Being Blog Worthy

I get e-mails on occasion. They read something like this, "I read your blog today and really enjoyed it." Got one just like that yesterday. Okay I admit it, it was from my sister Kathy. I love you Kathy! Which got me wondering am I really blog worthy if the only people I know who read this are members of my family and the Assistant News Director Catherine Snyder. And no knock against the boss or anything, but she's paid to look at this stuff.



So who is blog worthy? I'm here to nominate my friend Steve Revare. Let's just say Steve was speeding along on the information super highway while I was still on training wheels. He has his own website, with a blog, and he's just wrapped up writing his first book. I had the pleasure of working with Steve at one tv station, and his wife Polly pictured with him here at another.

I heard from him the other day because he's looking for a literary agent. So family members and Catherine if you know of a literary agent please get a hold of Steve.

So why am I writing about Steve. Because he has so many insights on life and our business. So I'm lifting part of a recent blog by Steve and reprinting it here without his permission. I mean with his permission. Here is what he recently wrote:

According to a new study, 86% of Americans are satisfied with their jobs. In fact the average job satisfaction rate has not dropped below 82% since the study started in 1972. So how does a story's headline to an article describing the study read? "American Workforce Surprisingly Satisfied."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070831/sc_livescience/
americanworkforcesurprisinglysatisfied
Nothing about the results are actually that surprising. Perhaps it's the headline-writer who isn't satisfied. No wonder. Think about how thankless the job must be? You do your work right and no one notices. Do they give out a Pulitzer for excellence in headline crafting? I think not.And when you do it wrong, everyone notices. Here's an example: "Clinton, Edwards butt heads." http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070828/NEWS/708280409
I'll bet the world's headline-writers fall in the 4% who are extremely dissatisfied with their jobs.

Steve's blog got me thinking. I worked for three years at USA TODAY. During that time frame I met a lot of employees. Photographers, reporters, editors, but I can't remember ever meeting one headline writer. I wonder where they keep them. Before my time at the paper I worked at WFLA in Tampa. We were housed in the same building with the folks from the Tampa Tribune. So I met all sorts of print people during my time there. But you guessed it I never met a headline writer.

You've heard of Alcoholics Anonymous, I suppose there isn't a need for a Headline writers anonymous group. Let's face it they are already anonymous. If you would like to read more of Steve's musings take a look at.
http://revare.blogspot.com/