I'll lose my job if I don't agree to destroy my team lead... Advice?

This is a covert power struggle, or a set-up.

You are correct that the behavior is dysfunctional and crosses an ethical line.

Blurred or messed-up chains of command (or communication) are a very strong indicator of that.

So is lack of consensus on strategy ('creative differences').

In a proper company culture, differences of opinion don't descend into squabbles, they generate constructive respectful discussions based on fact-based proposals on how to frame, measure, solve an issue.

However you haven't given us enough information to be able to tell the context:

It is possible that the editor is incompetent and the owner is sneaky.

It is possible the owner is setting you up to provoke a confrontation with the editor or mess with their head.

Maybe the owner just burns through people without regard to them. Maybe the owner is a psychopath and enjoys messing with people's heads in order to make them suffer and eventually leave. Maybe there is some bad relationship between owner and editor. How long have all these people worked together? etc. But anyway it's not your job to fix their culture.

As to what YOU should personally do, it depends on whether you can get another job, with equivalent or better conditions, is this your first job, what terms you want to stay on with these nutters, how much do you like or value the current job and the rest of the people.

a) The standard option is simply to quietly dust off your resume, get a new job and avoid any confrontation, then you get a good reference from the current crew. You might or might not tell the editor what the owner is up to, after you leave - that's up to your conscience.

(If you quietly leave maybe the owner will replace the editor and hire you back? who knows? occasionally such things happen.)

b) The most aggressive option would be to force the issue with the owner, request a meeting to firmly but politely tell them their order is inappropriate and since they have no confidence in the editor they should fire, replace or demote them (or promote you, or hire a replacement). Or else tell the owner they must clearly tell the editor have authority to make these specific changes. Before you have that meeting, set up at least two job offers for yourself. Or just quit outright and initiate the conversation that way - if the owner cares to know why you are leaving.

This could be a high-risk option and it depends entirely on your assessment of the owner's character (Can they handle the truth? Are they known to listen or retaliate?).

c) An alternative is to stay, but try to facilitate the owner, editor and you having constructive discussions about the website strategy, then get them both to by-in to you having autonomy from the editor to implement them. Mind you, that's basic management stuff the owner should be doing already. (You might or might not care to tell the owner when you quit that they should learn to be clear, direct and ethical in how they manage people, it makes for a better culture.)

Personally I would avoid this option since the culture and owner sounds toxic enough already.

d) It is NOT an ethical alternative to do what the owner ordered you to do, namely subvert the editor - no matter how bad they might or might not be. Even if it's expedient and profitable for you. You are right to refuse to consider that. Good for you. If only everyone was like you.

Do you remember that game a few years ago when my Rangers beat my poor O's 30-3? Ouch! Obviously the Rangers took no notice of that unwritten rule! However, I agree with mimi and Haley- I do feel bad at times, but I feel that both teams should give it their all throughout the entire game. Also a few years ago, the Red Sox were up on my Rangers 10-0 after one inning, but the Rangers came back and were actually leading 17-16 until Francisco gave up a three-run shot to Youk. If the Red Sox had not been giving their all the ENTIRE game, they may very well have lost. Likewise, if the Rangers had just laid down and died, the Red Sox might have not had to do a thing. The bottom line is this: As long as the players give it their all, I as a fan have nothing to complain about.

Unfortunately, I'm only 16 and I have no work experience, but I do hold certain values towards working. First of all, do you dislike your boss, and does he lower your self-respect / esteem? Moreover, if you do assume authority over the editor and get rid of him, do you think you'll be capable of handling the manuals somehow, or will the boss just fire you anyway? If he won't fire you, can you convince him to employ more tech writers in your department. Finally, do you enjoy your job and do it for the experience, not the money?

True, the economy is in a recession, unemployment rates are skyrocketing, and job security, especially if you're new, is hard to find, but if you have the passion to take on a new job and hold it, then by all means do it.

I wouldn't do it. First of all, if the owner believes that the managing editor can't manage, then he needs to be firing that one, putting you in that place, and then asking you to make the needed changes to the site. The way the owner is doing it now is being sneaky, going behind the managing editor's back and asking you to do something that will likely pizz off the managing editor. Maybe owner wants the managing editor to get mad and quit, saving him the trouble? Whatever. Just remember, the owner could be all sneaky behind your back someday. This dude has no concept of leadership/management skills!

If it were me, I'd tell the owner that I will not participate in that kind of underhandedness toward the managing editor, tell him exactly what I thought of his unethical and unfair "leadership", quit right there, and hightail it over to the other position available.

I'd also let the managing editor know exactly what the owner is trying to do behind his/her back.

Well, you're starting off in a good position. You don't NEED this job. You have some pretty cushy fallback options.

Do you WANT this job? I assume you do, or you would have left already?

Getting stuck in the middle of a power struggle between the owner and the managing editor could get ugly. You don't want to be the punching bag.

What is YOUR opinion of the the managing editor? Is (s)he good or bad, or somewhere in between? Is this a person you can work with, and bounce new ideas off, and get permission to go with them? Or is this person a roadblock?

What is YOUR opinion of the owner? Are his opinions rational? Is he technically competent? (People who aren't technically competent tend to get frustrated with how long it takes to get things done, even when people who are technically competent understand that...yeah, it really does take that long.)

I would say (because it's really easy to say...may not be easy to do)....try to take the high road. Figure out what changes the owner wants, and try to work them through the managing editor (make him/her think it was their idea...that works sometimes ;-).

But if you find yourself in the middle of a pissing contest between a couple of juveniles, walk away. You're lucky to have that option.

This is a dysfunctional company. They've been lucky. I would find my way out of there. You don't need to lose sleep or get ulcers in an environment like that. (unless of course the pay is BIG TIME)

At your expense,yeah right,tell him to do it himself.Apparently no guts.