By Carlos Miller
Jobs are like women: they come and they go. Sometimes you get lucky and find a perfect match. Usually you don’t but stick it out until someone calls it quits.
Well NBC Miami called it quits on me last Monday. After such a short relationship, I was left perplexed.
They said I was more of a field worker than an office worker, which is what the job entailed. And they are right.
I am a journalist. A reporter who prefers to go out and get the story rather than rewrite somebody else’s story, which is what the job entailed.
I like to develop sources by meeting people face to face. I like to be on the scene of breaking news, snapping photos, shooting video and asking questions. But that is not what the job entailed.
Nevertheless, I liked my job at NBC. I liked the people I worked with. I liked the opportunity to improve their site. And I think I did.
They wanted multimedia stories, I gave them multimedia stories. Something the other NBC Miami reporters do not do.
When the streets of South Beach were flooded after an intense storm, I walked through waist-deep water for several blocks shooting photos and video and getting interviews.
When right-wing Cubans clashed with moderate Cubans at Versailles over the Juanes concert, I immersed myself in the protest for several hours – and spent the entire night editing photos and writing a story – resulting in a multimedia package the following morning that prompted personal compliments from the big boss in New York.
I did this after working an eight-hour shift that Sunday afternoon.
When a group of local food bloggers organized a pizza crawl, I covered it with video, photos and an article, bringing mainstream media exposure to the South Florida blogosphere.
When an 83-year-old pilot landed his plane on the expressway, I was the only reporter to interview him because he became shy and hid in the car when the television reporters got there.
I showed up after they left and got him to talk to me as well as pose in front of his airplane for a photo. That story generated thousands of page views and hundreds of comments after it was posted on The Drudge Report (the comments were all lost during NBC Miami’s redesign transition).
Also, when they were unable to persuade a newsroom videographer to work after midnight to shoot bars and lounges for their Golden Local awards, I agreed to shoot the videos myself, which were broadcast on NBC-6′s television news segments.
I even received a Certificate of Appreciation along with a $100 bonus for the work I did during the redesign transition a couple of months back.
They also wanted stories written with “outrage” and a “point of view”, which is how they described it in their stylebook. Well I gave them that too.
But perhaps I was a little too outraged. A little too opinionated.
At least one local police department called my editor and complained. I thought I was just following the stylebook, but then my boss told me my articles are coming across too much like editorials.
And she was right. But what do you expect when you encourage reporters to write with “outrage” and a “point of view”?
So I toned the outrage and point of view down. And I continually suggested that they allow me get out of the office to write more original stories, but they preferred I stayed in the office to rewrite stories from other news sites.
And on weekends that can be tough because it can be kind of slow. Local newspaper newsrooms are not fully staffed. And neither is the NBC-6 newsroom.
Plus, they also discouraged what they called “low-brow crime stories”, which is what makes up most of the news on weekends.
During the week, the NBC Miami team has the advantage of fully staffed newsrooms at the local newspapers and at NBC-6. The morning reporter also has the advantage that he can focus on rewriting stories because the editor is posting these stories and other stories.
But I had to do all that myself on weekends.
Perhaps their decision had something to do with Bill Cooke of Random Pixels calling them a multitude of times and complaining about me.
That’s the kind of guy he is. The kid who punches you first on the playground, then runs crying to the teacher when you punch him back.
He has called me everything from a “cockroach and boil on the ass of journalism” to an “asshole” with “arrogant, crass, thug-like behavior.”
Yet when I called him a “grouchy old prick” on his blog once (a comment he never approved), he called my boss at NBC to complain.
Perhaps I should not have called him that, but I figured that anybody who can be so vile in his comments would be able to handle a few verbal jabs.
That’s usually the way it is in the blogosphere. For example, Rick of the South Florida Daily Blog called me an “arrogant prick” on his then-active Stuck on the Palmetto blog after I got arrested And this is a guy who doesn’t even allow profanity on his current blog.
How did I respond? I launched this blog and dedicated a post to him. I fight words with words.
That is what I expected Bill to do. Instead, he tattled on me.
After receiving his complaint, my boss called me and told me not to comment on anything related to NBC Miami that Bill wrote on his blog. And I agreed.
But two days later, I couldn’t resist dedicating a post to him that revealed his hypocrisy when he insulted local publicist Tara Solomon, then removed the post after he photographed her for the Miami New Times. It had nothing to do with NBC Miami, so I figured I was safe. And I admit I did so because I was upset that he had called my boss and tattled on me.
So the following morning he called my boss again. Then he called her boss. And finally he called NBC human resources in New York.
That’s the kind of guy he is.
And I know what you’re saying, I should have just ignored him. But I’ve never been one to bite my tongue.
NBC’s human resources department was unsure how to handle this. There is nothing in their employee policy that addresses personal blogs. You can bet there will be now.
