The winner, that is, if I were running a contest for most unpopular Gannett executive, based on reader comments received during the past week. Robert T. Collins was chief of New Jersey's Atlantic Group of papers, and "chairman" of the Asbury Park Press. (Chairman is a fake title given to retiring company executives.) The long-time Gannettoid left the company for good in March."Collins had his managers go through a training program in which you had to watch the movie Patton," a reader comments, on this post. "Not clips of it. The whole friggin' three hours! He would quote the movie at times to justify his actions, like 'tell 'em loud and tell 'em dirty, that way they'll remember it.' Another example of his lack of original thought."
Memorably played by George C. Scott (inset, left) in that 1970 movie, George S. Patton was the controversial World War II general famous for slapping a weeping, shell-shocked soldier in his hospital bed, then ordering him back to the front. Now, that's some kind of motivational leadership, eh?(Confidential to Corporate: I don't know Collins. But I've encountered more than a few tyrants during my 20-year association with Gannett. My question: Why do you keep employing these assholes?)
Bob beat the execs into submission every Wednesday at the OC. Starting at 11am and ending late in the day. Screaming, threatening and making sure each exec was pitted against each other. Giving instructions that was at times clearly not right, and if not against the law completely amoral. Mike never stopped him; no one stopped him, all watched as he attacked each and every player, everyone afraid that he would turn on him or her next. That atmosphere would then be carried out to the lower managers who would back stab and turn on each other like animals as if it meant something. Fighting to survive throwing each other under the bus and they would struggle to get close to Sam to stay alive. This group that is left there is still stuck in the everyday culture that Bob gave them refusing to believe that perhaps that way doesn’t work and the paper would be better off to start fresh.
ReplyDeleteWhile Gannett newspapers villified Richard Nixon, the true "dirty tricks" was Gannett itself. Collins was a sicko. He sits at home and probably laughs at these comments. Gannett tolerated this known behavior for how long? 40 years of hardship! All of the former CEO's loved it. That is the legacy of the company that some of you now work.
ReplyDeleteHe called you his asshole. He owned you. And this for a company that dares to be associated with "Freedom."
Publisher Named
ReplyDeleteSandford, Cindy on behalf of Donovan, Tom
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 10:34 AM
To:
AsburyPark-All; OceanCounty-All; EastBrunswick-All; Bridgewater-All
Cc:
Lafferty, Walt; Nutt, Charlie; Cavone, Joe; Steffen, Doreen; Klimaszewski, Sue; McCormick, Wanda; Ortiz, Elida; Houlihan, Ellen
William "Skip" Hidlay has been named president and publisher of the Home News Tribune in East Brunswick and the Courier News in Bridgewater, effective immediately.
Skip has served as executive editor and vice president/news of the Asbury Park Press since September 2002. His previous assignment had been as executive editor at the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill. He joined Gannett in May 1996.
Gary Schoening will continue to run the day-to-day newsroom operations at the Asbury Park Press while we begin the search for a new executive editor.
Please join me in congratulating Skip on his new assignment.
Tom Donovan
"Why do you keep employing these assholes?"
ReplyDeleteIt's a feature, not a bug.
Is that you Bob? A feature! And the legacy is lost circulation, inbred dysfunctional culture, lower revenue, layoffs, outsourcing, and a vision that is myopic at best. Nice feature. Shareholders please note.
ReplyDeleteI heard he ate live babies for lunch. And had a different Member's Only jacket for each day of the week. Oh yeah, he also went to the same barber as Donald Trump.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the dude's reputation as a douchebag was known throughout the Eastern Atlantic territory. Glad I never had to take his shit, the dude would'a been punched the fuck out. No paycheck is worth that kind of treatment.
It's bullshit, Halaldo.
He was just another "small" in stature jerk. He never impressed me. The Pope should have washed his mouth out.
ReplyDeleteFrom a company where Neuharth built a desk platform high enough up so that he could look down at Curley...and the World.
Collins was a rube. A foul-mouthed and protected rube.
And the beat goes on for RTC. When asked to stop smoking by a pregnant woman during a meeting, he blew smoke in her face and said 'I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for the baby'. I hope I see him down at the boardwalk sometime so I can fart in his direction.
ReplyDeleteWhen one VP asked to move to the end of the table to be away from the smoke during the OC, Bob made him sit closer to him till that VP opted out of the New Jersey Group. Nice to see him back now.
ReplyDeleteSmurfs. I almost forgot that name given to the three smurfs. If I remember correctly. They were:
ReplyDeleteNeuharth, Coleman, and Collins.
Collins...Big hat, no cattle.
New Jersey always deserved better.
Shit. These comments confirm how happy I am to be gone.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sweet Jesus.
The silence was deafening for so long under Collins. The fear of the consquences for saying that the emperor had no clothes kept the silence. Now having this place to vent the collective steam of several hundred people, it can all come out without his assholiness Collins being able to take his cheap shots with threats and mean spirited put downs.
