Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday | April 24 | Your News & Comments
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81 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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First!
ReplyDeleteIs it Friday already??? Thanks for a lot of good work this week, Jim!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/new-york-times-death-march/story.aspx?guid={280AFF7A-2C68-4C9C-9D24-EA225B764D9B}&siteid=yahoomy
ReplyDeleteThey are raising the price of subscriptions in the next month. Get ready for a bunch of complaints from the readers :( Not the right thing to do in this times... :(
ReplyDeleteThey are raising the price of subscriptions in the next month. Get ready for a bunch of complaints from the readers :( Not the right thing to do in this times... :(
ReplyDelete4/24/2009 2:42 AM
You don't like it when "they" cut expenses and you don't like it when "they" try to increase revenue. What is left? Do you lack a fundamental understanding of the basic business model? Or are you in editorial and that money stuff is just a bother to your craft?
If you want to get paid the money has to come from someplace. We sell newspapers so you can write and hopefully do so at a profit.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteYou are really getting into a sensationalistic mode. It seems most of your threads begin with either "Tipster:" or "urgent." Can't the leads speak for themselves with your embelishment? It sure hurts your credibility.
To: Jim
ReplyDeleteRe: Post from Thuirsday, 4/23 8:58 pm
So what's the matter? I expected some clever response and you left us with nothing. It was only 5:58 your time when I left my last missive and you let it just dangle there. I guess what I and the previous poster said was true. I guess you are checking your list of silly questions for the meeting.
Anon 6:43 AM – Sounds like you may lack a fundamental understanding of the model then too as charging more yet again for far less is not a strategy for long-term success. Readers will bail, circulation will drop and the price that advertisers pay ultimately goes up per eyeball…and, they’ll bail too.
ReplyDeleteAny truth to the rumors the consolidations at the community newspapers abruptly put on hold after some communities where it took place said they would stop legal ads because the newspaper no longer printed in the community? (Legal ads are incredibly lucrative.).
ReplyDelete8:58 Thursday--I read your missive. What exactly did you want from Jim in response? I think you and I see the purpose of this blog differently. I see Jim's role as that of a facilitator. He cannot, as one person on a, what?, $20K salary in San Fran, report on all the ins and outs of Gannett (I was going to call it a billion-dollar corporation, but... well, I could have a few months ago).
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though. I see all of the bloggers as the eyes and ears, and Jim condenses it down for us and follows up where he can. His work on the Gannett Foundation was wonderful, but I'm so sorry he couldn't find time to do an in-depth-smiley-face piece on what ever hole of a paper you work at.
Come on, lighten up. If it's not worth $5 bucks a quarter to you, then fine, read it for free. But don't complain. You don't have to pay, and you don't have to read it. Move along, and maybe your rage will subside.
6:43: Do you lack a fundamental understanding of the fact that you can't keep raising prices and reducing the product before customers go away?
ReplyDeleteEnough of the alleged Hilton/USAT deal. Where is the press release or the proof this has happened? You have been asked this before, and you have not responded. Until you can prove this is true, it does no good to blast Jim for not reporting it.
ReplyDelete(I actually think this is the latest from the poster who occasionally slips his/her meds, so I won't blame Jim if this is deleted).
Can anyone confirm the status of the USA TODAY move to Jackson, Miss.? I thought that Hattiesburg production would be shut down by the end of May.
ReplyDeleteMaybe USAT is looking at Mobile as an alternate.
ReplyDelete9:26
ReplyDeleteAll of Gannett's products both print and online have been devalued by Gannett's rollercoaster rates.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJim, I havent seen much about the circulation depts. Who is making decisons in corp. since Rob has left who was a good circulation man.We are taking a short term look at circulation with price increases. The avg. newspaper looses about 20 % on single copy when they go up to 75 cents. Lets say you have a 7000 circulation you loose 1400 readers per day. you make more money now with the cost of newsprint and additional profit. The future you loose 1400 customers forever plus the insert once the abc audits come out. Short term thinking.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Jersey Confidential thread?
