Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday | April 29 | Your News & Comments
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138 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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I've got a pretty low opinion of Gannett Corporate, but does anybody honestly think they'd pay trolls to undermine Jim's blog? It's clear somebody is trying to discredit this whole place, but I can't honestly think GCI muckety-mucks would spearhead it.
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ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know what the "Big News" The Arizona Republic promoted all last week to be announced yesterday (Monday) was? There was nothing in the paper.
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ReplyDeleteDidn't see Jim on video and I also missed the last few days of this blog. Sorry the tone of this blog has taken such a negative turn. Why don't we all remind ourselves of what our mothers told us: "If you can't say something nice, don't say it."
ReplyDeleteThis includes you, Jim. How about sticking to the facts, which you have been very good at, and not personal statements.
There are a lot of Gannett workers that rely on good information, not bitching, to make informed decisions on their lives.
Please future posters to this blog, facts and not fiction or bitching.
AZ Republic's "big news" was an increase in its Sunday circulation. It's up a minuscule 0.2%, thanks to the rival East Valley Tribune pulling out of Scottsdale and Tempe several months ago.
ReplyDeleteOf course, what Republic didn't tell readers was its daily circulation fell 5.7% in the same period. It probably would have been a double-digit drop had it not been for Tribune's departure.
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ReplyDeleteJim I can't tell you how disappointed I was in your performance yesterday. I had hoped you would be the reasoned opposition but you came off like a self promoting egomaniac. Instead of dealing with the real issues you focused on peripheral BS. Who the hell cares if he called you by name or not? Why did you choose to focus on that? I think you are becoming too full of your self. This is not coming from a "troll" but someone that has sent you $20.
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ReplyDeleteAs others have said, the homophobic rantings of whoever this pathological nutcase is aside, the Gannett meeting yesterday wasn't Jim's best moment.
ReplyDeleteJim, had you stuck to your journalistic instincts, you would have been calmer and more effective.
Instead, by trying to come across as a personality -- don't you know who I am? -- and leave sentences unfinished, and carry on like some, sorry but it's true, nut, was a huge disappointment.
Example: To ask don't you know my name was bizarre beyond belief. You've done great stuff here, but what's happening to the company, your colleagues past and present, to production departments, circulation routes, real people across the Gannett nation, ISN'T about you, Jim.
Example: To snarkily ask if the seats up front are reserved, I suppose was a refernce to you being shadowed and even menaced by security. But it came across as lunacy.
Example: Yes, you did get Dubow to admit he made the $40,000 donation, but you just let it hang there. YOU knew what that meant, but you didn't let anyone else know. You didn't say that the donation appears to have been outside Gannett's rules, for example.
It was as if you asked a question and only you knew the significance.
If you had acted as a reporter, and not as Jim Hopkins, Super Gadfly, you would have been calmer, less "on the spot" and more effective.
I am a fan. I think this blog does good things. But if you want this to be I, Jim Hopkins, Takes On Gannett, you can count me out.
Creating this place was fabulous, your use of art and design is top-notch, it has a sense of fun and it does serious work.
But in the end it is reporting and rationale discussion that will prevail. Not acting like a Grand Inquisitor in a passion play that misses the point of all our lives out here.
I'd have been nervoius, too, alone in that lion's den. But reporters are used to being the only one in the room. We deserved better than bad, exceedingly bad... "gotcha."
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ReplyDeleteMany of us watched the shareholder meeting from our desks and it looked like Jim was a loose cannon. I think he made a fool of himself.
ReplyDeleteThe questions from Jim were good, if we all still cared about Bob Dickey's golf outing or Dubow's 40k scholarship, or Director Williams audit obligations, etc. We don't care about that Jim.
Here is what I care about:
1. My job
2. My 401k
3. My retirement (I have over 22 years here)
4. Dubow's vision for the newspaper
5. The next big Digital idea from Saridakis
6. After Gannett's transformation, what does the company look like
If we took a poll of all your supporters, the first three would be top of mind.
FYI: I'm reading all your comments about my participation in yesterday's annual meeting. Lots of interesting stuff. I don't agree with it all. But I want to hear a lot more, too.