So I was told I had to apologize to him. For what, I really don’t know because everything I said about him was true.
But I did apologize because as I said, I liked my job. And I wanted to keep it.
But jobs are like women. You never know when they are going to have a change of heart.
Just over a week after I called him and apologized, I was fired.
Fortunately, I have my media business to fall back on. I have enough regular clients to keep me afloat and hopefully I will receive some donations to my Legal Defense Fund, which allows me to pay off those legal bills that maxed out all of my credit cards.
But having a regular gig with a regular paycheck was nice, so I have my eyes open for any positions at companies that would appreciate my skills. I take journalism very seriously. I am very passionate about my work. And I always give it more than 100 percent.
Here is my resume in case any potential employers are interested in a multimedia journalist who can write, takes photos and shoot videos. I am a new media journalist with an old media background. I have 14 years of professional experience.
I hold no resentment against NBC Miami. I am grateful that they gave me the opportunity in the first place. They took a chance on me and I will always appreciate that.
And I hold no resentment against Bill Cooke, even though he is probably gleeful at the news of me losing my job. That’s just the kind of guy he is.
“Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” Henry Anatole Grunwald
“I have spent half my life trying to get away from journalism, but I am still mired in it — a low trade and a habit worse than heroin, a strange seedy world full of misfits and drunkards and failures.” Hunter S. Thompson
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Thomas Jefferson
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I am a multimedia journalist who has been fighting a lengthy legal battle after having photographed Miami police against their wishes in Feb. 2007. Please help the fight by donating to my Legal Defense Fund in the top left sidebar, which helps pay for the thousands of dollars I’ve acrued in debt since my arrest. To keep updated on the latest articles, join my networks at Facebook, Twitter and Friendfeed.
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31 responses so far ↓
1 Jay // Nov 2, 2009 at 4:17 AM
Sorry to hear about this Carlos. I really hope it was some cost-cutting reason, not for what you were producing or because of pathetic complaints by a crybaby.
2 B // Nov 2, 2009 at 8:40 AM
Sorry to hear the news, man. You really kicked ass with all your coverage, something that you really appeared to do better each time with passion and toughness. I read your blog every day and am continuously impressed. I’m proud to have worked side-by-side with you.
Oh, and don’t sign anything until you speak with a lawyer if you can.
Keep up the GREAT work.
3 JR // Nov 2, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Let’s hope this is a blessing in discuise with a real dream job around the corner just waiting for you
4 Marty Kohn // Nov 2, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Wow. Sorry to hear about this Carlos.
5 Ms Calabaza // Nov 2, 2009 at 10:49 AM
and so it goes … you must toe the line. I am saddened because you are not a lazy, cookie-cutter, sycophant journalist as most appear to be these days. I don’t agree with probably most of your political views BUT you are fair and you at least listen. You will do better Carlos and go farther than this job had to offer you. Don’t lose your spirit; chin up. Good luck.
6 chris // Nov 2, 2009 at 12:42 PM
lets start a boycott of NBC Miami, w/out your articles its just another piece of web junk
7 genewitch // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:31 PM
sorry man, best of luck. were i in florida i would help you find something. I’m sure the LA times could use someone, though
8 genewitch // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:34 PM
man i thought i left a comment but i guess not…
I don’t live near you so i can’t help with a job hunt in florida, but i’m sure the LA times is always looking for people. and Time-Life.
Sorry to hear about it and good luck!
9 Michaelk42 // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:34 PM
NBC isn’t just digging its own old-media grave, it’s begging for a backhoe to do it with.
Corporate doesn’t want journalism. It wants content.
And if they’re too pussy to go to bat for you against a clown like Bill, they’re not worth your time anyway.
10 mepsipax // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:41 PM
That is some lame ass shit to be fired for. I feel for you man. You are a good journalist and we need more like you. Not just someone to vomit the same stew as everyone else.
11 Supernintendo Chalmers // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:54 PM
their loss, bro.
12 Edwin // Nov 2, 2009 at 4:11 PM
What a dick! Whatever happened to Prose Before Hoes?
There are just certain things you don’t do.
13 Julia Wakefield // Nov 2, 2009 at 4:45 PM
That’s a shame. You worked hard, you worked long hours, and you delivered insightful, flavorful, and illuminating stories.
Sorry to hear this chapter is over, but I’m looking forward to seeing you flourish with an employer who appreciates and capitalizes on the skills, connections, and talent you have to offer.
14 mjk // Nov 2, 2009 at 7:39 PM
Well that stinks. Still, I wonder how much of this is due to cost-cutting rather than an actual attempt to silence you.
15 Jim Moore // Nov 2, 2009 at 8:08 PM
sounds like a reason to ……CELEBRATE!!
(good man loses bad job).
They’re kickin ya upstairs bro…let em!!
16 bj // Nov 2, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Hey Carlos, move to Houston!
