If you're going to blog about work, you need to more cautious than St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Daniel Finney. Even though he used a pseudonym on his blog "Rage, Anguish and Other Bad Craziness in St. Louis," it was pretty easy for the suits to figure out which of their staff writers it was that was dishing the dirt:
"In another entry he poked fun at the subjects of the Post's annual '100 Neediest Cases' feature: 'The bottom line is that there are a lot of poor people who need stuff. It is a worthy cause. And, at some level, I feel sorry for these people. But at another level, one in which your friend Crazy Roland is much more in touch with, I must admit I feel as if a good number of these needy cases could be avoided by a well-placed prophylactic.
"Six days later, a '100 Neediest Cases' installment carried Finney's byline."
Newspaper management seized his hard drive and suspended him from his job. On the bright side, he now has a lot more time to blog opinion columns from home, and he won't have to change out of his pajamas.
UPDATE:
Diane of Respublica has more.
I can't believe I missed this story. Thanks for putting it up.
Posted by: Diane at December 26, 2004 01:04 PMI didn't know you were in St. Louis, Diane. This guy was nuts if he thought a pseudonym alone was going to do the trick.
Posted by: Donnah at December 26, 2004 01:39 PMOf course this is the sort of thing that would build readership. A little controversy and a newspaper that's willing to let itself be criticised tends to look good to the public.
Guess that's why newspaper readership continues to plummet. That and unreadable articles.
Posted by: James at December 26, 2004 03:40 PMI think he might have been bagging pretty hard on the company. It cracks me up that he thought a pseudonym was going to protect him.
Posted by: Donnah at December 28, 2004 10:08 AM