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ReplyDeleteI am a journalist who follows Gannettblog but have never posted here. A good blog has gone mad. Does anyone else wonder if this will become a case study used in legislation to alter First Amendment protection online? Jim, you need to take your power and privilege more responsibly. I am disappointed and surprised. What is most sad is that an individual on her honeymoon in France is being attacked. Very sad to watch.
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ReplyDeleteJim Hopkins said...
ReplyDeleteFYI: I'm reading all your comments about my participation in yesterday's annual meeting. Lots of interesting stuff. I don't agree with it all. But I want to hear a lot more, too.
Jim:
Why don't you give us a self evaluation of your performance yesterday. Do you think your questions are the top issues facing Gannett?
I question whether Bob Dickey's self paid trip to the Hope is all that important.
I question whether the seating arrangement at the meeting is all that important. By the way Dubow offered you a seat in the front section.
Your questioning of Dubow's donation was ineffective.
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ReplyDeleteJIM,
ReplyDeleteYou said something big was going down in Detroit. I work there, can you PLEASE tell us at least if it is good or bad news for the Freep. You can't leave us hanging like this. Should I start looking for another job? Isn't this the purpose of your site?
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ReplyDelete10 a.m. -- The 1918 pandemic killed far more than 20 million.
ReplyDeleteMOre on Swine Flu
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/dct3ld
Verification word cotohk...sounds like Klingon
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ReplyDeleteVideo of the shareholders meeting can be found at the Gannett web side.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gannett.com/gciflash/gciflash2.swf?filename=corpcom/flash/09shmtg
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ReplyDelete11:20 -- Presumably, the majority of the people who read this blog are ... slowly now, so you can follow ... STOCK HOLDERS.
ReplyDeleteSurely, you're aware -- because you're so bright -- that the company pays its 401k matches in company stock.
Granted, most employees who know anything about investing promptly move the majority of their GCI shares into something with a greater potential for sustainable growth. But I bet the majority of us have at least a share or two tucked away. Hell, it's cheap enough.
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ReplyDeleteI did watch the video to judge Jim for myself and I'd have to say I was embarrassed by Jim's start. Jim seemed to be making a scene at first and who cares where people are sitting?
ReplyDeleteCraig's not much better of a public speaker, either, however. He reads way to much from the podium.
But Jim did recover, for a bit. Jim made a valid point on the shareholder proposal about tax gross ups. The board wanted it defeated because it is a retention tool but Dubow himself said if the tax gross up was not there, he'd still stay. So why have the gross up? Sad that it was defeated.
The questions I wished Jim would have asked about Dubow's bonus were, "Why do you get a bonus while employees get furloughed? Where is the employee bonuses to compensate for money lost in from furloughs? How much money did Dubow lose to furloughs this year compared to his bonus?
The side shots were annoying.
Craig didn't look you in the eye, you didn't look Craig in the eye. Not sure where you were looking.
Third person brought up the debt. Were you planning on asking about that Jim? We're past the golf outing.
WHO CARES ABOUT SEATING! "This song ain't about you Jim!" Dubow was right (for once in his life). That question is not relevant.
Maybe you could have asked whether the company will have to permanently take the furloughs off the books with layoffs?
Now that the scholarship thing has been answered, can we let it go finally and move on to more important matters, like people's 401k and livelihood.
Jim wasn't the only one that made his appearance about him. Al did too.
Jim's delivery may not be perfect but from my experience with print people, their delivery isn't always the best, hence why they work in print and not TV or radio.
Jim brought up two valid questions in his questioning and two really stupid questions. He didn't bring up the most important questions, however, that the readers of this blog and employees of Gannett wanted answered, however.
This was disappointing Jim.
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ReplyDelete"Only then can a new plan have much chance of succeeding."
ReplyDeleteThere you go, 4/29/2009 11:23 AM.
That is the question I wanted Jim to ask.
"For God's sake, people, what is the plan?"
If you know what it is, 4/29/2009 11:23 AM, please spill it ASAP.
WHAT IS THE PLAN?
