Not long ago, I took a phone call from a reader upset at the way we handled a story. I can't remember what the problem was, but I do remember what the caller finally yelled: "What are you guys, a bunch of jerks?"
He slammed the phone down.I didn't have a chance then to answer the question, so I will do so here.
No, we're not a bunch of jerks (at least we don't think we are). Some of us admittedly do better than others. But while we're not jerks (whatever that is) we do have some interesting (in a positive sense) characters around here.
It sort of comes with the territory.
Newspapers do tend to attract unconventional people. You have to be a bit unconventional to enjoy - and be successful in - this profession. Here's an illustration: A recent article in Business Month magazine discussed how newspapers are changing and becoming more customer-service oriented. But newspaper reporters, the article said, have resisted the changes.
"The basic problem is that reporters are any manager's worst nightmare," the article said. "By training, by nature and by profession they are completely unmanageable - skeptical, independent-minded, irreverent, resistant to authority . . . they view their profession as a calling, a nearly sacred mission to defend the public interest. As such, reporters resent the very idea of `customers,' with the term's noxious business connotations."
As one who works closely with reporters every day, I wouldn't describe them quite that way. But they are definitely a different breed. It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to do what reporters and editors and photographers are asked to do.
Still, I'm not so sure we're much different from most other Utahns. In fact, when you look closely, Deseret News employees reflect Utah society and demographics pretty well.
And in that regard, we're pretty diverse - as is Utah society, despite what some people believe. Diversity is important to a newspaper. We need all sorts of views and sentiments and ideas. If everyone was the same and thought alike, our newspaper would be predictable and stuffy instead of vibrant and thought-provoking.
So some of us are married, some are single. Some have large families, some small. Some are liberal, some conservative. Some ride the bus. Some drive to work. Some like guns. Some hate guns.
Some attend church every week. Some never go to church. Some like the opera. Some like hockey.
In other words, despite being reporters and editors and photographers and such, we're pretty much like your next-door-neighbor - middle-income, split-level, dog, pretty boring.
We're not glamorous like our TV counterparts. None of us blow-dry our hair, although Bob Bernick (our political editor) did get his permed a few times when frizzy hair was the thing to do.