Glenn Thrush of the New York Times is no stranger to provocative stories. His exposes and reporting therefrom should have taught him one thing: Never be too comfortable in one's position in the workplace. His tenure was short-lived, however, when contrasted against some heretofore, respected journalists.
The shoe that dropped today (Nov. 22), is that even PBS -- the network of "Big Bird" -- has endured such behavior and from their man on point when it comes to the news. PBS and its decades-long running programs have always been inspirational and politically speaking, neutral if not centrist.
Well, as the tried but true axiomatic expression goes, don't trust a book by its cover when even Charlie Rose has been accused of long-standing, inappropriate behavior.
Flirtation in the workplace has always been a conundrum that corporations have always had to wrestle with given the five days a week men and women work together. Some corporations mandate a no dating policy as part of their overall, company policy. Maybe they have the right idea if men can't be trusted to keep things professional in the workplace, the ACLU notwithstanding.
Journalistic awards should trump avarice
Charlie Rose has a long-standing history of journalistic awards but even such covetous honors were not enough to satiate his odd, weird, apparently so, overt behavior.
Avarice means in simple terms, greediness. How could such an accomplished journalist not find satisfaction with the following:
- He was personally involved in a cessation of on-air critiques -- it not attacks -- between then MSNBC's Keith Olberman and FOX News' Bill O'Reilly, circa 2009
- He has won multiple Peabody Awards, given out for outstanding journalism broadcast over an electric medium, the oldest and some say, most prestigious award in America for journalists in any medium
- He received an honorary doctorate from the SUNY system c/o Oswego, circa 2014
There are many other less notable, but still noteworthy, accolades which were paid to this most honored of PBS' journalists.
The one thing missing from the previously mentioned list are references to awards or paying homage therefrom, to his journalistic endeavors during the 1980s or 1990s. He was working for CBS News from 1984-1990, and that's just for starters. Somewhere, Gwen Ifill is shaking her head in disappointment, if not disapproval.
Pandora's box in a good way -- finally
It takes just one courageous person to get the ball rolling sometimes. This author has always suggested (in other mediums) that the power of one(1) is indescribable. Zero has its place in mathematics, but one is not the loneliest number such as the great tune from the 1970s suggests. Indeed, one is the start of something potentially great. When Dr. King, Susan B. Anthony, or even Joan of Ark spoke up, they were the only ones who believed in their cause, at first.
PBS was the place where ostensibly, unbiased and untarnished coverage of the news proctored by such personalities as Charlie Rose was available. The man moderated presidential debates after all.
So what do all of these shenanigans -- for lack of a better term -- mean when even PBS kept quiet about open secrets? This author suggests that men in general, have lost the time-honored tradition of treating all co-workers with dignity and respect. The workplace environment is no proving ground for trying out pick-up lines, let alone taking advantage of those who are in a lesser position company-wise, but are every bit the equal human-wise!
