Editors: Don’t drop your standards for the holidays

The holidays are a terrible time for writers and editors. Work slows down, which is good for everyone else but terrible for those of us who still have to find something compelling to write about and put out a publication.

The employees are excited about a few extra days off and getting away from the office. But for corporate writers that just means more work. Your story cupboard is bare, your deadlines are worse than ever and no one’s around to help, from the executives you need to interview to the printer who tells you he’ll be running his press for about six minutes between Christmas and New Year’s.

What’s worse, in this desperate holiday season your news judgment suddenly fails you. You find yourself tempted by stories you never would have considered before. Don’t do it! If you can just hold out until January, think of the bounty that awaits you: financial wrap-ups and strategic plans, everything new and fresh.

Here are three holiday stories that are guaranteed to drive you into a classic holiday depression—and what you can do to salvage them.