I know not all of you are amused by this site - considering that Media Generals revenues are in the toilet and all...and your jobs - 11% or 750 jobs - are on the line. I can't control that. Yet - there are many Media General folks, some current, some former - who are cheering because someone is taking a stand.

Media General is not the only media source to be confronted by bloggers. Read this blog - with video about WCPN radio. CLICK HERE:

I can tell you though - no one wanted to listen when I kept it in-house, behind closed doors with repeated pleas to Human Resources... Human Resources, whose idea of an investigation is to say in a mean-mommy-kind of voice, "You DIDN'T hear anything did you?" to a frightened, I want to keep my job employee. Since Human Resources is dealing with men - who also want to keep their jobs - they lie and say, "Oh no, nothing like that happened." There was no serious investigation. They're not trained to do those investigations. And when someone does talk - they get the "mean-mommy-voice" in every conversation after that. Subtle, but the message is - shut up or you're out of here.

That was pretty much my last communication with Steve. He didn't want to hear it any more and was very clear my complaints had to stop. Didn't know I could blog too did'ja Steve! I believe he thought I'd fold my tents and go away like everyone else. Wrong.

No one is going to be stupid enough to tell HR what is happening because they all know it leads to termination. Richard Davis has been telling the truth.

So, knowing that HR is pro-management, then tell me please, why in heaven's name would an employee go to HR and make these complaints if they weren't true?

No one listened. For more than EIGHT LONG MONTHS no one listened. I emailed. I called. I talked. And the retaliation continued. Read the bullying posts here. Brandy Stearns, the copy editor who was "dating" her boss, was given the job and job responsibilities I was more qualified for - so she could qualify for a job in Interactive Media. The job didn't exist before, no one else was told about it - or that it was even a possibility and she was just "assigned it."

Managerial discretion - even though having that responsibility was necessary to apply for and get a job in interactive media elsewhere!! Kind of like Mac needed video clips to get HIS job in Bristol!! Hmmm...The job went away when she went away. Apparently she works for another Media General property but is still in charge of our newsroom training, even though she is not in our office and another - more qualified person - Don Webb is. Don is in the Danville Register & Bee office every day. Brandy is not. So why isn't Don, who works in the same division as Brandy - as I understand it....doing any training? Why did the job go with Brandy - instead of being reassigned when she was hired at another site? Several of the women who complained about what it APPEARED to be, were told it had nothing to do with the fact she was dating her supervisor - that she was a "qualified" person. Okay. That's what they say. Just because she was dating her supervisor - who of course did the right thing by getting Arnold Hendrix to "supervise" her - even though she remained on the copy desk, working and interacting with the Copy Editor....yep, no conflict there at all.

I had owned and operated a Treo cellphone (like a Blackberry) for more than a year and they put her in charge of teaching the newsroom to use the two new Blackberries....of which no one really gets to use anyway even though they were ordered for the reporters....she had to take it home and read up on HOW to use it so she could train us.

Brilliant delegation of duties and overtime don't you think? I shot video everyday. She did not. Yet she was put in charge of "Video training." Um hmmmm....Now, before you think I'm being mean - let me remind you - she was the one who called my van a "child molester van," - me who was molested as a child...and she thought that was funny. She dated a married man - acting like she was a friend to his wife at the same time...(dig that knife out of the back there)...nothing wrong with that...She constantly trashed the photographers shots - going to the door of Darren's (sweetie) office and throwing photos down on his desk and announcing loudly, "I can't print this crap!" Let me remind you that Darren was the one who yelled at me to "JUST SHUT UP" about the hostile workplace atmosphere.

She didn't see anything wrong with the panty dropper story though. We discussed it and she really didn't think it was a big deal. But then again, she was dating her boss....(her married boss), and he thought it was was okay - although later the official version is he objected to it and Arnold took full responsibility for it....so hey - who am I to complain. It's me who doesn't fit in with Media General's idea of a good journalist...

Yep. All true. All relevant. Not idle gossip. Not defamatory. All facts that I believe led to why I lost my job and my job future with Media General because of all the FACTS about the work place posted here. Jobs lost, training lost - all because of the hostile, bullying, sexually hostile environment at The Danville Register & Bee.

Have I mentioned yet that I am NOT going to shut up? Apologies and house cleaning guys. It's time. I don't want money. I want to see respect, fairness and a safe working environment. I may have missed out but others will be given a chance to see how Media General works...or doesn't work.