[novel question] Journalists -- what was your workplace like? What kind of conflicts / ethical dilemmas did you encounter in the workplace?

I’m in the process of writing a novel for NaNoWriMo, and my main character is a freelance feature writer. Originally, he just got sent out on assignments and didn’t have to head back to the office much. However, as I’m writing, his boss—I’m assuming the section editor?—has become more involved in the plot, and it there’s a chance that the protagonist might suddenly be stuck in the thick of things or be promoted to a minor position of power in the place.

So if you’ve ever worked for print media, I’d love to hear what a typical workday (or work-week) was like for you, the kinds of things you were asked to cover, your working environment, and in particular, what the people you had to deal with (the chain of command?) were like. I’d love to hear any stories about ethical dilemmas – self censorship, company policies, types of conflicts that happen in the hierarchy, or generally the types of things that would stress people out…