ReplyDeleteGannett breeds a culture where bullies like Collins and Gary Sherlock were able to thrive. They didn't care about editorial integrity or the communities that they were hired to serve. It was all about profit, profit, profit.
ReplyDeleteIt is no surprise that Westchester's circulation continues to drop. Sherlock ruined that franchise forever, and terrorized the employees for 15 years.
Joe Ungaro was adored by the community, and the newspapers thrived. Gary Sherlock sunk the ship.
What I just don't get is why a lawsuit wasn't filed for harassment. Working in one of the toughest states in the Union, I can't believe you all "took it" for so long. You NJ managers are all a bunch of chicken-sh..!
ReplyDeleteCan we tell stories about Collins' illegal activities here? IRS, DEP and I would like to know.
ReplyDeleteHey 'anon 5/06/2008 5:15 PM', shows what you know; this is employment at will here. You can be fired for any reason or none at all. By time you've proven anything in court, those of us with mortgages and families would be broke, divorced and homeless. It's easy to talk big when it's not you and yours on the line. That speaks more of the courage of some employees than going out in some heroic (but stupid) blaze of glory.
ReplyDelete@5:41 p.m.: You can say anything you want in a comment, or in an e-mail to me. But I will not publish any allegations unless I can confirm them. The rules regarding libel have not been suspended.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that: Please, please -- write whatever you know!
@2:05 p.m.: Amen, amen, amen -- and a ginormous hallelujah, for extra measure. Post-Gannett life is as sweet as it gets!
ReplyDeleteI would have pursued a lawsuit in New York but the amount of time, energy, and money all has to be considered. And make sure you have good details, paper details, and witnesses...hopefully.
ReplyDeleteYes, the sad news is that Gary Sherlock had plans to cut staff every year at Westchester. And he did. And it showed.
ReplyDeleteI guess you all were chained to your desks, huh?
ReplyDeleteLois Lane
So long as exempt employees work longer hours to avoid OT, and slackers forgo their rights and don't get comp time, nothing will change.
ReplyDeleteOne would "assume" that some funny business harrassment of another variety fits in with the "smoking jacket."
Five years is the limit within which to file a lawsuit.
+1 for Lois.
ReplyDeleteI suppose there is not a single other place to work in the entire state? If people tolerate that crap for years on end, they have no one but themselves to blame for any discomfort they experience.
Lois – Odd reply as you undoubtedly have access to a wealth of Cinci employees who could enlighten you on why they don’t leave when assholes like Buchanan rule.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, more than a few have left, yet many more chose to wait people like her out for a variety of reasons. Sadly, despite an abundance of data regarding missed numbers and abuses, Gannett’s leaders have failed to cut her loose, and given what’s here, far too many like her. Regardless of whether people elect to go, or wait it out, the larger point is that both aspects hurt this company.
And, if there’s any doubt about the damage that these character’s create, then read The No Asshole Rule and you’ll quickly understand. And, with any luck, Dubow and his board (Hint to Shalala if you’re reading) will read it too so they can hopefully, finally grasp how these certifiable assholes are ruining this company.
Lois Lane? Do you happen to work in the Ivory Tower? Gannett takes over other newspapers with people who have been happily working for 10 - 15- 20 years, and turns it upside down. You look at your pension, your 401K, your medical etc. Then have to decide where and when you can get out and will they leave before you do. I left when I could not live with the lack of integrity in the day to day running of the company.
ReplyDeleteEgo, high salaries, stock incentives, awards, stroking, and bonuses...and self-protection. You can call it drinking KoolAid...they lined up to protect themselves. And they still do. Little reward for protecting the rank and file, and doing the honorable, right thing. And it wasn't just New Jersey...it was all around.
ReplyDeleteOther Regional President's at the time in confidence would confide how terse Collins was. It was laughable it was so sad. But not for those closest to him. Watson stuck by him because he delivered the numbers...which is all Gannett wanted.
ReplyDeleteWhen you get tired of doing the "wrong thing," and your conscience is badly damaged, then you will leave. IBM, Kodak, MediaNews, Gannett...all cut from the same cloth. Neuharth, Watson, Collins, and Sherlock are the ones that just stand out. Dubow is just the latest name.
ReplyDeleteSure, the news information business has changed but Gannett's top-level executives of yesteryear need to shoulder some of the blame for the company's demise.
ReplyDeleteKnuckleheads like Sherlock, Collins and Watson were shortsighted and completely focused on short-term profits. Meanwhile, the franchise was slipping away.
It is a bigger shame that these guys have made millions on Gannett's stock appreciation; current executives won't enjoy the same rewards.
The assholes got the rewards, the promotions, the praise. Weakness within Gannett was not tolerated.
ReplyDeleteThe shitkickers worked out in Rochester, Green Bay, Olympia, among others. They killed the competition and then lied all the way to the bank. It worked...they became #1...to some.
All the boats rose. For the privileged in particular. The Secret...kiss ass, and take names.