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ReplyDelete9:11 & 9:30 Good angle, although since it contains parts of all 3 flus, it seems more likely a lab concoction. Now the question is, was it released on purpose for some nefarious reason or was it an accident?
ReplyDeleteJust watched an episode of Cold case where the TV news was taken over by the almighty ad dollar (and ratings).
That, and bigger people REALLY run the news media now, has almost as much to do with the death of papers as anything else.
The only media that is looking into the hard news papers and even TV used to do, is what is termed alternative media. What some would call conspiracy theorists, tin hat crowd, etc. I personally think the death of newspapers is a conspiracy. No facts as yet, just a hunch.
Either way, Gannett, nor any other mainstream media, won't go after the REAL reasons/facts. It might end up hurting ad revenue!
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Shirley's post. Come on, tell us what else happened at the meeting! And if you hate Jim and Jim's reporting so much, go away!
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ReplyDeleteTroll, if you "did watch the video," then why haven't you linked to the video so we can all verify your claims for ourselves?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I didn't think you'd want us to do that.
Too many of you are making judgments about Jim based on what this Troll is posting for his own manipulative purpose. Wise up!
Corporate has hired a consultant to help with marketing and communications. The person is also consulting Dubow, Martore and Connell on how in "interfere" with the Gannett Blog.
ReplyDeleteApparently, Tara Connell's team is responsible for much of the commenting on this blog today (and yesterday). They were out in full force yesterday trying to combat Jim's performance by "spinning" it.
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ReplyDeleteThis is 10:53 a.m. and 12:01 p.m.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I'm the "Troll" 1:19 p.m. is talking about but here is the link again.
http://www.gannett.com/gciflash/gciflash2.swf?filename=corpcom/flash/09shmtg
Regular reader of this blog and will continue to be a regular reader. Jim wanted input and I gave him my input. I just thought I'd be more fair than the rest and actually watch the meeting.
I hope others watch it and give their take, which could be entirely different than mine.
And now for a change of topic: Does anyone out there have any experience with co-workers who show up to work drunk/high?
ReplyDeleteJim, I'm not a corporate shill or Kool-Aid drinker. I've sent you money to aid your cause.
ReplyDeleteSo I'd appreciate an answer, please: When did this blog become more about you and less about Gannett? Seems to have happened in the past couple of weeks.
I gotta be honest: Flying to D.C. to ask about Dubow's piddly $40K scholarship and to make him say your name aren't exactly the pressing issues of the day, do you think? Nor is the seating arrangement of the board of directors.
Exactly what was the point of your trip? And did you ask other, more substantial questions than the ones that have been discussed here so far?
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ReplyDeleteWow, there are some really dumb posts today.tl;dr.
ReplyDelete2:18 PM here again. Just watched the shareholder video. (Thanks for the link, 1:40 PM.)
ReplyDeleteJim, I gotta say I'm disappointed. You couldn't have asked about what the company's real vision is? Or about furloughs or stock price or 401(K)s?
You seriously had to ask about seating arrangements and the "disaster" in Wausau?
And even if the Wausau issue is a huge breach of some kind (which is debatable), why focus your question on something you know Dubow could not answer? Why not nail them on some kind of broader ethics point?
And the whole "what's my name" thing? Embarrassing, dude. Was that really worth the time, money and effort of a cross-country flight?
This just in!: Fresh from screwing up the Arizona Republic and Gannett Newspapers in general, Sue Clark Johnson is back from retirement. She is the new director of the Morrison Institute at Arizona State University. More here: http://www.asu.edu/copp/morrison/2009-04-29%20Sue%20Clark-Johnson%20Director%20PR.pdf
ReplyDeleteThe web between ASU and Gannett becomes even more complex. (We already use their Cronkite School students as free labor.)
"I question whether the seating arrangement at the meeting is all that important. By the way Dubow offered you a seat in the front section."
ReplyDeleteJim missed the opportunity to point out that all of the seating in the front either had a name tag or "reserved" on it. No reasonable person would have assumed they were allowed to sit there.
So what's the big Detroit announcement?
