Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday | May 12 | Your News & Comments
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63 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 have a wonderful friend who's dying of cancer.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I'm posting that is to remind you that it's just a job, it's not your life.
Be grateful. It's difficult to have a bad day when you are.
This blog is dead. Corporate has released some internal results of the smear campaign and Tara Connell was gloating.
ReplyDeleteLooks like commentaries on Jim's posts are down 22% according to a corporate report.
5/12/2009 5:33 AM
ReplyDeleteWhatever...... :)
Be grateful. It's difficult to have a bad day when you are.
ReplyDelete5/12/2009 4:52 AM
That's for sure. Appreciate what you have.
It's not about having what you want,
it's wanting what you have.
- Sheryl Crow
This blog is dead. Corporate has released some internal results of the smear campaign and Tara Connell was gloating.
ReplyDeleteLooks like commentaries on Jim's posts are down 22% according to a corporate report.
5/12/2009 5:33 AM
That's total BS and Jim should delete this comment. There is no way IMO that Gannett would waste time and resources dealing with or keeping up with this blog. They don't need to. There just aren't enough cooments from 40,000 or more employees to make anything worth it.
I used to work for a paper which had strong circulation, a strong billing department, strong, wonderfully creative designers, Now that Gannett has the paper I want what we had
ReplyDeleteto 5/12/2009 5:33 AM ,,,
ReplyDeleteLike we care what corporate reports regarding the gannett blog?
The reason people come here is because they have slipped the bonds of Gannett and are going it alone.
Need news on Asheville Citizen Times. Any out there?
ReplyDeleteWord of caution to upcoming grads. If you want to get into journalism, avoid any Gannett property, including USA Today. In time, if hired, you will be very disappointed. You won't learn anything worthwhile. It is also quite possible that if you stay in Gannett for too long it will be hard to work elsewhere because places that practice real journalism don't like hiring folks who are tainted by too many years working at GCI. Get your experience elsewhere. It will serve you better now and in the future.
ReplyDeleteWe work to live.
ReplyDeleteWe do not live to work.
Also: Gannett isn't some evil empire, using black magic and dark wizardry.
It's just a lousy corporation (or am I being redundant?) trying to survive in the mess Wall Street and other lousy corporations created in their orgy of greed.
Capitalism is dead. Eventually the cannibal is left alone on the island and eats itself.
A longtime Gannett employee who got the axe last December, I decided to move on rather than hold onto the past.
What's done is done.
Gannett isn't evil any more than Bambi is a deer; it's a cartoon.
Look at Gannett leaders, from news rooms to board rooms, and 95 percent of them are fools believing God chose them to do great things.
I say this to them: The cream and the scum always rise to the top.
Which are you?
Don't answer that. So far you've gotten every other answer wrong, it's unlikely you'll suddenly begin answering correctly now.
Gannett isn't evil, just stupid.
Yes, power in the hands of stupidity is dangerous, but allowing them to have power over ourselves, our lives and our loved ones is not smart.
Find your way through this as an individual. And realize Gannett is just a greedy, gutless, clueless, cut-throat corporation.
That's all.
THANK YOU 9:28...I got the axe in March, not layed off but FIRED as in wrongful termination after 21 years of dedicated loyal service...Your viewpoint is helpful too me...I will still do ALL I CAN to discredit Gannett properties and products simply by word of mouth from a customers viewpoint which is much more powerful than anyone in G Marketing and/or Customer Service will ever realize...
ReplyDeleteOne day at corporate last week I found a one-page memo that someone had left on the copier. It was unsigned and sent to "Gannett patriots." It reaffirmed the payment of $10 bonuses for each posting of "This blog is dead" on Gannettblog. It also praised the recent effort of inciting chaos and distraction on the blog and said three people were in line to win promised cruise vacations for coming up with the most creative disinformation campaigns. Someone was coming, so I put the sheet back down on the copier. Toward the end it criticized Gannettblog for harming the company by leaving it with record numbers of unread Gannetteers.
ReplyDeleteI think we should be more worried that people are quoting Sheryl Crow, as leading to this blog's demise. Although that type of post too could be a corporate ploy. Gannett would be wise to make people think they want what they have.
ReplyDeleteBesides would it, I mean would it really surprise you that Connell and her lackeys would be up to such shananigans? Wouldn't surprise me one bit!