Salisbury is now apparently asking merchants to stuff the inserts into Sunday's paper:
ReplyDeletehttp://sbynews.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-evidence-daily-times-is-close-to.html
There's some hyperbole in this post -- the blog is strongly anti-Daily Times -- but the name on the letter is legit.
where's rob?
ReplyDelete6:43 AM: The Northwest Florida Daily News, which is not a Gannett property, actually lowered the price of its Sunday paper, which IMHO is a good way to garner the goodwill of the community you serve in times like these.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm aware the USAT move to Jackson is still in the works. They have supposedly been working out the details.
ReplyDeleteI recently stayed at at Marriott Residence Inn outside of Chicago. They didn't offer copies of USA Today, but there was a stack of a local daily at the front desk. I took a copy only because I was curious. Very little news, very few ads. I didn't see others grabbing copies, so I checked out the business center. There was a line forming for access to the one computer with internet access. People were checking e-mail and websites for the latest news. Let's face it, newspapers are dying. And I will be the first to declare the death a suicide.
ReplyDelete11:02 AM:
ReplyDeleteRob "retired" last year. I do hope that he is enjoying his retirement and glad to be out. Rob & Rosie are/were great folks to work with.
12:03 What I found incredible is the lines also form at the local library when people go to the shore for vacations. I was in Cocoa Beach in February, and vacationers who didn't have laptops were in the library to use the Internet, and outside there were people in cars using the free wireless connections. Florida Today was no where to be seen.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Cocoa Beach, I came here looking for the weekly screed on ole Al, and there's none. My favorite GB feature.
ReplyDelete6:43 -- Raising prices in the worst economy in decades is not a way to increase revenue. Many, many businesses are lowering prices. Meanwhile, we are providing less value to readers and advertisers while attempting to charge more to get it into the hands of readers.
ReplyDeleteThus, fewer readers and even less value to advertisers. Do I really need to explain this cycle?
If you're worried about print media, check out Amazon's earnings, which got a huge boost from Kindle, the handheld "book." Next to go unless they beef up their computer areas, are libraries.
ReplyDeleteThen again, look at craigslist, the cat that got the classified mouse. Those allegations about a predator who hooked up with women through the list and then killed or robbed them. That's the dark underbelly of the Internet, that and the fact that people are outright STEALING content from the print media. For me, craigslist has been a waste of time in my efforts to find a job since Gannett laid me off. And I'm going to keep buying the New York Times because I love the writing. I want to carry it around with me and read it at my leisure, not sit in front of this blasted computer until my eyes glaze over!
Newspapers have been on a downward trend, but newspapers are responsible for a lot of the downfall. When a newspaper comes out and says we are cutting costs, cutting size of paper and stories, but we're giving you more - people can see they're being lied to.
ReplyDeleteThe Columbus paper's two-page business section is a joke.
I work at a non-Gannett paper, where we've been cut back to the bone for awhile, thus no layoffs have happened. We have raised our 10-18 page papers to 75 cents per copy, which I consider a royal ripoff.
I have noticed the other Gannett papers surrounding us are having a hard time adjusting. They've cut the size of their pages, like we have, increased the type size - which looks nasty - and are struggling to be revelent in their communities. I hear complaints all the time when I'm in Gannett communities covering an event how lousy the papers are.
You can't get blood from a stone - rather whomever owns the paper. When we give the reader less, we hasten the death of newspapers.
I can honestly say that I saw the below coming. Those Board Members, Business Admins. and Clerks at the different Municipalites and School Boards, whom VOTE the newspapers in as their Official Newspapers thus sending their legal notices to on a yearly basis, are NOT dumb! Oh, but you can't say anything to Management because - they never listen to the peons to begin with, so BEST they learn this as they go, which they did learn. HA!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
Any truth to the rumors the consolidations at the community newspapers abruptly put on hold after some communities where it took place said they would stop legal ads because the newspaper no longer printed in the community? (Legal ads are incredibly lucrative.).
