Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday | April 10 | Your News & Comments
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54 comments:
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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ReplyDeleteI can almost bet the AZ Republic's lovefest meeting yesterday was about them moving to #10 on the Publisher Statement for Sunday Circ - this after they brought in three USA Today Single Copy Managers last year who took circ sales from down 7 percent to up 12 percent - and then marched all three out the door two weeks ago like they were criminals. Steve Reed is officially the face of the newspaper anti-christ in Phoenix. Eight months in Single Copy and he couldn't find the &%$#@ airport without directions. Firing managers who make money for the company - classic Gannett.
ReplyDeleteHere's some an advice for posters: If you refer to yourself - a journalist - as a 'worker bee' - that is how you will be perceived.
ReplyDeleteBy editors, certainly, but by readers, too.
It's such an annoying term used only by old people - yes, I said that - and it is so indicative of how you approach your job.
I sure as hell don't want a 'worker bee' responsible for watchdog journalism.
I know the tone of the blog took a bad turn in the past day or so and I hate to contribute to it.
But seriously? 'Worker bee?'
Get the fuck out of the business if you're using terms that are derogatory to you and the craft.
Surely I can't count on a 'worker bee' to speak truth to power.
Or should I say, "I can't count on a 'worker bee' to speak truth to a 'queen bee.'"
Whatever the term, NO ONE dares speak the truth to the upper managers at The Republic without fearing for their job. It just simply is not tolerated.
ReplyDeleteRandy Lovely is a perfect Gannett editor--he'll never rock the boat, doesn't value the truth and has surrounded himself with incompetents who will never tell the emporer he has no clothes on.
He applied to be features under under Julia Wallace--pre-Gannett-- and was laughed out of the building. When it was announced he was hired as M.E., most of us cringed. And rightly so. His first major move was the Local News Initiative, which decimated statewide coverage, followed by one disastrous McLean-ordered initiative after another. He came from Palm Springs and kept wanting to do thing the Palm Spring way. Ahem...Palm Springs is podunk compared with Phoenix. He is not smart, intuitive or inspiring. The paper, sadly, is a shell of its former self, and you hear it everywhere in the community, not just within the walls of the Republic building. The legacy of the sycophant Sue Clark Johnson.
Finally, the truth starts coming out about the Phoenix paper. And it's what keeps Gannett Fat and Happy! Keep the facts coming about the Republic - Those folks in Arizona deserve to have their own paper back again. I hear they've cut all state service except Tucson and Flagstaff. Jim, Sounds like the great state of Arizona neecs some of your attention?
ReplyDeleteA "worker bee" would dance truth to the "queen bee," not speak truth. That's how bees communicate. My neighbor has four honey bee hives. They love our fruit trees and we love them. They are a marvel of evolution, and unlike ground hornets, are not aggressive. A worker bee is tirelessly dedicated to the larger cause. They understand their importance to the hives survival. When backed into a corner will come out fighting. Mostly they want to be left alone to do what they do best.
ReplyDeleteI wish more journalist would have this same tireless, selfless, work ethic. Instead they bemoan things that in all practicality they have no control over, do nothing to solve the problem, and point fingers at others as if the behavior of others must be condemned to the world.
I don't know who appoints certain people to define what is derogatory? My thinking is that they define themselves as the "Queen Bee" and then expect everyone else to believe them.
Buzz off, I'm working.
And who wants to be a "watchdog?" Most of the time they lie in dirt licking their balls.
I am hoping, in spite of the mostly bad news, everyone has a great day today. Things are looking down for most of us below the management belt but that doesn't mean we have given them Orwellian control over our lives. Yes we depend on them for our incomes and the work that makes us happy, but I for one will try to remember to smile or laugh with you while I fix your PC or mac. Please have a great day.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to the comment about journalists being "worker bees." That is exactly what it has become with Gannett. The management is so worried about getting the most number of stories at the shortest lengths that you might as well be working on a factory assebly lne. Gone are the days of watchdog journalism at Gannett and the public has responded by their rejection of newspapers and the crappy output, or should I say "brand."
ReplyDeleteThe federal government is hiring. I can say I've never looked back since I left Gannett over a year ago.
Go to www.usajobs.gov.
Well, the AZ Republic used to be a fantastic place to work when it was PNI. That is until Gannett came in with their crappy "business model" and jacked it all up. Messed with everyone's commission, disbanded teams, treated everyone like they had three heads and beat everyone (especially support staff) with the bad morale stick.