But people quoting Sherly Crow is pretty lame. Get real, find some real quotes and a new ipod.
Just curious 9:28....what line of work did you go into when you left Gannett? I enjoyed your comments.
ReplyDeletehttp://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090512/ap_on_hi_te/eu_ireland_wikipedia_hoaxer
ReplyDeleteHysterical. Online journalism at its finest.
A $10 bonus for posting Gannett Blog is dead?? Are you friggin' kidding here or what??
ReplyDeleteThough $10 sounds in the cheap-ass Gannett ballpark...bet everyone just rushing to pick up that $10, and then go fill up their gas tank...wait, nope, it won't cover that. Go out to lunch? Maybe at Wendy's...I know I know, buy some lottery tickets!!!
keep on blogging Jim
"The reason people come here is because they have slipped the bonds of Gannett and are going it alone."
ReplyDeleteThey have slipped the bonds of insanity. Example:
"Look at Gannett leaders, from news rooms to board rooms, and 95 percent of them are fools believing God chose them to do great things."
That goes for 98 percent of the alleged writers. Whenever you hear a writer blathering about doing God's work or having ink in his/her veins, you can be sure a dumbass is talking. The dumbass has few skills and cannot write well. The dumbass is a liability to the organization and should be laid off.
Also, 10:06 is making up bullshit. None of that happened. 10:06 doesn't even have a brother; he ate the sheep shit.
OK. I've been reading for a while now and I see a lot of people unhappy with Gannett. Fine, but although Gannett defines how many get laid off, isn't it the individual paper who decides who goes? Shouldn't a lot of the bad feelings here be directed at the individual paper instead?
ReplyDeleteto 12:28, individual papers make up lists that are vetted by corporate, which can order changes - they know who your are, they know where you live....
ReplyDeleteAnnounced yesterday-
ReplyDeleteAXA Financial Inc. (AXF) on Monday reported cutting its passive holdings in Gannett Co. (GCI) to 0.4% from 13.5%, according to a regulatory filing.
AXA beneficially owns 948,460 shares of the McLean, Va., newspaper publishing company, off from the 30.84 million it reported holding as of Dec. 31, 2008.
Looks like AXA did a good job swing trading a position to reduce their effective long-tern loss in GCI with a short-term gain.
ReplyDeleteA common tactic.
Papers are starting to look for excuses to write people up and put in their personnel file---3 bad marks and they can fire and successfully fight unemployment benefits. This is a trend with Gannett papers.
ReplyDelete"Cream rises to the top.
ReplyDeleteSo does scum."
Gonna remember that one...VERY appropo here.
12:28, Who do you think the individual papers answer to. Yes, they may have a few that they want to see leave, but ultimately if GCI wants x amount of people to leave, then x amount of people are gone.
ReplyDeleteWhat's so special about Special accounts in Single Copy. The paper bends over backwards to deliver papers to stores that may sell one or two papers a week. The stores are closed when normal delivery and pick ups are made. Gannett sends some one out later in the day to collect the papers that were delivered the previous days. This seems like a waste of money. The only reason I can think of for doing this is for visability of the paper. Yet they close News paper racks that have more sales than these stores.
ReplyDeleteAny news on furloughs for 3rd and 4th quarter? When are more layoffs going to happen?
ReplyDelete10:10...that was hilarious and dead on. Well played, sir or maam. Well played.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious...for those of you working for Gannett, how likely would this be to happen in your newsroom?
ReplyDeleteHed: Student hoaxes world's media
Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30699302/
Furloughs to continue in 3rd quarter. Layoffs announced June 10.
ReplyDelete2:45, how do you know this? Where is your information coming from?
ReplyDelete-- Papers are starting to look for excuses to write people up and put in their personnel file---3 bad marks and they can fire and successfully fight unemployment benefits. This is a trend with Gannett papers.--
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what they did to me and several others at our Gannett site although I quit before they got to Strike No. 3 and was able to find another job. But another veteran wasn't so lucky and was booted at the end of 2008. Two others who are still inside are suddenly producing stories that need more "editing" and aren't what editors expected even though they have sparkling reputations and credentials. Overnight, they become worthless! Now, they face disciplinary action because Gannett wants them out and doesn't want the unemployment benefits burden. What a sham! It's time we start suing them and force them to show cause for their actions.
to 10:06 AM.... Not really sure if I believe your posting, but it's very Gannett!