4/24/2009 9:08 AM
Since there is an ad promotion, where if an advertiser spends 25 percent more, we give them 100 percent more...This is doubling our ad count. How can we get all these ads built when: half our design staff has been layed off, we have fourloughs (on top of of vacations), and we have a limit of sending ads to 2ADPro, AND there is no overtime! What the hell was Gannett thinking with this promotion? We need more artists!
ReplyDeleteAs a reporter, I'm no longer willing to put in hours for free. There is no future in this job. It doesn't matter how hard I work, how well I write or how many stories I put out -- I could be laid off next week. I've seen it happen in my newsroom to better journalists than me.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to not feel guilty though. I think readers expect reporters to always be available, to immediately return calls and to follow every lead. I'm frequently asked, "Why didn't you cover (this or that event)?"
Here is what I can't say in response: I'm overwhelmed. My company doesn't care about the quality of your newspaper. And by the way, be thankful you still have this newspaper around, because it might not be here in a couple of years.
1:30 p.m. I think that's bologna and there's no legal basis for not running the legals in papers printed elsewhere. Our community newspaper has been printed in another county for almost nine years now and if the local government thought it had a leg to stand on they would have pursued that angle nine years ago.
ReplyDeleteProbably just another silly rumor.
1:33pm
ReplyDeleteIt means more ad proofs on the reps desk the day the ad has published, no proofs out and of course, managers laying blame on their employees so they can write them up on bogus charges.
Buy Gannett stock - People are beginning to realize that Print is not dead - and the internet will become like radio.
ReplyDeletePrivate, local ownership promises to be a sustainable way of doing business. Again, the eating disorder model: A private owner is secure in its "body image." It will not starve itself to please Wall Street.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone explain to me why the News Division still bothers with Newswatch, the weekly Internet newsletter about goings on in the company? They used to list the jobs there, then that went away several years ago. It's anything but a must-read, and this week's edition notes the Detroit Pulitzer win. Seen that. Read that. Don't need the once-weekly screed to tell me that several days after the fact. I see nothing there I can use to bridge the problems of dealing with furloughs, consolidating copy desks or dealing with an angered community.
ReplyDeletePrint doesn't have to die. Newspapers are like radio was to TV. They will always have an audience. And just like radio, print will rally and have a comeback if the empty suits with dreams of digital revenue streams become more tempered and realistic. The suits have to stop listening to all these dooms day predictors and digital junkies. Stop throwing print folks overboard! Print still pays the bills.
ReplyDeleteAlso, smart news operations should start gobbling up all the out-of-work print journalists. There is a ton of available talent out there right now, and many can be had for a great price.
no more rescue
ReplyDeletehttp://obits.masslive.com/masslive/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=126546273
Occasionally someone will note the wonderful work Jim did on the Gannett Foundation. Remind me - what was accomplished there?
ReplyDelete12:10 Where I live the people in the library and out in there cars are called the homeless. They don't buy Newspapers or have TV but they do check there email accounts for free at the library.
ReplyDeleteThey also are not going to buy any Cars, furniture, or a large screen TV at Best Buy. I do know at my local Starbucks they sell out of papers everyday. They have the New York Times, LA Times and the local paper. They don't carry the USA Today.
What's happened to Gannett's online departments at the community newspapers? Poof!!! They're gone and no one is talking about it.
ReplyDelete6:15 PM
ReplyDeleteAt our group, they sent out a long convoluted email explaining the consolidation of online and IT, but it (as usual) made little sense and was too long to read all the way through.
I kind of recall something about a big project they were working on but we never see the fruits of that labor either.
Well, online is gone at the paper I use to work for.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteto 6:28:
ReplyDeleteIsn't there some irony in posting anonymously and calling others who post anonymously names?
Make that 6:26
ReplyDeleteIn my location they will force out the online people and replace them with the ass-kissing managers pets from the print side.