ReplyDeleteGah. They just suck.
Overby says Newseum got only three quarters of a million visitors in its first year:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040904345.html
Oh, c'mon you guys, you're not worker bees!
ReplyDeleteYou're like gears. Gears that can be taken out or replaced at any moment. The machine will still work, but another cog will have to pick up the slack if a gear goes missing.
So think of yourself as interchangable parts in a giant machine, not worker bees.
"So think of yourself as interchangable parts in a giant machine, not worker bees."
ReplyDeleteI think of you as a bloody piece of toilet paper in the garbage can at a truck stop.
Wow. I thought I was the only who thought Randy Lovely was surrounding himself with a bunch of no talent hacks.
ReplyDeleteIt's bad enough that the management gang (there's no other word to describe that group) at the Republic lacks talent and vision but they're also mean and vindictive. Stupid and mean. A bad combination.
You want proof of the Republic's mediocrity? Look no further than the Best of Gannett. Papers with far fewer resources (Detroit, Des Moines, Louisville) are doing much better work.
Randy Lovely and Steve Reed are class acts and among the best at what they do. To compare the current day situation at the Arizona Republic to the pre-Gannett days is unfair and short sited. All newspapers were fat, dumb, and happy back then and had more resources. If CNI still owned the paper you would have seen the same level of cutbacks if not worse. CNI was bloated, spent money like drunken sailer's, was a series of fiefdoms, and completely miss managed. They covered it up because the threw money at problems not solutions. Chip spent more time in the "community" and on the Golf course to pay attention to what was going on. Julia was an egomaniac that would stab anyone in the back that got in her way. The way she treated Pam was shameful. Opadal (sp) was too busy diddling Toni to pay attention to the business. No one talked to one another and there was a complete lack of respect between departments, with each department doing its own thing. So save all the bitching about Gannett. If it was not for Gannett there may not be a Republic today.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete"If it was not for Gannett there may not be a Republic today."
ReplyDeleteThat made me actually laugh out loud.
Steve Reed showed the complete Gannett/Arizona Republic suck up package last fall prior to the opening of light rail in Phoenix. Instead of a clear 2 or 3 page outline of the rail line and planned locations for racks, he had an army or circulation employees literally walking the train route, compiling detailed street pictures, overviews of traffic patterns, tours of parking facilities with elaborate plans of producing rack condos and generating profits by selling spaces to other papers for huge profits. All so he could present a colorful, bound example of his skills to people dumb enough to not question the incredible waste of time and energy in the department. And how many times was the Washington Post mentioned during all those meetings!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know anything about Stephen Hadland of of the Culver City (Calif.) Observer who was a "failed bidder for the (Honolulu) Star-Bulletin in 2000"?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/breakingnews/114039.php
There is a mandatory Monday employee meeting at the Observer-Eccentrics in Metro Detroit. (They are twice weeklies group that Gary Watson purchased in effort to dominate Detroit market several years ago.) Rumor is large layoffs and taking papers to Sunday only.
ReplyDeleteFair? Steve Reed? He took over a position last summer and never once (as far as I know from what I heard) discussed business with his predecessor who was still in the department. Worse, I sat in meetings with a Manager we all liked who had a good string of successes who repeatedly asked Mr. Reed if he could offer an overview of clients, needs and opportunities which Reed refused. I don't think he ever got that update as he walked that Manager out of the building last fall. But it's not about the employee, it's about looking good to the higher-ups. The business is sinking, you don't have to perform, just look good. Too bad, some of those meetings were a blast, Reed had no clue what he was talking about and would always launch into Washington Post does this, Washington Post does that as if The Washington Post 20 years ago, in Washington would suddenly apply in Arizona.
ReplyDeleteI understand the controller at the Asheville Citizen Times is relocating to Reno. Any more on this?
ReplyDeleteIt's true. The last three years of terror at the AC-T are finally over. They'll probably run finance out of Greenville, which is what they should have done after Martha left. Would have saved us a bunch of stress having to deal with her successor.
ReplyDeleteRandy Lovely is NOT a class act. He is a gannettoid through and through, nothing more. He had a big chance to make a big difference when he got the top job, and he blew it by surrounding himself with incompetent, low-intelligence directors, especially the leaders of Metro and the A-1 team.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Gannett awards, really, nothing to be concerned about. They are merely INTERNAL awards and recognition of the mediocrity that gannett perpetuates. It's not like The Republic got a Pulitzer or an IRE award or anything of national gravitas.
