An Attitude Of Compassion, Mutual Support

I MAINTAIN that the way journalists deal with their feelings can influence the quality of their work - from identifying their biases to covering stories with more sensitivity.

The old stereotypical editor would consider it "sissy" to provide journalists with assistance or time to deal with traumatic situations to which they have been subjected - from murders to fires, to violence and other shocking events.

Emotional walls can build. Detached, cold stories about very human issues can result.

Mercifully, that treatment is becoming more and more a thing of the past at The Seattle Times.

This difference was never more apparent to me than it has been for the past year and a half, when Scene section staffers dealt openly and honestly with the terminal illness of two colleagues: Fashion editor Marilyn Kirkby, who had cancer of the esophagus, and free-lance columnist Robert O'Boyle, who wrote of his final months living with the AIDS virus.

Both died last week.

While accurately eloquent obituaries continue to be published about both nationally acclaimed journalists, readers (including a few who work at other media) who are aware of how Scene staffers conducted themselves throughout this trying time have asked me to write my impressions.

What I have seen is a group of people whose bottom line is people.

"Human beings are most important of all," says Karen West, assistant Scene editor. "If you don't take care of human beings, you can't put out a good newspaper."

Makes sense. Every news story ever written is either about - or for - people.

West, who was also Marilyn's editor, called a staff meeting last February and shared the shocking news of Kirkby's diagnosis.

After a reporter's suggestion, a hospice worker was invited to help staffers deal with Marilyn's illness and their own grieving process.

"This was scary for us," said West. "We knew Marilyn considered The Times her family and we wanted to be the best family we could be for her."

With the characteristic curiosity of reporters, the staff went into action, investigating the disease. They recruited medical-reporter Warren King to help research treatment options as well.

The outcome of their work was not gratifying. They were in a way ahead of Marilyn's knowledge about her illness and its often deadly prognosis.

Marilyn, however, was a tireless warrior in her battle with cancer.

Work was extremely important to her. She continued to work, sometimes for just a couple of hours a day, until the day before Thanksgiving. I would see her slight form nearly clinging to walls for support as she made her way through the halls when she left for the day, usually taking a bus home.

"How are you, Marilyn?" someone would ask. "Oh, just fine!" she would insist, no matter how apparent her pain.

When her condition deteriorated, West and others spent many hours with her in the hospital, and then the hospice.

West even arranged to have Marilyn's two beloved dogs visit her in a critical-care unit, thanks to a "can-do" nurse who found a couple of rules to bend.

West put out daily messages to Scene staffers and others who wanted to be notified of Marilyn's condition; later, Robert's condition would be added to these notes.

Informal meetings would assemble spontaneously, some of them tearful, when significant changes occurred.

A sign-up sheet scheduled staffers to make daily hospice visits. "Our Marilyn," as West called her, would not be alone during the holidays. Yes, her dogs got to visit her there, too. And staffers helped plan yesterday's memorial service for her, obeying orders not to wear black.

What about lost time on the job from all this volunteer effort? Staffers pulled together to pick up any slack for those who needed it.

Cards, letters and gifts from staffers were taken to the hospice almost daily. Marilyn's national reputation was apparent: Flowers from New York City fashion colleagues were obvious among the rest.

Newspapers around the country have noted her death as well. She was an expert in her field and her reports on New York fashion shows often went out over the wires before the New York Times reviews were filed.

And her reputation for predicting trends will live after her: The spring fashion edition of Pacific magazine will reflect her influence.

"Robert O'Boyle's case is different from Marilyn's," said Scene editor Terry Tazioli. Because he had the AIDS virus, there was always the fearful possibility Robert's body would give way to the usually fatal condition.

Tazioli is more comfortable talking about Robert and the significant contribution the columnist made to "a huge audience" of readers and public speaking audiences than about any support he may have provided the columnist and his family over the past year and a half.

Tazioli names all five of Robert's brothers and a sister in his discussion of the writer.

"He was a gentle, courageous human being," said Tazioli. And he was compassionate. He was tolerant of people who detested him for being gay. He simply couldn't understand their bigotry.

"I sometimes had no patience with his detractors," said Tazioli. "He was just the opposite. I never, ever heard him say derogatory things about a detractor - publicly or in private conversation.

"I figured, hey, if he can do this, I can certainly do the same thing."

Tazioli noted that last week, for the first time in the 18 months they have worked together, he did not encourage Robert to write, despite his illness, even though Robert insisted that he wanted to. "I knew it was time," said Tazioli.

While all this might just sound like an example of people pulling together, grief-counselor Margaret Pratt says companies that encourage caring for one another in this way are also practicing good business.

Why? "Because there will not be any `loss kickback', " she said. That is time lost by employees because they have not been permitted to deal with their grief directly and openly at a more appropriate time. "It catches up with you sooner or later," said Pratt.

In fact, she notes that supervisors who, by example, encourage mutual care actually foster "better, more cooperative" employees.

But West and Tazioli make it clear there is no ulterior motive. "That's just the way things are done here," said both. They also believe these attitudes are reflected in the work of Scene journalists.

Executive Editor Michael R. Fancher agrees. "The ultimate reward is in the kind of newspaper we publish," he said. "I think it reflects the kind of people we are and how we treat each other."

Too many companies and news organizations still don't seem to understand how an attitude of compassion and mutual support, coupled with a commitment to work out problems together, contribute to fine work. And that is what can make this paper succeed while others flounder, wondering why.

Colleen Patrick is a privately contracted consultant, not a Times employee. Questions? Call her at 464-8979 or write P.O. Box 70, Seattle 98111. FAX: 382-8879.