ReplyDeleteto 6:30:
ReplyDeleteIsn't there some irony in posting anonymously to say that someone is posting anonymously and calling others who post anonymously names?
The Westchester paper couldn't get the local angle on a national story so they posted the cover of the NY DAILY NEWS who got the story. Way to go geniuses!
ReplyDeleteThe Westchester paper couldn't get the local angle on a national story so they posted the cover of the NY DAILY NEWS who got the story. Way to go geniuses!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty funny/sad, if you want to see it www.lohud.com
6:36 PM
ReplyDeleteNo. That poster didn't indicate having a problem with anonymous posters.
And regarding online, we haven't had anyone in online at our site for years. They work out of the mothership down the road. We have a Web "guru" however, who can't spell for shit and won't answer questions about the Pluck changes that get foisted on readers that make no whit of sense whatsoever.
But he's young and he can Twitter.
Ask any kid under 20 where they get their news and see how many say "newspapers." Then ask them their concept of "radio." They will probably answer Top100 or XM. They get their videos online or from Netflix. They do their shopping, for the most part, on the internet. They download and interact with their iphones, NOT telephones. Why buy a newspaper when your iphone gives news alerts, stock quotes, even the weather in Nigeria at 4AM if you want it!
ReplyDeleteAnd you seriously think the internet will go the way of the "radio"? Do you and your family still huddle around the Philco on Saturday afternoons and listen to The Katzanjammer Kids"?? Wow. What kind of timewarp do you live in?
Those lines at the library are to check email. Hell...in my haven city, our homeless shelters even have "internet cafes." Homeless can check in on family (since they don't have cell phones and pay phones are dinosaurs). They also use it to research social services they are eligible for and sign up for them.
The only newspaper my local 7-11 EVER sells out of is The Sunday NY Times and The LA Times. All the other papers, like USAT and the local Gannett, sit and rot. The manager has even said to me he probably won't even bother carrying the papers much longer. The floor space would make 500% more with a cappucino/espresso machine.
"6:36 PM
ReplyDeleteNo. That poster didn't indicate having a problem with anonymous posters."
But that person posted anonymously. As did you.
Also, you used the word guru. Anyone who uses that word is one of Jim's love children.
"Ask any kid under 20"
ReplyDeleteYes, that under 20 crowd is exactly what newspapers should aim for. The buying power!
You are yet another dumbfuck trying to sound smart. It's not working.
This is another reason why anyone not posting a legitimate tip should be forced to use a name when posting. Right now, any dumbfuck wanting to make speeches about "WHAT NEWSPAPERS SHOULD DO" has no qualms about saying something dumb. That should stop.
The posts like 7:06 should be gone.
Larry St.Cyr to the rescue!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete6:43: Do you lack a fundamental understanding of the fact that you can't keep raising prices and reducing the product before customers go away?
ReplyDelete4/24/2009 9:26 AM
Thank you for making my point. Raising prices is a problem. What's the alternative? Cutting expenses. What's one of the biggest expenses? People.
Do the math. There is all this worry about layoffs yet everyone expects a business to continue to pay everyone even if the revenue dries up somewhat. Something has to give and you can't always raise the prices, so - do the math.
Occasionally someone will note the wonderful work Jim did on the Gannett Foundation. Remind me - what was accomplished there?
ReplyDelete4/24/2009 5:47 PM
For the life of me I can't think of a thing that was accomplished. I'm with you on this one.
Enough of the alleged Hilton/USAT deal. Where is the press release or the proof this has happened? You have been asked this before, and you have not responded. Until you can prove this is true, it does no good to blast Jim for not reporting it.
ReplyDelete(I actually think this is the latest from the poster who occasionally slips his/her meds, so I won't blame Jim if this is deleted).
4/24/2009 9:45 AM
I don't need to prove anything. Jim missed it. Now that it's out there he has a chance to verify. He has done nothing.