So, let Randy and his girls pat themselves on the back. Folks, it is ONLY Gannett. It may mean a lot to a handful of automatons at the Republic, but it does not make the newspaper any better and will not stop declines in readership.
Big Al in today's column acknowledges he was guilty of greed "20-30 years ago."
ReplyDeleteLet the fun begin!
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/04/fear-on-both-coasts-hope-in-mid-america.html#more
While concurring with all the on-target commentary regarding the low-lives in high positions, let me advise those of you who might find yourselves in a position to work with ex-Gannett managers down the road: Don't do it. I know I probably don't have to tell you that, but it bears repeating. They carry the same ugly, poisonous, disrespectful vibe with them wherever they go.
ReplyDeleteLeft Gannett two months ago for another job best thing I EVER did. Does anyone remember rate matrix? Oh yeah we paid two corporate idiots to fly around to each site and "train us" on this new selling technique...those guys are laughing all the way to the bank...its funny I used to beg to have the higher ups go out on the road with me so they could hear first hand what advertisers were saying and they couldn't have been any less interested in talking to any of them except maybe the car dealers....my stress has never been lower and I sleep like a baby....
ReplyDeleteInteresting ... LA Times front-page ad sparks controversy:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/business/media/10adco.html
Wonder how many other non-traditional ad ideas we'll see as newspapers struggle for revenue?
"NO ONE dares speak the truth to the upper managers at The Republic without fearing for their job. It just simply is not tolerated.
ReplyDeleteRandy Lovely is a perfect Gannett editor--he'll never rock the boat, doesn't value the truth and has surrounded himself with incompetents who will never tell the emporer he has no clothes on."
Yeah, well folks I AM rocking the boat here in Westchester, at least I hope too, and am NOT AFRAID to speak any Truths, which certain people attempt to hide behind.
Seeing as how there is little if any integrity, lies, and twisting of obvious facts by the sad state of some 'superiors', if not all, it is not a place in which I can stand, let alone work in. It's pathetic.
What's with all the fear???? Why is everyone so afraid???
I am not in fear of losing my job, it's become a terrible environment in which NO ONE CARES, and that is the least of it. Some of these lying, ignorant, virtue-less, people have NO business being in their positions.
I don't know who appoints certain people to define what is derogatory? My thinking is that they define themselves as the "Queen Bee" and then expect everyone else to believe them.
ReplyDeleteYep, and here we go again: The "I am better than you" attitude! Who told 3:02 a.m. that journalists call themselves "worker bees"? On another note, what is bad about the term? Doesn't the model of worker bees promote cohesion and teamwork - traits that are desired and promoted at a good company???? Well, I forgot, not at Gannett where the ones doing the work (i.e. worker bees) getting the kick in the behind.
I don't see worker bee as a derogatory statement, but, let's face it, aren't we all worker bees if we don't make over $200,000 (at least in VA) plus at the job? That's a fact and you can turn it upside down and it still remains a fact.
My advice for you: Get off your high horse and push this arrogance aside! We have more than enough of that already residing at Gannett and boy, it's not a nice picture nor does it contribute to the success of the company.
And what truth are you talking about? Haven't seen an article about the mass-layoffs Gannett performed for several months. Yes, here and there a little by-line and that's about it. Nothing too much - just a little blah, blah and to hell with the truth. Remember a time, when journalists really digged into a juicy issue?
If you're really such a super journalist, why not refocus on the real issue? My advice for you: start there and then we see that you are a good journalist instead of harping on the term worker bee. Concentrating on trivial BS like this is why the newspaper is on the brink of going down the tubes.
But as a good journalist you should know this already.
7.36 i completely agree with you. i am a december lay offy, usually i am never bitter about it, but some times when my best efforts are not helping me find a new job, i do feel sick to my stomach. i worked hard & did everything in my power to bring maximum revenue, but biased, cold-hearted queen bee boss who never spoke to me EVER, laid me off. what am i supposed to do?
ReplyDeleteTo Save Money & make my Family more self-sufficient during what will -probably- be a long period of lower income, I've been searching for sites that help people adapt to a bad economy. This is a new one I got from a friend's site
ReplyDeletewww.BillShrink.com/blog
It's got some good advice. This is the 5th one I've seen recently that recommends starting a garden. If you do, get Non-Hybrid Seeds so you can have a continuous supply of new seeds each year.