ReplyDeleteGannett announces executive appointments at Detroit Media Partnership and Detroit Free Press
ReplyDeleteMcLEAN, VA – Gannett today announced the following appointments at the Detroit Media Partnership and Detroit Free Press:
Susie Ellwood will become CEO of the Detroit Media Partnership. Ellwood has been executive vice president and general manager of the partnership since 2006. She succeeds David Hunke, who has been named president and publisher of USA TODAY.
Paul Anger will become editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press. Anger has been vice president/News and editor of the Free Press since 2005. Most recently, Anger led the Free Press team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
Joyce Jenereaux will become executive vice president of the Detroit Media Partnership. She has been senior vice president/Finance since 2005.
“The depth and range of talent at the Detroit operation makes this transition all the easier,” said Hunke, who will continue to supervise the Detroit operation. “Susie truly knows Detroit, as well as how to run the DMP. She is an experienced hand and will step in seamlessly.”
“Paul is a top notch editor and newsroom leader, who also understands the business of journalism. His prize winning work at Detroit remains among the best Gannett has to offer. And Joyce has been a mainstay on the financial side of the Detroit operations for nearly 20 years. She is a top notch manager and ready for the EVP role,” Hunke said.
The Detroit Media Partnership jointly operates the business side of the Detroit Free Press, which is owned by Gannett, and The Detroit News, which is owned by MediaNews Group. Editorial operations for the two newspapers are run separately.
Biographies
Susie Ellwood has been executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Media Partnership since 2006. Except for two years as vice president /market development for the Gannett Newspaper Division, Ellwood has been in various marketing roles in Detroit since 1991. She also was vice president and director of marketing for the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock. Ellwood is an Arkansas native and a graduate of Arkansas State University with a B.S.E. in business.
(more)
Paul Anger was named vice president/News and editor of the Detroit Free Press in 2005. He had been vice president and editor of the Des Moines (IA) Register since 2002 and formerly was with The Miami Herald as executive sports editor. Anger also served as editor and publisher of the Herald’s Broward County publications; and news editor of the Knight-Ridder News Service. Anger has a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Joyce Jenereaux has been senior vice president/Finance of the Detroit Media Partnership since 2005. She served as vice president and controller since 1999 and has been in several other financial roles at the partnership since 1990, including financial reporting manager and assistant controller. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
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ReplyDeleteWilford,
ReplyDeleteI'm old.
I remember.
" ....Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
Thanks for being such a compassionate and literate soul.
Another supporter and non-troll here to ask Jim to give us a more thorough account of yesterday's meeting and the topics he focused on.
ReplyDeleteI'll join in with others who have said the seating-arrangement and can't-you-say-my-name questions were, indeed, the stuff of corporate meeting gadflies everywhere.
But I'll also reserve judgment on the rest of Jim's performance until he reports on, as Paul Harvey used to say, "the REST of the story."
I'll also suggest that Gannett Blog is a far more powerful, persuasive and far-reaching platform for Jim's views and reporting than the microphone at the annual meeting.
Keep it going here, Jim, where you matter far, far more.
Where can I see a video of yesterday's meeting?
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ReplyDelete>>Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWhere can I see a video of yesterday's meeting?<<<
http://www.gannett.com/gciflash/gciflash2.swf?filename=corpcom/flash/09shmtg
4/29/2009 5:15 PM
I embarrassed for you Jim! Stick with the blog.
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ReplyDeleteJim, I got curious & finally watched the video. You have every right to ask what you want BUT how about working on it? Did you hear the guy from 'Yonkers' & the guy 'not from Yonkers'? Work on your posture, diction, words( don't say I believe,Yonkers guys quoted even page nos :))). In short, for next year, just work little bit more on your presentation, IMHO.
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ReplyDeleteHey I watched the video too. That sucks that Wimmer is leaving judging by the look on his face he looked very happy to leave. It was fun watching the tape though especially the guy from Yonkers.
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ReplyDeleteIt is working because people like you keep trying to offset it.
ReplyDeleteJim is the laughingstock of the Internet right now.
9:39 - can you point out anything positive in Jim's performance? Anything?
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ReplyDeleteI watched that video twice, just for the drama of Jim. It was hilarious.
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