A Healthy Disrespect (The New York Times Effect on Man)



I mentioned in my previous post that my mentor, friend, and editor Bob Rupert wrote me a generous letter of reference upon the closure of The Carleton FreePress, an independent newspaper Rupert, myself and many others worked at tirelessly in hopes to bring awareness to the concentration of ownership of the print media in my home province of New Brunswick, Canada. The story even got a brief mention in The New York Times, in fact. This was a very serious problem in my region at the time (early 2000s), the era prior to the explosion of news media on the internet, which represented the nail in the coffin for print media in general.  However, at the height of the success of The Carleton FreePress, the issue we faced was the fact that the Irving Oil empire had acquired all the print media in the entire province, shutting down all independently owned newspapers so they would have the monopoly on the news. There is only one reason why an oil corporation would want to have such a tight grip on the media and that was to cover their tracks as a company. The Irvings are infamous for exploiting the natural resources of our province, among many other things, but that is another story for another time. Obviously, it was a very bad state of affairs for us New Brunswickers. Our little newspaper stood against this and we were considered the metaphorical David to the very big Goliath that the Irving Corporation represented. We hurled quite a few stones at them, but they won, in the end. One method by which they put us out of business was by slashing their prices on ads in their publications and we could not compete. Ad sales, therefore ad revenue, plummeted and we had to admit defeat. I remember Bob stating that the paper would have needed at least a cool million in order to stand a chance, let alone win against them. No one was willing to front that kind of money for a small-town newspaper and Goliath kicked our ass through unethical bullying tactics for which they were never held accountable.

It was a time in my life that was filled with many highs and lows, but the day the paper closed, I don't think it is hard to imagine the devastation we all felt. We had worked so hard, but the guys with the money forced us right out into the street and left most of us jobless. I was the main breadwinner of the family at that time as my (now ex) husband opted to stay home with our two small children as I pursued this opportunity. As much as it wreaked havoc on our household economics, I do not regret a thing when it comes to the experience I had working with Bob. It proved to me priceless to me as an individual. 

This letter of reference (below) has become enshrined in my psyche. I think about it all the time, especially in the last several years, when almost everyone who I thought cared about me or was close to me turned their backs on me for whatever reason. I've had to do an awful lot of soul searching as I make my way out of this nightmare that I've endured regarding my divorce and the chaos I've experienced since 2020 . Many times I wished I had Bob to talk to because he would have been able to comprehend the dynamics I faced and he would have told me, clearly, what he deemed to be the rock bottom truth of it all and he would know what I should do about it, too. I didn't have him to talk to, unfortunately, but I do have this letter of reference which tells me all I need to know, if I am honest with myself. 

I've experienced a full-blown character assassination by folks in the younger generation in my family, let alone the bullshit from the guys from Switzerland  but the baffling part is, prior to being totally and utterly abandoned and rejected, no one ever came to me to tell me there was even a problem, so I was blind-sided again and again. However, I am stubborn and as many times as I've been knocked down, I get back up again and I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and I keep on moving forward because I have a letter like this to refer to, when times get tough, written by a man whom I deeply respect, with every fibre of my being. 

One very telling aspect of this letter is evident when Bob referred to me as 'Miss' because even back then, he could see there were cracks in the foundation of my marriage. He could see I would often come in to the office in the morning obviously upset more times that I care to admit. He knew I was hiding a lot of emotional pain under the surface and he knew where it was coming from. He knew my marriage was not a good one and said so in not-so-many words. One time, just after the paper shut down, Bob took me aside and told me he planned to give all his furniture to any woman in need who might be starting out on her own (hint hint). He had already made plans to move to Newfoundland, but that was his way of letting me know he wanted to help me without putting me directly on the spot. I pretended I had no need of any help, though it was a lie. I was struggling badly back then too, and it only ever got worse as time went on, no matter how hard I tried to make things better. In hind sight, I should not have ignored him and I should have let him help me, but I was too proud and too ashamed to let on I was in trouble. Bob was no fool, but he was not the type to pry, either. He said it all when he called me Miss instead of Mrs and he did so to make it known that he knew the score between my ex-husband and me, even if I was not willing to be honest with myself that all was not well in paradise. 

The thing Bob and I bonded over immediately was the fact that we both had no respect for those with money and power, if that money and power was being used to oppress others. He was a true revolutionary with vision and determination and I was a die-hard, self-proclaimed "freedom fighter" and it was this mutual passion that fuelled our time together, brief as it was. It is my conviction to live up to his awareness of who I am and what I am capable of that keeps me on a rather straight and narrow path as I rebuild my life. I would hope to make him proud of the woman I have become, finally breaking free from everything that oppressed me back in the those times, pursuing education, maintaining my art practice, and doing my best to take better care of myself. 

So I have this letter to refer to, from a man who would not sugarcoat anything, for anyone, ever. If I was as horrid as some folks have deemed me to be in these last five years, Bob would have seen that in me way back then and he would have never given me a chance, of that I am certain. He didn't see any bad in me at all and for the first time in my entire life, represented someone who seemed to judge me on my own merits, nothing more or less–full stop. So, without further ado, it is my pleasure to share this letter of reference with you, dear reader. This is what Bob thought of me and it means everything to me. 

Letter of Recommendation:  
 
To Whom It May Concern  
 
Re: Jody Coughlin  
 
If you are looking for a natural writer with a people approach, a gifted artist who can illustrate her own work and a columnist who connects with readers, Jody Coughlin is all of these in spades. I hired Ms. Coughlin as general assignment reporter-photographer on a hunch. I was looking at resumes from people with journalism degrees or diplomas and some experience. All I had from her was a letter, but in that letter, I saw determination, forceful writing and no fear of failure. She didn't even include a resume and bluntly said she didn't expect to be considered without a degree or experience.  
 
A few weeks later, after taking several freelance assignments and bringing back nice pieces of reporting and photography, usually overnight, she came on here as a reporter and never looked back. Before our paper folded in a period of economic crisis and despite remarkable support from its readers, Miss Coughlin was writing a terrific weekly column with an accompanying cartoon. Our readers loved it and I marveled at the only journalist I have ever known who could also make it as a cartoonist.  
 
This young woman has principles, courage and a healthy disrespect for artifice and power.  
 
If you can get her into your operation, you should do it.  
 
Bob Rupert  
Editor  
 
The Carleton FreePress  


------------------------------


Comments

Popular Posts