Thread by @mclarknews

I never would have expected such an outpouring of love right now, and I truly cannot thank you all enough. It means everything. ✨

Now that I'm long out of the office, I should clarify:

I'm not going anywhere, at least not right now.

🧵part 2 ...

https://twitter.com/mclarknews/status/1359273349185232897

You've all inspired me to move forward with my next project, and I'll get to that a few tweets from now ...

In the meantime, please read this piece by my former (/future?) colleague, @ConnerMitchell0.

I think it will explain a lot ...

bit.ly/370KzRt

That piece is almost entirely just Conner's own experiences.

I can show you the edit that left me sick to my stomach and made me realize we had no other option than to unionize and push for change:

Quote marks added around the term anti-Blackness.

It's not just a piece of punctuation. It's a microaggression, and it's absolutely unacceptable in any context. It minimizes the extremely real and serious pain of Black folk, just because a white copy editor didn't care to understand.

I also asked the copy desk to please consider using photos from summer protests that weren't extremely close to protesters' faces, because people have literally been targeted and killed for activism in other cities.

I got an earful for that one.

It's hard to even think of all the things that have angered me so much over the past several months.

Most recently, I was not allowed to cover Monday's motions hearing in Rontarus Washington Jr.'s murder case, despite trying to reason:

... Much more on that one later.

But I also almost got fired in September for posting this thread: Photos from a prayer gathering prior to a hearing in Washington's case.

https://twitter.com/mclarknews/status/1304620679166414849?s=20

That info had been removed from my story, which without it was merely announcing new court dates set. (News? 🤔)

I was told that "We've already reported that people think he's innocent" and that the content from this prayer gathering "did nothing to advance the story."

I could go on, and perhaps sometime soon I will! But I want to point out that @ConnerMitchell0 and I are NOT the only ones in this boat.

In the post-Ogden years (Summer '16-present), I've seen four talented copy editors chased out in large part by dehumanizing emails like these:

^^ This is largely why I refused to go back to the copy desk. Ever.

Occasionally if there was a ~really bad~ email, management would intervene, but then before long they would start up again.

One of the best parts was when my husband gave his 2 weeks' notice, the @ljworld said they didn't need him for those 2 weeks and instead pulled me off the public safety beat and sent me back to the copy desk in his place. Cool?

(Side note: @MacMooreCT finally got the opportunity the @LJWorld would never give him to cover sports, and he is KILLING IT 7 DAYS A WEEK for @myCTsports. But he dared to stand up for himself to LJW management, so obviously never stood a chance there.)

Anyway, the union seemed like our next best hope, and I hope for the @ljw_guild's sake, it still is.

But I am so glad to be on solid ground rather than a sinking ship. Ogden has destroyed this town's newspaper (though it was already primed for destruction).

Today, they wanted me to sign this.

Parts of it made me literally laugh in my meeting: "I am never going to do that."

I also told them I'm tired of writing by gaslight (and then explained what that meant to your confused ol' pal).

I've sent out a couple little hints, and now I'm getting flooded with potential supporters and collaborators.

(THANK YOU ALL, and I will respond absolutely ASAP!)

But to be blunt: It's time Lawrence had a new source for its news. I'm planning to lead it.

My vision even a few hours ago was pretty small, but seeing the response from this community has led me to believe this could be much bigger than the one-woman newsroom I'd pictured.

The Lawrence Times is coming this month.
Because Lawrence news MUST get with the times. ☀️

2 additions:
Please don’t forget that my brothers and sisters with @ljw_guild still have families to feed and they need your support, too. I understand wanting to cancel subscriptions, but they really don’t have anywhere else to go yet, and if the newsroom is gone, that will...

...destroy them faster than the toxicity of the workplace.

Subscribe and write letters to the editor demanding they treat their workers like human beings. Cc me! [e-mail]

bit.ly/ljwletters

And lastly:
In a perfect world, I would be able to bring my talented union fam on board with me someday.

https://twitter.com/mclarknews/status/1359342417716146182