Free Cold Courage by Pekka Hiltunen Page A

consider yourself a happy person?’
    Thomas smiled.
    ‘Very happy,’ he said, and then proceeded to list his professional accomplishments, mention his family and sailing hobby. He talked about the satisfaction he derived from success in leadership.
    ‘He was expecting that. Interviewers always ask a question like that sooner or later to try to throw the subject off. It’s an attempt to nudge the interviewee away from the answers he’s already prepared,’ Mari said.
    The next questions Thomas didn’t like, as they addressed
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’s decreasing circulation. When Robert Cansai asked why Thomas had not been able to halt the downward slide, his face turned sour.
    ‘Circulation hasn’t fallen nearly as quickly as during my predecessor’s tenure. And you have to remember that I started out with the old editorial team – I wasn’t able to bring anyone in with me. I’ve tried by might and main to add more energy to the magazine and make it more competitive, but the opposition to change among my subordinates is… considerable,’ Thomas said.
    ‘That’s not true!’ Lia exclaimed. ‘That little shit. We’ve been trying to come up with better selling features for years.’
    ‘Listen,’ Mari said. ‘This is interesting.’
    ‘Mr Thomas, let’s do talk about your office for a moment. What sort of group is it you lead?’
    ‘Challenging,’ Thomas said. ‘Of course everyone has their own special skills that we do our best to utilise, but the dynamism required for commercial success is often lacking. I tend to shoulder responsibility for improving the magazine more or less alone.’
    ‘Do you have any particularly talented subordinates? Is there anyone you’d like to take along if you move to a new position?’
    ‘Not really. Timothy Phelps, perhaps. He’s a good political reporter, but he may be at the peak of his career already.
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may be just the right size for him.’
    ‘We have collected a list of your subordinates and thought we would ask you your opinion of their potential. This is our way of evaluating how you deal with the strengths and weaknesses of the people you lead,’ Cansai said. ‘Is that acceptable?’
    ‘Of course,’ Thomas said. ‘I know all of them inside and out.’
    ‘Sam Levinson?’ Cansai began.
    ‘Sam is a very pleasant subordinate and colleague. Good sense of humour. But I wouldn’t take him with me. His pieces are too conventional.’
    Lia stared at the computer screen. Of all the bloody nerve!
    ‘William Jasper, your entertainment reporter.’
    ‘Jasper is competent in his area. In a sense it’s a shame he chose entertainment, because that shows he doesn’t have the potential for the big leagues.’
    As the list of names continued, Lia heard her boss guillotine one subordinate after another. About each person Thomas first said something good but then immediately added something so biting that the message was clear: good for nothing.
    ‘Lia Pajala?’
    ‘Lia is a diligent foot soldier. But she’s a bit outspoken. In order to get ahead she would need social skills. And if she hasn’t developed them by now…’
    Filled with bitterness, Lia stared at Matt Thomas’ crooked smile. The AD position had just moved out of reach.
    ‘Speaking of female employees, the
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team has a conspicuous lack of women. Only two in thirteen. At other, similar publications,the proportion of women is closer to forty per cent, sometimes more. Why?’
    Matt Thomas breathed in one second too long. He was not prepared for this.
    ‘I would say it has to do with the history of the magazine.
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first emerged as an overtly political magazine. In politics women have traditionally played a smaller role, and in political journalism men make up the majority.’
    ‘You have hired five of the current employees, none of them women. Why is this?’
    Thomas forced a smile.
    ‘Just chance. But to speak plainly, we’re competing in a tough media market, and the best stories come from editorial