Lifestyle: My Byline is my Byline, not hers too...

Originally Published on Not One of Yo Lil Friends: https://notoneofyolilfriends.home.blog/2019/01/05/lifestyle-my-byline-is-my-byline-not-hers-too/

January 5, 2019

By Jaya Montague

Writing is like playing Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic’s goal is to jump over beach cliffs and collect golden rings to win the level. Writers pop from one word to another word to “achieve” the so-what. Players and authors can spend hours trying to reach their goals.

The screen flashes and in white letters, “Game over” is on the top. The controller slipped out of the player’s hands and Sonic rolled head-first into his nemesis, Doctor Robotnik. In the world of journalism or other types of writing, “game over” means the creator is no longer in control of their words.

I had my work stolen.

Doctor Robotnik could be a media outlet branding work as the company’s work. My “enemy” is my old magazine internship.

It was a Sunday morning when I walked up the cement-cracking steps to knock on the office door. A few days before, I agreed to help cover Lincoln University’s graduation for the magazine’s feature on HBCUs.

The drive to Lincoln is an hour and a half. I looked at the city concrete disappear for suburban grass and answered my publisher’s questions.

Besides taking pictures, I interviewed graduates and recipients of honorary degrees.

One of the proudest moments in my journalism career found me interviewing Sheila L. Oliver, the Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.

I didn’t stay at the internship long because I got added to extra duties without pay. I left the magazine before the feature came out and gave my work to the publisher and managing editor.

The publisher called me and asked me to do data for the story. I moved to another gig and was not able.

They said okay and wished me well.

A few weeks later, I searched for the feature and 3 articles.

News articles come out and considered the truth. Good reporters, editors, and fact checkers spend the time to verify stories before they go to print.

I look through the stories and quotes from the questions I asked. The only issue is the 2 articles carried another writer’s name on the things I collected.

The laptop shut under my fingers. I opened my bag to find my notepad and went line by line to see my scribbles/recordings match up with the quotes.

Bylines are important.

Readers assume the name on the page is the author‘s work. To add another name on work leads to questions on the publication’s honesty.

“No one would listen,” is what I said when I read the article two more times. It’s been an echo in conversations with friends. Fear of retribution is the reason I never wrote until now.

I’m one, small person.

I realized keeping quiet, even when it’s easier to be, has never been a part of who I am.

The console button will start the game again. The backspace buttons on a published article will not give the piece its life again.