For all the idiots at GCI------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Small-Cap Losers Are Losers Indeed (GCI, LNC, MTW, TSO)
ReplyDeleteApril 07, 2009 | By Eric FoxSince the market rallied so hard in March, a stock really had to try hard to make the list of worst performing small-cap stocks for the month. Yet the following four stocks managed do so, causing even more relative underperformance and making it tougher than ever to catch up with their peers.
The Bottom Four
Gannett (NYSE:GCI) had a terrible time, falling 23.34% in March. Newspapers in general have suffered during the recession as investors found out just how cyclical advertising revenues really are, and circulation continues its secular decline. Gannett has been furloughing workers and closing selected papers to cut its cost base. The company also cut its dividend by 90% at the end of February to save money - an act that, although necessary to conserve cash, might have been the last straw for investors
Talking about arrogance at the Republic regarding advertisers. A year ago or so, an outside agency did an overview of readership ad among other things, found the target audience for the YES section focusing on girls somewhere in the 16-24 age was actually the smallest group of readers with the largest being adult males over 55. The person doing the presentation actually started by saying "your advertisers may not like this but..."
ReplyDeleteRandy Lovely, AZ
ReplyDeletePaul Grzella, CN/HNT
Obvious connection and incompetence. Anybody "get it" yet?
@4/10/2009 4:17 PM
ReplyDeleteYup, that sounds about right. It wasn't too long ago where they actually CARED about what their advertisers wanted and needed.. proper targeting for their clients. Doing right by the advertisers, what a concept. Now it's all about the poor reps hitting their inflated goals and blowing their whole advertisers budget in one fail swoop client be damned.
The December layoff victims are really beginning to hurt.
ReplyDelete5:27pm
ReplyDeleteThey are still better off in the long run and look so much healthier!
Todd,
ReplyDeleteWell maybe I am one of those GCI morons that you refer to. I bought 15000 shares in march. It was 2.00 then. Now it's 3.77 or so. Boy do I feel dumb. I guess I will just have to take all my extra money and buy me something nice so I can feel better. I hate being so dumb!
Todd, you really ought to quit embarassing yourself. Sure, you have an amazing ability to spot the obvious. Gannett stock was down in March. But there's another month that comes after March. You might try Googling it. The month begins with the letter "A". What's happened since. According to your embarassingly dumb-ass statement yesterday, no investors are touching the stock. Granted, a large numbers of posters here say really stupid things, but you had the misfortune of displaying your cranial rectitis on a day when the stock opened 16 percent higher than its March 31 close, and then went up another 39 percent when it was revealed a major investment firm had doubled its stake in the last quarter.
ReplyDeleteIt's usually tough competition, but you easily won the Gannettblog Dumbfuck of the Week Award for this week.
12:27:
ReplyDeleteHow reliable is your source? Any more info?
6:56 - FINALLY!
ReplyDeleteTodd finally receives the recognition he deserves.
5:27 and 5:55
ReplyDeleteUnless you're December layoffs, you don't know what you're talking about. "Hurting" isn't the word. There are no jobs out there to match our skills, being as how so many of us December layoffs have been working at newspapers for many years. How about "falling between the cracks of American society," where, if you are approaching 60, single, with no backups such as parents, and trying to make a living on unemployment, you can't afford COBRA, you can barely pay your rent or mortgage, or car payment. Food? Thank God pasta is still cheap, and vegetables. If you have pets and they get sick, then what?
This is more than "hurting," this is downright palpable fear coursing through our veins. All because Gannett or someone at our site thought were no longer of any use.
7:29......
ReplyDeleteDon't know if it helps at all, but I am in the same boat with the same feelings about the entire situation. We will find some way to survive, but don't let these jackasses try to tell you it's your attitude or your thinking or your lack of ambition. We are just at the wrong age for this to have been dumped on us.
7:29
ReplyDeleteI chose to leave and struggle to find a $$ to make it through the next day yet I can look myself in the eye and know I did the right thing by refusing to eat whatever plate of shit Gannett deems is right to serve their employees.
I'm going to write that great American novel, be creative about consulting and hell, maybe even make jewelery. No matter what I will make it and so will you. It's a challenge but so is working for Gannett during both the good and bad times.
3:41 p.m. best frugal sites I've seen that work for a national audience are
ReplyDeletefrugalvillage.com (the forums are great - very helpful members)
beingfrugal.net
There are lots more out there, some aimed at specific communities or regions. Just search for keyword "frugal"
The saga continues.
ReplyDeleteCitizen sale may be on the rocks
"Gannett Co., Inc. has rejected the latest offer by the Santa Monica Media Company, LLC., to buy the Tucson Citizen.
