Shenzhen Zen

Sorry to hear it, Justin. Keep us in the loop when you can.
 

Major Bummer Justin - Let us know if we can be of help.
 

Sorry to hear it. From what you've posted previously, it seems clear that the organization in question is locked in a downward spiral due to incompetent management. Shedding creative, intelligent employees is another symptom of the proverbial fish rotting from the head down.
 

Oofdah...sorry to hear the news. I don't suppose they have great unemployment benefits in HK, do they? Maybe it's time to finish that pulitzer-potential novel...you were working on one weren't you? (If you were in L.A. it would be a screenplay, but...)

Keep us posted, let me know what/if your new e-mail address is.
 

Sorry to hear this -- but from what you've been writing it hardly sounds like it was the best place to work. Hope you find something better at a happier environment soon.
 

..and there goes the last reason to buy the standard.

Sorry to hear it.
 

Sincere thanks all.
Here's the Reader's Digest version of what went down. I was fired for freelancing for a "competing" publication, a startup online Asia mag called Asia Sentinel run by two former Standard editors whom I respect deeply.

The story in question had been rejected by The Standard before I sold it to Asia Sentinel.
Nothing controversial, (a middling feature about the art copy factory industry in Shenzhen) it just didn't fit the new parameters set by our Chinese editors, which amounts to, "it's only news if it makes the goverment or a major business interest look good amd especially if it came to us as a press release from an authority figure."

Oh, and we're paying you a lot more than beginning reporters and if our Editor-in-Chief can cut the budget even more he will receive a huge Chinese New Year bonus that might filter down to us, but even if it doesn't we still make face by ejecting you, the last high priced, loud mouthed foreign barbarian on the staff.

I have some opportunities and some friends here who are helping out. A couple of them are taking shifts on a high traffic pedestrian overpass as fake disabled beggars for the "Save the Gweilo Reporter Fund" and another is offering me daily use of his home computer, phone, fax etc.

I'll be okay. Thanks for all your good wishes.
 

Oh my, sorry to hear that Justin. All the best.
 

Typical. The Standard have a long history of shafting everybody. Pretty well every journalist I've ever known has worked for them at some time or another and been unjustly fired.
 

what about teaching journalism or at least advanced english at a HK university?
 

The newspaper industry is screwed up everywhere. Maybe it's time to get out, Justin, there is life after journalism. Let me know if I can help