While it is okay to be demanding, a boss should never overstep and be toxic. It’s a red line that should never be crossed. Bosses should understand that decency doesn’t cost much.
Donkey, monkey, stupid, idiot…the words still ring and sting many years after they were hurled routinely by a bellicose boss at a room full of cowering colleagues as I myself cringed in a corner, wondering how would I react if the distasteful diatribe was to be directed at me.
Having endured and survived the ordeal in a newsroom that at best was borderline abusive, my sympathies squarely lie with fellow journalists – the many reporters and sub-editors – who currently are venting out their anger against bullying at their respective workplaces.
Social media in the past few weeks have been particularly awash with an outpouring of such angst, triggered by the unfortunate and untimely death of a Mumbai journalist. Led by his widow, and amplified by some press organisations, allegations of bullying and consistent harassment have been levelled against the local editor of the prominent newspaper where the journalist worked. The accusations imply that the stress caused by the toxic newsroom that the editor headed ultimately precipitated a fatal heart attack in the journalist.
Though very grave in nature, the accusations remain just accusations. For that matter, there have been more allegations now, with the widow of another journalist levelling almost similar charges against the same editor who otherwise enjoyed the reputation of being a stellar journalist. However, none has approached any legal authority with the requisite wherewithal to determine the veracity of the accusations, and in absence of any fair investigation, a closure is elusive – both for the accusers and the editor they have squarely put in the dock.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.