Regarding the payoff on diversity programs, a reader says: "Part of the problem is management is not nearly as diverse as the people who fill the run-of-the-mill jobs in most newsrooms. A generation isn't long enough to see that diverse pool of reporters and editors make it to the executive level, where the real decisions are made."
In addition to lack of racial diversity, the photos shown illustrate the lack of age diversity that exists in upper management within Gannett.
ReplyDeleteTake a long look at those 12 faces. Is anyone who reads this blog confident they can relate to today's multimedia climate and, more importantly, today's consumer? My answer is no.
What those 12 faces are good at are trying to save the company through expense cuts. And it's not working. Even Donald Trump will tell you cutting your way to prosperity never works, that it's a sign of a business in trouble.
Hopefully the board will start where it can and start making the necessary changes.
The youngest member of the Gannett Management Committee is Chief Digital Officer Chris Saridakis, appointed to that job in January. He's 39.
ReplyDeleteJim: What's the average age? And who is the oldest?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
57 just like me. And not all middle-aged newspaper people fit the same bill, i.e. cost-cutting to prosperity. They all follow the same pattern...instead of having a set of balls.
ReplyDeleteDiversity? It's still a white guy's club. And I'm a white guy.
ReplyDeleteI think there might be a woman or two in that group! We need to get a better picture of Gracia!
ReplyDeleteA reader sent the following in an e-mail; with permission, I'm posting it here as a comment:
ReplyDelete"Gannett does talk a lot about how diversity is a major component of its innovation strategy and future of the company. In recent months,
there have been three major executive job openings -- the Broadcast President, US Publishing President, and Gannett Digital President. All were given to white men. Hmm, perhaps they were the most qualified? Maybe. Or (snarky comment alert!) perhaps they were they only ones who
wanted the jobs. Take a look at a photo of SVP/VP's across the corporate staff. Then, take a gander at a photo of the GMs and Publishers across Gannett and their Operating Committees. . . . The
bottomline is that until someone non-white is on the senior management committee at corporate, it is very difficult to believe that Gannett is serious about recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse workforce. If it's not a priority at the top, it will not be a priority anywhere else."
You can look all over the place for a better picture but the picture is not the problem....it's the model.
ReplyDeleteLook closer at the photos. Not only are they all white, they are look like they're from the same branch of the family tree. I suspect they all share an ancestor in the not too distant past.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered why Caesar Andrews, the Freeps executive editor was never promoted to the executive suite or at least over in the newspaper division. He's a bright guy - a little verbose at times - but he had vision. Too bad it was pigeonholed over at the wire service that nobody uses.
ReplyDeleteThere's some debate on other sites as to why diversity matters.
ReplyDeleteLet me ask you this: Considering that the promotion of women is the ONE area where Gannett demonstrates any substantial diversity, is it any wonder that it's spent years chasing female readers with life and home sections and continues to chase middle- to upper-class white women as part of the latest effort to build readership?
You don't have to look far past the end of the conference table to see who's carrying the banner for that demographic! And that's okay, but where are the champions for gays, racial minorities and middle- to lower-class ANYBODY?
If, as the previous comment says, the promotion of women is one area is the "ONE area where Gannett demonstrates any substantial diversity" then why are nine of 12 people on the management committee men when more than half the population is female? If it's not equal, then it's not substantial.
ReplyDeleteLois Lane
Good point, Lois!
ReplyDeleteHere's my take on the women. In order for them to move up to the GCI boardroom they need to be either;
ReplyDelete-10 times better than a man.
-available for a spot to take the blame for how screwed-up some guy left it.
-have some nice tahs.