ReplyDeleteThanks 1:21. Former Gannett columnist; I'm a Miss just for the record.
ReplyDelete2:49 I got the memo.
ReplyDelete2:49: Send me the memo via e-mail, please: gannettblog@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteJim Hopkins said...
ReplyDelete2:49: Send me the memo via e-mail, please: gannettblog@gmail.com.
5/12/2009 3:10 PM
Don't hold your breath waiting for that bogus note to arrive.
10:04. I was laid off in December. I still work in journalism, but mostly as an adjunct instructor and occasional consultant. I also have to take other odd jobs now and then to make ends meet.
ReplyDeleteWord of mouth, as you say, is a powerful weapon. I do nothing to promote Gannett in my travels and try to advise budding journalists to stay clear of that company. I tell neighbors not to buy USA Today. After what happened to me and countless others in December, I can't recommend Gannett as an honorable employer or product to anyone.
Like so many former Gannett employees, I am on the outside now, without anything good to say about the company where I worked. That catches up to a company in time -- the constant barrage of bad press, sort of speak. This company has very few former employees who are proponents of GCI. That speaks volumes for how folks are treated, especially later in their careers.
The December layoffs for the most part were a witch hunt. So many of us were let go for all the wrong reasons. This wasn't GM. This wasn't entirely driven by the economy or failing products. This was open season on good employees who were getting a few too many gray hairs, didn't have the right skin tone, spoke too frankly too often or just were victims of a personal grudge by some rogue manager. The bad PR that Gannett is getting from these laid off workers will do a lot of damage once the job market improves and people have a choice of where to work. The best and the brightest won't be knocking down the doors to get into Gannett.
I will continue to tell people of the bad journalism practices that are commonplace at Gannett papers, often through no fault of the front-line reports or editors. This isn't sour grapes. This is just saying what I should have said about this company even when I was on the inside. The Gannett product stinks. The management is dishonorable. The content can't be trusted. As time moves on, and more jobs are lost, it just gets worse.
10:06 you are full of BS. Stay on the facts and not just made-up stories. The entire post reads like BS from the content to the duplication method.
ReplyDeleteThey centralized Human Resources today. Laid off all the individual Human Resources dept.'s.
ReplyDeleteAll of marketing is being centralized under USA TODAY and Susan Lavington.
ReplyDeleteDid they eliminate HR even in large properties like Detroit?
ReplyDelete4:12 and 4:18: I'm listening. Are you the same person?
ReplyDeleteWill there be a memo? E-mail notice? Anything you can share, to bolster your credibility?
All HR departments centralized! What utter nonsense is that? We need local HR people to give us "attitude" and incorrect information and lack of cooperation. It simply could not be handled from one central location. When they screw you, they like to look into your eyes! It's part of the Gannett way!
ReplyDeleteCentral WI centralized HR back in December.
ReplyDeleteSorry but there is no truth to any of these rumors. I have confirmed with HR, Marketing and Digital.
ReplyDeleteAre there layoffs or not? Regardless, what a terrible environment to work in. All the company denials of layoffs over the last several months, only to be followed by layoffs, has created such paranoia that this has become a company of workers who think more about the stability of their jobs than the actual work. And I can't blame them!!! The managers at Gannett have proven to be either liars or so in the dark that they can't give us good information about our futures. I can't wait until this recession is over so I can get the hell out of here. I will never forget how we've been treated, and worse, how so many of my friends were let go or driven out of a business they loved and were very good at doing. In many cases, it was just wrong.
ReplyDelete"Looks like commentaries on Jim's posts are down 22% according to a corporate report."
ReplyDeleteSo what. Doesn't mean corporate is now the center of humane benevolence.
Gannett reflects the personality at the top, and when Al strikes out at blogs, you know this blog is speaking truth to power.
Haven't visited in a few days. Good to see all the fabrications about "memos" announcing 3rd quarter furloughs and June 10 layoffs and HR layoffs and marketing layoffs are still flowing. I suppose it helps someone pass the time. As one poster said, Jim's going to be waiting a while for the "memo."
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that if corporate clowns would spend more time, energy and money in
ReplyDeleteconducting “official” business like growing revenue and circulation instead of using company funds to “try” and put Jim out of work that Gannett just mighty be a littler better off?