Collins was the antithesis of Patton. Patton saw himself as a soldier and would be near the action. Collins was never seen with the employees, except as a photo op. If there was any action, Collins had enough folks around him to take the bullit for him.
ReplyDeleteJim I worked for Gannett for 33 years. It was a great company to work for. Then came along Bob Collins. We were all subjected to the Collins Grill as he called. When I realized that I was going to be one of his so called assholes, I said that it takes a good piece of shit to recognize one. So needless to say I quit and added many more years to my life. I refused to bring myself down to his level. It's unfortunate that he ruined a lot of careers, but not mine. I was one of the fortunate ones.
ReplyDeleteDubow would be wise, somehow, to acknowledge the sins of the past; the culture of fear, intimidation, etc. Too many former execs. ruled with abandon. He won't reference this blog which is understandable.
ReplyDeleteIt would be best to sell a few less strategic properties and then put people of real integrity, smarts, and honesty into the wings.
And admit that 17% profit margins are gone, bye-bye, adios.
Suck it up...and be a man.
When Collins came to the Press in 97, one of the existing VP's had a history with him. Turned out that the VP had taken a job with a Collins run paper at one time, found out that it sucked and quit. Collins fired him on day one when Gannett bought the paper. When I went to offer my condolences to the VP, he noted that Collins would get his 25 to 30% margins. In the VP's words, "even if he has to kill someone." I have no evidence that this happened...although there were plenty of stress related problems which brought on plenty of medical bills.
ReplyDeleteMemo to Jim Hopkins: I don't see much blog chatter about Westchester. This is the site of one of Gannett's greatest failures in recent years.
ReplyDeleteThey merged 13 great local papers into one regional paper in 1999, and circulation and revenues have dropped dramatically ever since. Naturally, Publisher Gary Sherlock/Architect of the consolidation ran for the hills three years ago and left everyone else holding the bag. The readers will never forgive.
The strategic failure in Westchester is a microcosm of the company's lack of vision over the last 10 years.
Gannett is losing ground at most of their properties, yet they still own a treasured asset -- original, local content. Someday, they will figure out how to leverage it.
Letting Collins act the way he did for so long just goes to show you how hypocritical the company is. Upper level management gets away with being nasty to employees, fooling around with other employees, using company expense accounts loosely, and then when a department heads does the same thing, they are terminated immediately. Curley knew what was going on. Watson, to his credit, always wanted to get rid of Collins, but his hands were tied. Curley and McCorkindale wouldn't let him.
ReplyDeleteCollins, Riddle, Sherlock, Stier... the beat goes on. Ever work for Riddle. The man is an idiot, and does nothing but sit in his office and trade gossip. He has nothing to contribute to make the company better. Hell, 90% of his employees have never even spoken to him. Leader? Not even remotely. Moron? You're getting closer.
A good house cleaning has to happen, but it never will. Good people will continue to leave the company, and the exec's will continue getting their fat bonuses.
I have to disagree re: Curtis Riddle. He's one of the best managers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. To slam him in the same breath as Collins - you couldn't be more wrong.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 8:34. Riddle is the epitome of a great leader. He does not manage, he leads. He is the best I've ever seen at taking a diverse group of people and building them into a team. He gives his people autonomy and support. His only "shortcoming" is that he is sometimes reluctant to pull the trigger on people who cannot keep up. It is also one of the qualities that gives him "heart" which is certainly different from most Gannett leaders.
ReplyDeleteCurley and McCorkindale tied Watson's hands with Collins and then SCJ came in and could have done something but chose not to because he was her friend. In fact, she cried when she announced he was "retiring", a move that let him leave with millions instead of having him leave the way he should have. He was/is one of the meanest people I've ever come in contact with and a horrible judge of people. He rewards people who agree to do what he says without ever questioning.
ReplyDeleteWilmington...one of the plush places in Gannettland. Riddle was rumored to be a possible new CEO.
ReplyDeleteDidn't happen.
I'll never forget the day that the Press was sold. We didn't know Curley or Watson. They came in to speak to us as a group after the owners broke the news to us. Curley's words when questioned about what would happen under Gannett were 'don't expect any big changes'. All the while knowing Collins was waiting in the wings. I have to say that he did qualify it by saying 'don't expect' it. We didn't. Thanks, John. Hope you don't mislead your students now that you're in academia. Creep.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me about Riddle? How can he be a leader when he never even speaks to his own employees? He sits in his office, acting like some pompous King. Ask around and see how many employees have uttered even one word to him. He's a phony and he isn't very bright. You should see him in meetings at corporate. It's a laugh. Every time he is asked a question, he has to flip through his cheat sheet like a madman, trying to find the answer. I'm telling you he is a phony extraordinaire. Plus, how can he be a good leader when that property never performs. Look at the facts, and wake up. Riddle is a joke!
ReplyDeleteCollins might not be there any more but you still have the MENTALLITY he created running rampent throughout what they call managment.At this time they are all probably running around trying to findout who took the buyouts so they can take credit for who got rid of more employees.
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