It’s only 24 C today but it feels like 21-22 C because of the mountain breeze. I haven’t turned on my aircon in two months. Probably longer.

My kids are out with their friends at the February Fair, which is an annual event organized by the university student council. It started as a Septmeber Fair, a protest against the first Marcos regime. Because September is a stormy/rainy month, they moved it to February, which is generally a dry month. They continued to hold the fair every February in two campuses of our university for several decades now.

Meanwhile, here is one of our foster kittens.

I already set up an appointment with a vet who specializes in trap, spay, and release cats. She told me mommy cat has to rest for a month before she could spay her. I hope in between she won’t go in heat.

I also answered a journalist survey and this is what I answered:

Number 12 is just too 🤦🏻‍♀️. They’re the most difficult to deal with. Too many demands, too many conditions, they want to control the narrative and behave like we are paid PR writers 🤬 Good thing that we are no longer covering them as HQ deemed they’re a waste of time.

The most annoying thing is they get so much media mileage from us given that we’re global. Really annoying.

M, my friend who consulted me about career moves, was finally convinced to set a definite deadline when to give his notice. I told him that as an editor, I would appreciate it if my reporter would give me a heads up so I can finally move on and search for a replacement. Any sane editor should always be prepared for this because our industry is so stressful and the pay is not commensurate to the amount of anxiety and stress we get. An editor is lucky if the reporter sticks around for more than two years. This friend has been hospitalized several times due to anxiety (palpitations, high blood pressure) and time and time again I told him to quit and move on.

Because I already gave him my perspective as an editor and manager, he now feels less guilty if he tells his editor he is now bailing out. I told him to give his boss two months’ notice so he can train his replacement. I told him that two weeks’ notice is acceptable in our industry, but just to make himself feel less guilty, opt for 30 days to 60 days—enough time to show the newbie the ropes.

This guilty feeling was one main reason why he kept putting off his resignation.

Now as for his next venture, he was offered a position in a startup. But the catch is he will be giving up any semblance of impartiality or clean journalism because…I better leave it like that. I told him to consult R, the well-known (to us) crisis PR who is on the speed dial of all conglomerates here.

So he did.

M told me that my name cropped up in their lengthy conversation over dinner last week. M said that R respects me so much and that I am top of mind when it comes to the best journo to hire to pull in readers. And I have a clean name.

That was nice of him. ❤️

M said it seemed like R was scoping me that’s why he drove all the way to Sta Rosa to have dinner with me to pick my brains a few weeks ago. No wonder it felt bizarre. Anyway, he was already looking for someone to take over his business. R also offered to teach M the ropes if he decides to go to the dark side.

I would have been tempted because the money is really good. Like really, really good.

But I love journalism. I don’t know if I can stomach being a spinmaster for the likes of, let’s say CEB, which is the worst airline you can take. I’m too combative and too much of a crusader to switch to the dark side.

But then I told M, that if he decides to go to the dark side to be trained by R and not take that startup gig, he should wait for me in a couple of years because I’ll join him. One day I will get tired of this and just decide I just want to get rich. Anyway, I already know how to strategize media communication and do PR work. I’ve been giving advice for free anyway. J, the ex, has benefited from my network and expertise for free.

Speaking of which, I will be a resource person for a workshop on comms to be conducted by a global organization this month.

Maybe I do really have a knack for it, no? 🤔