Orwell in the newspaper biz: Some diversity is better than others in San Antone

 Shortly before Christmas, I applied for an editorial writer position with the San Antonio Express-News. I easily met most the experience criteria (other than maybe a relative lack of video experience, but that, for an editorial page?), but it had one other stipulation: 

A hard push for diversity candidates.

I responded that I was a white male, but that I had two types of diversity that should be valued on an editorial page today.

Specifically, to quote from my cover letter:

I have to confess that I’m a white male, so I can’t delivery that kind of diversity.

Please note the boldface, though. Diversity goes beyond race and sex.

For example? I’m a third-party voter. I exited the “duopoly” at the start of this century on presidential voting. And, that’s a diversity directly relevant to your editorial page.

I’m also a secularist. That’s a diversity directly relevant to some First Amendment editorials.

And, there you are.

The editorial page editor, Josh Brodetsky, was out of pocket on an early start to Christmas and had an auto-reply on his email.

OK. Figured no action before the New Year.

Lo and behold, on Jan. 17, browsing Journalism Jobs again, noticed basically the same job re-advertised, only with a new title of associate editorial page editor.

Translation? They didn't get the diversity candidates with the skill level they wanted. So, whether or not they'll offer much more pay, Brodetsky, presumably along other top editorial management, turd-polished the old description with a shiny new title.

I found the previous email I had sent and did a "forward" with a brief statement in the new email, to the effect of "please consider me for this new job."

Brodetsky said: "We're already down to two finalists."

Really?

I was born at night, but not last night, and I've been in the papers biz —including writing columns and editorials — well beyond your five years of experience desired. I can smell Shinola rotting like a mackeral.

No way you got down to half a dozen semifinalists, let alone two finalists, by Jan. 15 (assuming you didn't screen any applicants over the Jan. 16-17 weekend, Josh), with a Jan. 6 job announcement.

You probably had at least one semifinalist, if not more, tell you they'd only be interested with the additional title, and perhaps whatever modicum of additional power comes with this, if you goosed things. So, to make sure you cleared EEOC hurdles, you ran a new job ad.

Should you see this, Josh, you can tell me if I'm wrong. I'll appreciate honesty.

And, since I'm here in Tex-ass, via the TPA, I'll know who you hired.

I've seen the Snooze repeatedly be full of crap on editorial hirings, while we're here.

The bigger picture, as a leftist, is that there's yet other diversities. A Black woman (let's say that's who Josh hired) might have come from a much richer family than I did — let's say, a family to help her get a master's in journalism (a degree about as overrated as an Ed.D.) from Columbia or something. So, income diversity is yet another diversity.

I could think of more, with more cogitation, but having done the bulk of this writing Monday night, after getting word of "you're too late" from Brodetsky just that morning, this will do nicely for now.