Unprofessionalism, defined
(yes, I know “unprofessionalism” isn’t a real word)
So there’s supposedly a new daily paper launching in the LA area. Rather than being transparent about their operations, they’ve been posting “writers wanted” ads in Craigslist without identifying themselves and who their backers are.
A recently laid-off LA Times reporter emailed them with the simple question, “Who are you?” Here was their ultra-professional reply:
right now we are the asking the questions - you are the 1500th respondent…
Sounds like the editor of a defunct non-paying webzine fancies himself a business man. These are the kind of people that start up companies and then don’t answer phone calls or emails asking why employee pay checks haven’t been sent out in two weeks, followed by a quick round of civil lawsuits and bankruptcy.
So send in those resumes!
I can understand a start-up’s need for anonymity while hiring, especially when it comes to talking to the news community. Beyond that, though, you’re right; the response was entirely unprofessional. Seriously, how hard is it to say, “I’m sorry, but I’m unable to disclose information about our company at the present time”?
Hell, they’re not even offering pay to writers up front, just a sort of “Hang in there with us and you’ll be rewarded in the long run” bullshit line. They’re capitalizing on the hundreds of suddenly unemployed professional journalists sniffing the ground for work in L.A. In that light, their response was despicable.