This is Jim's blog and he can do with it as he pleases. This is also a free country and I can say whatever I want on this blog. That is until Jim decides to censor me.
It wouldn't matter if I showed you a letter from the CEO of Hilton. You people don't want to hear anything good; you just want to whine and complain. Get a life.
Hey 9:19
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get it that Jim makes $20K per year? I thought he had trouble meeting his miserly quarterly goals, much, much less than $5K. He obviously has a sugar daddy and doesn't really need the money!
As this week comes to a close I am thankful for my job, I like working for Gannett and truth be told I like and repect a lot of our leaders at corporate and in the field. Yeah, I am a company guy and proud of it. Take that and stuff it in your pipes and smoke it lemmings! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
ReplyDeleteCan't wait until Jimmy stands up in front of Gracia and pees his pants. Sure he will ask some jerk off question, they will put him in his place and then he will sit down, and shut up. Can't wait. I am smilin' already!!!!
ReplyDelete6:26--What exactly do you mean by us out-of-work journalists who were laid off by Gannett "didn't have the foresight to seek change."
ReplyDeleteDefine "change." I was so busy doing my job, and my site was so totally lax on training for digital skills, what the hell was I supposed to do?
Lack of foresight to change is not why we lost our jobs. We lost our jobs because some higher-ups had to cut 10% from their operating expenses, sent in a list to corporate and corporate did their cluster---k best to make sure the list was "balanced," with young, old, men, women, ethnic, white, married, single. To avoid lawsuits, you dumb---k, to use your terminology.
Now how we morons got on the list is wide open for speculation. Did someone not like us? Did we make mistakes? Did we dress funny? Did we slack off? I think not, because the slackers I knew are still working, to use the term loosely.
So before you start calling us names, look into your heart and tell me what you really see.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete1:30 p.m. I think that's bologna and there's no legal basis for not running the legals in papers printed elsewhere. Our community newspaper has been printed in another county for almost nine years now and if the local government thought it had a leg to stand on they would have pursued that angle nine years ago.
Probably just another silly rumor.
4/24/2009 2:27 PM
Your paper can be located in another county just as long as they cover the news and local government news that is within those out of county Municipalities is all that is needed to suffice to be able to be voted in as an official paper! Please remember, the newspaper HAS TO BE VOTED IN! Those municipalities can vote in what ever newspaper THAT COVERS THEIR area THAT THEY CHOOSE! If there is a non Gannett newspaper covering the very same area and offers better service - they can surely be voted in if not for this year - next year. Oh, wait a minute, that's right I almost forgot - Those Municipalities can always RESEND THE RESOLUTION voting out a particular newspaper and vote in a different newspaper in it's place IF THEY CHOOSE TO!
7:06 Managers at convenience stores are always threatening to stop selling the paper. They seldom follow through. I wonder why? I wish Gannett would stop taking crap from any Putz with a name tag on thier shirt. The Paper drives customers to thier stores. If they didn't care why do they constantly complain when the paper arrives late due to press problems?
ReplyDeletePART 2: 4/24/2009 9:43 PM
ReplyDeleteYour newspaper must also have a sufficient following or circulation within those out of county areas as well. Which circulation numbers will be requested by The Council, Board Members and the like upon reviewing their choices because they must be sure that their constituency will be reached by that "Voted-in" newspaper. If the numbers don't add up, neither will their business.
Hey 6:26... you posted anonymously too. Guess what? That makes you a moron of the highest caliber. Congratulations "shithead."
ReplyDeleteI'm out of a job because I'm 57 and had a heart attack. I was a liability to Gannett, clear and simple. I was damn good at what I do, so much so I managed to find another job almost immediately with a company that actually appreciates my abilities.
Wow. You guys, so much hostility. Then, I can understand how that is bread in a company like Gannett.
ReplyDeleteJim, I think your blog rocks and I will be sending you some dough for your efforts. I know how much time and effort can be involved in sitting on your machine answering emails, replying, etc.