Just a throught….
hallelujah! i sent in pension (not lump sum--pre-gannett plan) paperwork right after april fool's day. the other day, i got a notice that a "retroactive" deposit had been made to my bank account, though nothing said what the monthly amount would be. that required a phone call to the company that had sent the notice.
ReplyDeleteanyone know how long i can leave $$ in my 401(k)? (er, make that 301(k) . . . )
USA Today really, should, take a hard look at their CD positions that are currently in place.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the CM's are the "grunts" of the circulation department they are doing all the hard work, growing the numbers, cutting the costs and making it work from the top down, while most of the CD's don't have the slightest clue of what’s going on in the field who will take all the glory & money the GM will dish out...so I ask, what's up with that?
Talk about an opportunity to save more, wow it’s staring the “big boys’ right smack in the face everyday. Let’s be honest with each other, you know what I’m saying is true or you would not have made all those CD cuts at all those other Gannett papers.
So big guy at the top, who are looking for ways to cut a little more fat off that that big juicy steak? Let us know if it’s something that should & could be done.
Gosh, I hope you all are right about the June Lay-offs...maybe our paper will hold onto me till then and then I can get the weeks I deserve and the unemployment I deserve!
ReplyDeletePlease confirm that June is going to happen please!!!!
East group publishers are meeting tomorrow. Not sure why they are meeting.
ReplyDelete7:45 if you are on your way out the door, they won't keep you to lay you off. They're smarter than that.
ReplyDelete3:01pm
ReplyDeleteYes all Gannett ex and current employees who feel they have had trumped up write-ups should band together and file a class action suit against ===Gannett. Remember, everyone needs their personnel filed copied.
Try to be present when they copy it so it is a complete copy of the file.
MY BOSS SAID a few months ago there would be layoffs in June. Haven't heard from he/she for awhile regarding this. I know corporate is not getting the expected results concerning their online classified ads. Still have many kinks to be worked out. Would expect once they are taken care of, the classified ad takers would more than likely go similar to the ”wonderful” job they did with the circulation customer service. Never saw so many customers cancel service. That's what happens when you centralize things, it destroys the “local” idea that corporate has now abandoned.
ReplyDelete3:28 - You are, indeed, a hero!
ReplyDeleteI too am an escapee from Gannett; a survivor; a victim of this vile and awful company.
I also take every opportunity to dissuade people from working for Gannett.
In fact, I am proud that I have kept some very good people from working for Gannett newspapers since I left. When they have asked me about an opening (this was in the day when Gannett was hiring) I would warn them off the newspaper. It was all facts, and I was happy that they didn't take the jobs. Especially happy since in all likelihood had this person gone to the Gannett newspaper they would have made the paper much, much better and improved the content tremendously.
I am proud that this has happened at least four times in recent years. I am doing my part to keep good people away from this terrible company.
And yes, 3:28, word of mouth is powerful. I speak nothing but ill-will toward Gannett at evry opportunity.
What is odd is that no matter how bad I make Gannett sound, no one doubts me for a moment! Haw!!!!!
@7:19 PM:
ReplyDeleteIf you have more than $5K (I believe) in your 401K, you can keep it there forever.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to understand the motives of folks who constantly tell those who don't like Gannett journalism (see, please, "oxymoron") to go find another job. They have to be joking, but it's clearly not funny. Where, oh where, today will anybody with any significant experience find another job? The fact is you have to stick it out. I worked many years for a solid local daily that eventually was purchased by Gannett. We had gotten to the point where a good reporter could actually stay and not feel his/her career had stagnated. Gannett destroyed that immediately upon taking over. It became clear that new management did not want people to stay, lest they have to pay them more. Coverage soon came to rely on traffic accidents, food festivals and fundraisers -- the stuff that normally would have gone in agate type in a zoned weekly. Real news? We have to pick it up now from the non-Gannett weeklies in the area. It is sad beyond belief, and I fear for the long-term consequences on democracy in America.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI'm 4:12 PM, but the other post isn't mine. I can't say if all of Gannett HR is centralized, but it is where I am now. I'm sorry I have no proof except for my word.
ReplyDeleteIf there are more layoffs in June, I sure hope there's an opportunity for volunteers.
ReplyDeleteThe timing would be ideal for me.