Not telling the truth when writing

Examples of articles portraied a certain way.

[shigamoto]

A company that I work for is doing major restructuring in their organization, they wanted me to write something about it in their company magazine.

The management wanted me to present this great change and the new effectivity that came with it. So off I went to a factory they own and asked employees, they disliked it.

I found two people who liked it and then I took one who disliked it and interviewed them to get some nice quotes in the article. Back at the office trying to puzzle the article together I obviously had to present the new structure as a great change so I did and added a little bit of criticism. Off it went and it got published, I got paid. The only problem is that the little criticism I portraied in the article was actually quite more serious.

What I'm getting at is how hard it is to write for sources and clients that already has an agenda that you have to write within. These types of experiences isn't exactly the proudest moment of an author. Any other experiences?

[digitalghost]

I could write reams about the integrity of particluar assignments but at the end you would still be left with the same questions.

Am I writing for myself or am I writing for them? In this particular instance it appears you were the hired pen, paid to write corporate fodder. If management were aware of the criticism you may been hired to change the direction of the criticism. If they weren't aware, the piece may have made them aware had you written as a journalist.

I have to assume you knew the motives of the people that hired you. If not, you were treading dangerous ground by assuming their intentions. However, it gets even more complicated than simply writing to please rather than writing to inform.

Is the criticism valid? Is it widespread? What are the motives of the detractors? While a balanced piece may have been more beneficial to management and employees, would it have gotten published? Writing a slanted piece might not have been fulfilling, but if you took the assignment knowing they wanted biased copy, then it was your job to provide it.

Even if I were writing a biased piece, I would have written two articles, presenting both sides so I could address any conflicts in the biased piece before the other side could bring it up.

Sounds like you did what you where hired to do. Whether you sleep at night afterward is something only you will know. In the future you will need to ask the same questions before you take the assignment.

[Content Writer]

The only problem is that the little criticism I portraied in the article was actually quite more serious.

You mean, it was serious that you portrayed a little criticism? Or the little criticism was actually not so little? It would be less serious if you portrayed more than a little criticism? Who was the little criticism serious to?

[wolfadeus]

You are not a journalist, you are a paid writer - if you are a graphics designer, you can't expect to have the freedom of an aritst either. If you are very critical, you'll find that there is no real freedom in writing - even public media that don't even have economic constraints to the degree commercial ones have, often constrain you in certain ways. Sad? Depends on your motivation, I'd say.

[rogerd]

When working for a commercial client, you pretty much have to give them what they are asking for. You don't have to put your name on it (unless you agreed to do that).

I would have been tempted to brief management on my findings - it's possible they really would have found some criticisms information helpful. Or, maybe they were well aware of the issues and just wanted a puff piece.

[lcampers]

You didn't sign up to write the so called "truth" that you "really" see with this job, it seems.

Every viewpoint is skewed, usually one's own more so than they'd like to think. Every job stinks, and I've never worked anywhere where most everyone had gripes.

You are a writer who is realizing someone else's vision, do that if that's what you are paid for.

That is a fine use of writing.