I would love you see your take on Texas / South East Texas politics.
17 Blanca Stella Mejia // Nov 2, 2009 at 9:51 PM
I agree with JR..sometimes these situations are a blessing in disguise. My whole life is about reinventing myself…Take the punches…take some time to chill..think..plan for your next move…and be yourself… You never know what is around the corner. Good luck to you.
18 RWBoyd // Nov 2, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Sorry to hear it. I hope you find something soon. I appreciate the work you do here–having a feisty blog like this in the corner of photographers (pro and amateur) who take photos in public is great.
19 Jenkins // Nov 2, 2009 at 10:48 PM
I always thought that site was cheesy anyway. You brought legitimacy to that site and they obviously did not want it.
I guarantee you will end up with a better job and laugh at NBC.
20 Helena Freile Miller // Nov 2, 2009 at 10:50 PM
I can’t help but comment… Carlos as I told you Is NBC’S lost. And one more thing when you encounter in your career ENVIOUS people, you should act like when a bad dog barks at you, just ingore it. When bad people cause harm. life will get back to them eventually. Hang in there Mom.
21 Katy // Nov 3, 2009 at 12:49 AM
Free weekends!!!
22 Carlos Miller // Nov 3, 2009 at 12:55 AM
Katy,
Now you’re talking!
23 EdinMiami // Nov 3, 2009 at 3:49 AM
When you make them uncomfortable, you are doing something right.
Kudos
24 madhatter // Nov 3, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Carlos,
Sorry to hear about the NBC6 thing. Really, though, ese traje te quedaba pequeno (that suit was too small for you). Come on, you were actually out there reporting for the site. It’s a website, not the New York Times (and you might even outdo some of the work produced there).
Yes, Carlos, you are arrogant and crass, but if that disqualified people from holding jobs then unemployment would be a lot higher than it currently is.
Why don’t you go out and report for the Herald, or maybe the New Times? You could really elevate the quality of either product.
By the way, have you been following the RRA fiasco? Your friend and legal consultant is/was employed there. Talk about being blindsided.
25 Carlos Miller // Nov 3, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Thanks Madhatter.
The RRA fiasco is crazy but it’s not surprising. Everything catches up to you eventually.
I wrote about him a few weeks ago for NBC Miami when he threatened Bob Norman of the Broward New Times.
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/politics/Bigwig-Attorney-Threatens-Journalist-Over-Articles-59130032.html
I actually know a couple of guys who are attorneys there. Good people.
It looks as if Rothstein acted alone so I hope the firm survives.
26 Carlos Miller // Nov 3, 2009 at 9:33 PM
B,
You know as well as I do that if you stay in this business long enough, you’re going to get fired.
I don’t know if you remember a guy named Mike Watkiss who was a TV reporter in Phoenix when we worked there.
He told me something I would never forget.
“Anybody who is worth a damn in this business has been fired several times.”
He’s right.
27 Carlos Miller // Nov 5, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Another thing they told me that I forgot to mention in this post was that my stories were too long.
They did not believe in depth.
28 Spokker // Nov 9, 2009 at 9:12 PM
The ratings of NBC affiliate stations are dropping like flies. Jay Leno is death at 10PM, getting beat by the FX channel of all things. This means less viewers stay on for the news. If and when Comcast takes over NBC, you can be sure there will be some shakeups.
So if it helps, NBC is in fourth place among the major networks and slowly spiraling down the toilet. It’s been that way for a while now.
29 Scott Simon // Nov 18, 2009 at 6:29 AM
Carlos, I am reading your blog for the first time, in response to your article on the issue in St. Louis involving Kurt Greenbaum and his outing of a guy using IT resources because of a post this person made on his blog which resulted in the poster being either fired or forced to resign.
Your writing is refreshing because as Rush Limbaugh said in the early years of his national show, “Words mean things.” It’s now taken a new direction which I classify, “Words plus actions mean things.”
Greenbaum of the St. Louis Post Dispatch is proof. He didn’t like the word. So he took action. And a guy/gal is out of work because of it, and didn’t commit a federal/state/local statute law violation.
Carlos, keep up the good fight in your area. And good luck to you personally and wish you much success.
30 Maria de los Angeles // Nov 19, 2009 at 12:07 PM
What’s up with this ridiculous snitching? What you do on your own blog is your business.
I’m sorry this happened to you, but surely a new door will open. And I’m sorry Bill called your boss, instead of settling this with you mano-a-mano. You’re right, it’s like playground politics.
I’m glad I’m a freelancer. Nobody can get me fired!
31 Rusty Carr // Apr 14, 2010 at 2:07 PM
Well, yet one more time we learn that age old lesson that “life is NOT fair” and at times it can be down right nasty. However, I’ve done my part by donating to your legal defense fund, and it was not a paltry $5!! Here’s wish’n you the best of luck in finding another job in these tough times.
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