Everyone will always have different view points, but maybe keeping the hostility to a minimum somehow, I get the venting, but we're all reading, responding to this blog b/c we -all- have something to do with Gannett.
Anger only serves to do damage.
I DO understand it -believe me. You all have zero idea what I am personally dealing with within Gannett -aside from all the layoff's and F-rlo-ing!
I GET it. However, pulling TOGETHER for all our sakes would EMPOWER each of us to move forward in a more peaceful and Productive way.
CHANGE is not always bad. Usually it is a BLESSING in disguise, Unless you are wise enough to 'see' it as such, at the time. That my friends, is what's called 'Foresight'. Which,too many of us lack.
Whoever you are, who I see slamming other employees, maybe you could try some very deeeeep breathing and try to regain your balance a bit?
You know, every dog has their day why make it yours on someone you don't like's account.....when theirs will surely come?
Blessings.....
10:01:
ReplyDeleteLook. You posted anonymously, too!
Guess what that means? The rest of your sad story -- (wait for it) -- has NO credibility.
As far as I'm concerned, you're a lying sack of shit.
mmm....funny you should say that considering you post Anonymously too. Unfortunately some of us must make our posts that way for now.
ReplyDeleteMine is not a 'sad' story, and apparently you seem to be in one.
Sounds like you've had a really rough time.
'Credibility has nothing to do with anything.
I hope you find peace......
Best to you~
"mmm....funny you should say that considering you post Anonymously too. Unfortunately some of us must make our posts that way for now."
ReplyDeleteMore like forever. You will never sign with a name because you have nothing to offer.
"Credibility has nothing to do with anything."
What? That makes no sense.
But I can see why a lying sack of shit dismisses that concept.
9:24, you're assuming that person HAS a heart.
ReplyDelete10:58 has a sphincter. His head is in it.
ReplyDeleteURGENT ***
ReplyDeleteGannett Blog jumped the shark
###
***
Urgent
Plus: Jim likely has no love children. Duh.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete10:58 has a sphincter. His head is in it. 4/24/2009 11:00 PM"
My head couldn't possibly be in my sphincter. I don't have one! But I do carry one in my back pocket and pull out when needed : )
FYI: I'm not a man.
And when I said, "Credibility has nothing to do with anything." I meant what my POINT was regarding my post. NOT what you might have thought.
-Remember what the word 'Assume' means. To assume makes an 'Ass of U & Me'......one should never assume my dear.
I am a woman and have more integrity and credibility that you may ever.
May God Bless You.
Do you even know what a sphincter is?
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have one, do people recognize you by the colostomy bag?
PART 3: 4/24/2009 9:51 PM
ReplyDeleteWord correction- Rescind, NOT Resend.
rescind |riˈsind|
verb [ trans. ]
revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement) : the government eventually rescinded the directive.
7:19 has no response or understanding of what 7:06 is talking about, so his only response is to call him a dumb fuck, then go off on a tangent about anonymous posting.
ReplyDelete(We all post anonymous here because Craig doesn't like us even looking at this site)
7:06 is in touch with the younger generation, who uses their Blackberry, iPhone or HTC to get their information and stay in touch with the outside world.
And they don't just stand by and read, listen or watch what is happening, but they participate and interact, just like what all of us do here on Gannett Blog.
Journalists have the privilege of going where the general public can't go, and people are tired of waiting for us to just come back and tell them what it was like on the other side. They want to be right there next to us, along for the ride.
A newspaper just doesn't do it anymore for the younger generation and you can't force them to be like you, 7:19, by calling them a dumbfuck and banishing them to oblivion.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteAs this week comes to a close I am thankful for my job, I like working for Gannett and truth be told I like and repect a lot of our leaders at corporate and in the field. Yeah, I am a company guy and proud of it. Take that and stuff it in your pipes and smoke it lemmings! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
4/24/2009 8:54 PM
Schmuck - are you on weed or something?