Friday, March 13, 2009

Jersey Confidential: Issue 03.13.09

A comments forum, exclusively for N.J. Group news. (Archives.)

49 comments:

  1. Good morning all that are still with us.
    Rumors keep swirling, enough is enough have the decency to put us out of our misery.Get it over with if you going to let us go do it now.

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  2. As to yesterday's post that the plan is to close all GNJ bureaus: How does that make any sense? That means APP reporters would have to cover the whole of Ocean County from Neptune? Is the plan to adopt a set-up like the Bergen Record, where reporters are expected to work remotely in their beats every day?

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  3. I wish the magic number of papers that would be closing in yesterday's rumor alert hadn't been 5. Afterall, Morris. plus Somerville plus East Brunswick plus Vineland plus Cherry Hill equals five.

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  4. Have to put in my two cents on APP building woes, though I no longer work there. No idea on problems in print shop, other depts, can only speak for newsroom.

    Part of problem is you can't open a window in the entire building, which means employees breathing same air since 1985 when it first opened. (only exception: window that can open was retro-fitted into Bob Collins' office so he could vent while he smoked. Too bad they didn't do that elsewhere.)

    I once had to drag upper management into newsroom coffee station where the black mold on ceiling tiles had gotten so bad you could smell it at 50 paces. (They were kinda like, gee she's over-reacting again, but they did get it fixed quickly.) Also when I worked there, particularly in winter, I would get roaring migraines almost every day between 3 and 4 like clockwork.

    Now I work in building where you actually can open the windows and get fresh air. And those clockwork headaches have cleared up (of course that also could have been stress, who knows.)

    On merger: even before Gannett, Jules and Don seriously considered merging HNT and APP into one big Central NJ Press. There was a logo drawn up and everything. J&D also considered expansion into Mercer County around Hightstown area (which never materialized). Not surprising Gannett considering merger under these economic conditions.

    But it would be foolish to close bureuas. The whole mojo thing up at the Record is not exactly a screaming success.

    Hey Hortense, love your posts...

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  5. New Jersey is in for it today. Let us all say a prayer.

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  6. Long Live Charlie Nutt!

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  7. Let's not forget the little fellow try to make The Courier Post bigger.

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  8. Which little fellow?

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  9. Truth be told, the Bergen Record's main office in Hackensack was far more disgusting than any of the GNJ buildings I've seen.

    I didn't think the APP's Neptune building was that bad of a place to work. At least you got some natural light in there. The Freehold bureau was another matter entirely - basically the "newsroom" there was a windowless, gray cinderblock bunker.

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  10. The HNT newsroom is in the quintessential New Jersey location - tucked between the turnpike and a landfill.

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  11. the courier post is "tucked" between a Catholic high school and a New Jersey motor vehicle inspection station. Recent improvements: removal of an underground oil tank; carpet replacement; changed graphic on billboard outside on the property which had Spot News, company mascot on it for about a decade with a "commercial." Generally though, the place is a dump!

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  12. wait — so the CP newsroom has all of its carpet now? last time i was there (december 2, 2008), it didn't quite meet in the middle...

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  13. I didn't say that all carpet was replaced at the courier post. Oh I forgot that they also fixed up a couple of bathrooms which were completely disgusting. Poopgate did them in.

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  14. They are getting ready to sell the buildings.

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  15. Soon the heat will be turned off.The air conditioning will go on.Free black mold for everybody.

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  16. OSHA just might be showing up at the APP soon rummer has it.

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  17. Hey,New Jersy rocks. What's the story??????

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  18. Enough with the building health problems Bullshit !!
    I know people that have worked in all 3 (yes 3)
    Asbury,Neptune,Freehold APP buildings for 30+ years and are perfectly fine"

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  19. As far as working in the buildings.Did any of the people work around the in plant print shop at the time of the sulfuric acid incident?Well? I really hope that you got the guts to answer this question.And before you say Bullshit again,IT WAS PEOPLE SHIT! get it!People shit started this, NOT BULL SHIT! And one more thing,read up on black mold,and over exposure to sulfuric acid,THEN GET BACK TO YOUR BULL SHIT!

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  20. Oh,and buy the way,were do you work in the building,Mr Bull Shit???

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  21. Thees last 2 posts are mine,I have stayed off the page for a wile, just watching,and funny how this is bought up by someone who may have something to say, and your so quick to say that this building stuff is bull shit.YOU PROBABLEY HAVE THE APP BUILDING AS A LISTING AND YOU CANT SEEL IT or YOU ARE MANEGMENT!
    From E.G.

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  22. E.G... you claim the APP is a cancern cluster? Was it built on some kind of toxic dump?

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  23. Hey G..Mr. BS Might be alot closer to the situation then you think !!!
    And rumor has it you were off when the acid trip went down

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  24. A merger of GNJ papers is not out of the question. Only one paper will be published with a localized section for each county. The RENTED office spaces will still be home to staffers, but will be considered BUREAUS instead of individual papers. Operations will be streamlined as much as possible but will continue to consist of newsroom staff, advertising staff and management. Yes it is possible and yes it will happen. So continue to do the best job you can and hope for a stronger, brighter future.

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  25. And what will they be naming the new publication?

