Update on Feb. 27, 11:02 a.m. PT: Take the "Goldilocks'' survey, in the poll box at the top of the blue sidebar, right.Here's a thought-provoking comment on my post about retiring Newspaper Division President Sue Clark-Johnson, and the Newspaper Association of America conference this week.
The commenter says I've taken a different approach recently: "You are sounding more and more biased and angry. If folks are going to take you seriously you are going to have to develop a sense of balance. What happened to no axe to grind? I've enjoyed the blog up to now but if this keeps up I can go to the GUILD website and listen to them complain about anyone who has a management title."
Now, what do you think? You can comment anonymously, on the original post -- or right below, in the comments section. You can also e-mail me, using this link; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the sidebar, upper right.
[Image: that's Snidely Whiplash!]
Here's the thing - There are those of us in management, albeit very middle management, who understand (and at times even embrace) the snarky comments about the abuse of employees going on around us. It makes us feel there is a world out there where sanity prevails.
ReplyDeleteWhile this isn't about a personal high horse, making sure employees don't work unpaid overtime is a challenge in the super-lean Gannett newsroom where I work. With so much work and so few people (getting fewer every month lately), making sure loyal, hard-working employees don't put in an extra hour or two every day or so takes effort.
And yet, I see unpaid overtime (and employees who recently were given piddly raises to become salaried now working 12-hour days every day to fill the gaps of "dark" positions that haven't or won't be filled) going on all around the room at large - just to get the paper out. It is not right.
Most of these employees are the kind of employees anyone would love to have - good, hardworking people who believe at some point they'll be appreciated and recognized - which I've yet to see happen. Instead, they're the kind of employees who just take it, until, of course, they can't any more and either get out of the business altogether, have a breakdown or just quit.
The EE is very aware of what's going on and doesn't appear to be troubled by it at all. Other sources have reported it to Gannett corporate HR, but nothing has happened. What do you do? (I'm sincerely asking.) It's hard not to be bitter and angry.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI am sure you don't mean to be so negative and I am sure you can't help it. After all, any loyal employee who gets laid off from a company tends to lose that sense of loyalty. After all, in your mind, the company betrayed you. Having said that, you can be more helpful than hurtful.
I do believe you have moved more negative and bitter with your posts to this blog. If you look at each post (and your subsequent commentaries to other reader posts)almost all of them is bitter and negative.
I actually think you should say that you have an ax to grind and you have issues with the company. Don't hide behind it. Come out of the closet. You are a bitter ex-employee of Gannett and you are pissed about it and you are going to expose all the things wrong with the company.
I think you will gain much more credibility. Don't pretend to be unbiased. It's not who you are.
Peace!
Gannett Blog is not too mean. It's a vital outlet for current and former Gannettoids to express their opinions. The abuse of employees is a longstanding fact about Gannett, and it's long past time that people get a chance to point out such abuse and do what they can to stop it.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? You are TOO EASY on that fascist company. They are the devil and I hope the company loses all its value and goes away forever.
ReplyDeleteToo Mean? Come on! You are more “fair and balanced” than any Gannett rag out there. Gannett brought this upon their selves. Look at their track record – not only with treating employees like cattle ( I had a 20+ year career with Gannett and USAT). But also with their community involvement – which is zippy. Since Newharth took over and disbanded The Gannett Foundation, there’s been no real effort to give back. Gannett is never on any list as far as corporate Philanthropists goes – Source Washington Business Journals Book of Lists 2008. That says a lot about a companies personality.
ReplyDeleteManagement and the few who are sympathetic to this company and its illegal means certainly would like to construe your honest reporting as if it's somehow "mean." But keep in mind that your blog has increased in readership since you have done more to expose the truth about Gannett. This is a necessary outlet. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteKeep speaking truth to power!
If we want happy talk, we can go to the company's intranet site.
ReplyDeleteThis site is far more interesting and informative.
There's a Muslim or Mongolian [OK, I don't know the source, but I didn't think it up] that goes, "He who speaks the truth should have one foot in the stirrup."
ReplyDeleteWhich means, to me, that speaking the truth and being snarky can be a dangersous state of being.
I don't think this blog is mean. I don't see much bias, except maybe in the plaintive mewing from Gannett employees posting. Shouldn't they be roaring?
I love this blog and everything posted on it. Now if I can just figure which foot to put in the stirrup ...
I just voted that your blog is too mean and it's not showing. Hmmm...don't I count?
ReplyDeleteI don't know why that would be; have you refreshed your screen? Once those poll boxes are launched, I have no control over the results. The only thing I can do is remove the poll from the page.
ReplyDeleteOh, great...The old "Is it plugged in" ploy. Don't know what you changed, but it just started showing.
ReplyDeleteGood! You had me worried for a minute.
ReplyDeleteJim, I have a suggestion. Maybe you should announce the poll in a separate blog post. I never knew it was there until this discussion, and I assume more people would vote if everybody knew about the poll.
ReplyDeleteGood idea! Please see: http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/vote-is-gannett-blog-too-negative.html
ReplyDeleteYou've got to be kidding about being mean. Remember the days of those onsite visits...and those execs being fired shortly thereafter...courtesy of Curley, Watson, and the gang.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the history on the advertising side...how many Corporate VP's of Advertising over the last ten years. Give me the names of current advertising execs. in the field with more than ten years of service.
Burned out, bummed out, and screwed. Sounds like a great company to me.
$90 to $29...and going lower.
The EE is very aware of what's going on and doesn't appear to be troubled by it at all. Other sources have reported it to Gannett corporate HR, but nothing has happened. What do you do? (I'm sincerely asking.) It's hard not to be bitter and angry.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding???? Corporate HR does what the Executive Suite tells them!! They could care less about the employees and surely wish this all would go away. I've never seen a more ineffective department than Corporate HR. Employees abuse is completely overlooked and reporting employees are listened to, but that's about it. You get a pad on the shoulder and ushered out of the office with no further action and hopes that the employee never returns. To be honest that would be source of cost savings. Fire them all! That whole department (how many are left: 6) is busy kissing up to the higher echolon!!!!!!!!!