Press "Enter" to skip to content

From the Newsroom: An editor’s inbox can fill up pretty fast

If you have an office job, or retired from one within the last 10 or 15 years, you have probably spent a lot of time sorting through your email.

I love to hear from readers, and email is a very important communications tool both internally and externally. But sometimes, I feel like I am drowning. For example, here are the emails I received Wednesday morning before I got to work at 9 a.m.

4:11 a.m. — AT&T sends me an article about 5G security implications. Not reading it.

4:18 a.m. — A marketing firm wants me to know the best and worst places for STEM professionals. Portland/Vancouver makes neither list.

6:03 a.m. — “Hi Craig, I’m reaching out on behalf of world-renowned neuroscientist R. Douglas Fields, Ph.D, author of the upcoming ‘Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better.’ …”

6:09 a.m. — An actual email from Metro Editor Mark Bowder about a problem we had Tuesday night. He gets up a lot earlier than I do.

6:19 a.m. — AP sends out a breaking news alert about the Amazon.com founder’s phone being hacked after he downloaded a file from the Saudi crown prince. I already knew this because they also send this alert to my cellphone and woke me up 10 minutes before my alarm went off.

6:24 a.m. — A company in the United Arab Emirates wants me to download their software and learn to fly drones. Given the above item, I crack an ironic smile.

6:42 a.m. — Our weather page vendor, AccuWeather, wants me to know it is going to rain in the Pacific Northwest practically nonstop for the rest of the month. I have lived in Vancouver for more than 30 years, so this is not news to me.

6:51 a.m. — The Oregonian/Oregonlive sends its free daily newsletter. I also get them from The Seattle Times and, of course, The Columbian. We’re getting ready to launch a new, improved version of ours, so look for more information on that.

7 a.m. — Conservative think tank invites me to help celebrate National School Choice Week by attending a film screening in Lake Oswego. We almost never cover events in Oregon, and I don’t have any schoolkids.

7:06 a.m. — “Tips for planning your first vacation with baby.” Must confirm with adult daughter, but no babies for the Browns as far as I know!

7:23 a.m. — Another AP news alert. President Trump is being sued! Imagine if they sent out a news alert every time that happened.

7:27 a.m. — A useful email from Assistant Metro Editor Jessica Prokop. Being an editor at The Columbian means you work a lot of hours before and after “work.”

7:40 a.m. — A survey details public participation in the arts, with data apparently from 2017. I momentarily wonder why it took so long to compile, then move on.

7:46 a.m. — Email from an editor about an upcoming story we are working on. I reply.

7:54 a.m. — A conservative group in Olympia is pushing back on our editorial that supports bills to ban single-use plastic bags. Their response is appropriate and fair; maybe they’ll write a letter to the editor.

8 a.m. — A company that makes DIY family craft kits thinks Columbian readers would be delighted by a story about DIY family crafts.

8:08 a.m. — LinkedIn says I have 74 new updates. Sigh.

8:31 a.m. — Gov. Inslee’s press team says he has appointed a judge to the Snohomish County Superior Court. I am jealous; the Everett Herald now has a story for Thursday.

8:50 a.m. — “Invitation to Zogby Strategies Debrief of Forbes-MSNBC Poll powered by Zogby Strategies. …”

At any rate, you get the idea. So much email! And I didn’t even get any pitches to cover events happening in Vancouver, Canada. (I always wonder if the Vancouver Sun gets a lot of pitches for stuff happening on Officers Row or at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds.)

Email is a useful tool. But I wish I had less of it.


Source: https://www.columbian.com

Be First to Comment

    Leave a Reply