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  26. To:5:34 I was off on the last day they did the drains,but not the previous 4 or 5 times!and the acid was still so strong that from at least that last time,that it showed up a month and two major cleanings later!And do you want to get into what the company nurse saw and put in writing,or what Mike from HR did?......."bring it"!!!And one more thing I am NOT ANONYMOUS SO PROVE ME WRONG!!

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  27. To:5:30 I never said that there was a cancer cluster!! get your facts strait!

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  28. 5:52 pm -- BINGO. You win the prize, that is the plan. Sell the buildings and land, as the CN is doing now and the HNT and DR will do next, rent office space for the ad reps and MOJO the reporters as The Record just did as 150 River Street is empty. That's the grand plan of GNJ.

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  29. HNT's building is rented, not owned

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  30. The HNT rents, the CN rents (building in Bridgewater is sold/hasn't changed hands yet), the DR is next. All will be BUREAUS.

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  31. OK, so I am tired of this too!
    So I will see how important this is to all of you, DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE PICTERS THAT I HAVE? Going by your answers,I will post them so you can see for yourselves!SO lets here!

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  32. The mojo idea at Bergen is stupid, obviously conceived by editors who don't value interaction in the newsroom. Keep 'em away from each other so they won't gossip! Yeah, that's the ticket! Divide and conquer!

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  33. Reunion Planned!

    After discussing the details with Mr. von Beaverbottom, we have decided to make a large withdrawal from the von Beaverbottom Trust and sponsor a party for all employees who have been kicked to the curb by Gannet NJ over the past twenty-five years. Jim and Sparky will also be invited. Originally, downtown Asbury Park was considered, but a better idea seems to be the Patriots Stadium in Bridgewater.

    We would appreciate an RSVP with the number of people from your family who would attend. We are especially interested in ill-behaved children and untrained pets.

    This reunion will attract wide attention so that any of the remaining readers of Gannett newspapers will be able to see what has happened over the years. The Star Ledger will cover the event and distribute free copies of the next day's newspaper to all areas "served" by Gannett.

    The date is tentative, but we are thinking in terms of Benedict Arnold's Birthday or Halloween.

    There will be a special tribute to Craig, Gracia, Tara, Ketan, Skippy,
    Henry, the APP Family of Publishers, and others you may suggest.

    In honor of our esteemed Board of Directors, weiners will be roasted.

    H

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  34. ok EG you were possiably right, It might not of been you but on 3/02 @ 6:02 in the JC the cancer cluster was talked about

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  35. I'm going to do this anyway!GO TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE ERNIE GANT AND LOOK AT THE WALL PICS,tell ALL OF YOUR GANNETT FRIENDS AND REPORTERS AND MANEGERS, THEN GET BACK TO ME,I really would like to know what you ALL THINK!

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  36. To 5:34 Hi,is it Mike or Bob?

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  37. Or could be Joe?

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  38. If you looked at the pics,one with big white processor,you can see my desk and PC in the background!This is how close I was,when they pored the excessive amounts of the Clobber in the drain.The fumes rose into the upstairs,and also into the coin room.It effected ALL that were upstairs at the time.WERE you there?

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  39. Don't know if a merger would make sense. How would that affect legal ads?

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  40. So 10:04 What is making you soooo mad? I did not bring this up today!yes I have bin viewing this page.And I have not posted for a wile,if you don't like the fact that I tried to tell your fellow workers what is going on,don't read it.That is your right!Tell me what do you talk about Mike?

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  41. Newsroom camraderie? HA. Listening to The Frair pontificate in the DR newsroom about stories he covered 20 years ago and how he should be a columnist again is hardly the stuff of journalistic discourse. Better to be off with a laptop, working the beat.

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  42. Look at the Pics,and think about the right to know law,were you around this, if not,what are you going to do if this happens to you?should I tell you to shut the fuck up?should your fellow employees tell you to shut the fuck up?

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  43. Report this supposed building situation to OSHA, the county health dept, anyone but spare us any more of your postings. Your are repitious and boring.

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  44. So after telling me to shut the fuck up,now after my rebuttal you got nothing to say,I guess you are APP management,because that is just the kind of response we all expect from you guys,shut the fuck up,take your toys and go play in another yard. good night!

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  45. Or maybe you did look at the pictures

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  46. I looked at the photos and I saw in person the skanky area that EG worked in and around. Please Ernie, tell someone who can really help you out on this. Don't give up. But this blog cannot really help you, other that take heed to your warnings for those still at the APP.

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  47. Kids...sounds like the problems may be a BIT bigger than building conditions. (Which, I admit, are awful)
    Circs in the toilet for everyone and dinosaur mgt. STILL maintains the SL isn't NEARLY as good as GNJ papers.
    Might want to spend more time on what our next career moves may be. I doubt we'll have to worry about having OHSHA into an empty building...

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  48. EG, I didn't respond to you right away because, unlike you, I have a life. I don't park myself here 24 hours a day.

    I'm not management, never will be. I'm just a person who gets frustrated when someone continually whines about the same thing, even after he is given advise about what to do. No one here can help you, you have to help yourself.

    I get the feeling you just like to rant, you like to be the victim. "Oh poor me. Look what that nasty gannett did to me. Look at the pictures. See! Look how bad I had it."

    Fine, you had it rough, they screwed you. I'm sorry for what you went through. But your constant blathering here won't do you any good. I get the feeling you're more interested in complaining than in fixing the problem.

    So I will take your advice and ignore your posts from now on.

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Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

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