Stephen Hadland, CEO of the company and publisher of the Culver City Observer confirmed that Gannett, which owns the Citizen, "has indeed rejected our latest offer."
"We felt that it was a bona fide offer for the assets being offered," Hadland said. He declined to say what the offer was.
Hadland has been a behind-the-scenes bidder in the process through David Ganezer, publisher of the Santa Monica Observer, a paper in which Hadland is an investor."
Why would anyone in their right mind be buying a newspaper these days?
Even if you weren't in your right mind, would you buy a paper without a business operation, without advertisers, without a press or staff or building?
The December layoff victims are for the most part NOT better off being jobless. What a ridiculous assumption made by an earlier poster. These victims are people with newspaper skills and nowhere to go. Many are 50 or older. They're fighting many different forces, including age discrimination. It was particularly cruel for the sicko Gannett managers to single these people out. Heartless, really, heartless. These laid off ex colleagues of mine have little or no time to rebound. Some really needed their health benefits. Many are single with no backup income. Some are married but have spouses who don't earn nearly enough to maintain homes or modest lifestyles. And they are at a stage in life where finding a new career in this economy in any reasonable time frame is just about impossible.
ReplyDeleteThe laying off of the most fragile and vulnerable amongst us tells you all you need to know about this company!!!!! These were competent people who were loyal to this company during the years they could have shopped their services elsewhere. Now they have no place to go and probably will never be hired back. SHAME ON YOU if you think this is a better situation than maintaining a job. And SHAME ON YOU Gannett managers for targeting these folks.
I agree with the poster regarding those who lost their jobs....
ReplyDeleteHowever, I refuse to call them "layoffs" These people were fired, plain and simple ... many because they were older, more knowledgeable and experienced, capable workers - who just so happened to earn more money!
So they were fired by idiots, who are now left with GenYers and Millenials who have questionable work ethics... at best.
At worst, these young workers left are eggshell-fragile, whining, weak who are clueless about real journalism....
So the managers are left with this clueless workforce ...
Sadly, they don't care. They kept THEIR jobs by getting rid of the workers who also knew what idiots they were.
I guess the only "good" thing about being laid off instead of fired is getting unemployment benefits. But that's it.
ReplyDeleteBecause, as the previous poster points out, we WERE fired. People can tell me until they are blue in the face that the layoff was not performance-related, but I will never, ever believe I wasn't laid off because of either something I said or did to offend a higher-up, or my age. Many friends are telling me to file an age discrimination lawsuit. Four months ago when I had hope and thought I'd rebound and find a job quickly, I scoffed at that idea. Now I see my age not only was likely a reason I was laid off, but is the reason why I can't find even the most menial of jobs today. It's a nightmare.
maybe you can't find a job because there ar about 6 million people unemployed and for every job posted the hiring company receives about 500 applicants.
ReplyDeleteStop with the martyring self pity. It really has become sickening.
p.s.
I have been unemployed for a year, so don't come whining to me
!0.09 here, here, but you will here blogs saying "Don't worry,Troops things are looking up!" WTF< as long as managers and superviosrs like this work for Gannett nothing will be looking up!
ReplyDeleteGannett officially is the - 36th worst place to work for in the United States! Look it up that is a fact. It is also good to assume that you as an employee are paying the full payment of your health insurance without the company paying ANYTHING towards it. Gannett is in the buisness to make money OFF of it's employees and is very corrupt. Just ask its employees troops! They sell life insurance and anything they do they make a profit off of its employees. They are the UNDERBELLY of coporate america!!
ReplyDeleteCapitalism of America at it's finest is Gannett! They shoould of never had the power of owning all the entities but paid off washington lobbyist made sure it happened and now today multitudes of americans are getting screwed by getting downsized and laid-off or they are santizing the news as we know it to a communist society! You can go only so far right before you end up in russia! Hannity and o'reilly factor crap and the ex-drunk Beck!
ReplyDelete12:19 is apparently an arrogant prick! What is the purpose of saying something so disgustingly uncaring and controlling? Keep idiotic comments to yourself, jerk. Let people in search of work express themselves however they feel like it. It's not your job to put people in their place.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I hate about blog comments. People don't think, act way more brave than they really are (most people would not say this stuff face to face) and generally show no awareness of the plight of others. They are so needlessly critical of people, even those who are struggling, that it makes me want to never read these comments. Angers me and brings me down to their level.
I can't believe these people work or once worked amongst us.