The Fort Collins Coloradoan now has a new incoming publisher: Kim Roegner, display advertising director at The Courier-Journal in Louisville. She replaces Christine Chin, who resigned last month, Gannett said yesterday.
Her appointment, of course, was an occasion for another one of those delightful press releases, complete with canned-sounding quote attributed to newspaper division President Bob Dickey: "Kim has shown great leadership in all of her roles. She will do an excellent job as president and publisher at the Fort Collins Coloradoan. We are confident that her success at Louisville will continue as she takes on this new responsibility."
Mmm-mmm, good! It's almost convincing, Tara!
I bet Fort Collins staffers would like to hear all about Roegner from their Louisville colleagues. Please leave a note in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, use this link from a non-work computer; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
16 comments:
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They actually got one right....Kim is a great choice. She's paid her dues, knows what works and, get this, treats people with respect! I know, I know. I would actually consider staying with Gannett if I could work with her again.
ReplyDeleteI agree - I've worked with Kim and she is the real deal - bright, energetic and listens the folks around her
ReplyDeleteShe is total white bread. Not bad not that exciting either. How can you screw up a 20k circ paper? It's not exactly the "hot spot" in Gannett.Ivey also needed to take care of her girl. Ivey was pub in Pensalcole when Roegner was AD.
ReplyDeleteMost are saying whatever.
What's the deal here Jim? Many however are shocked that she got a pub job. From retail director to publisher? Is that how far down the food chain we have to go to fill pub spots? She is not exactly lighting the night on fire.
ReplyDeleteNo offence but she does not have 20 years experience in the biz as the press release is saying.
Also, I guess this property reports to Michelle Krans now. Another dim light bulb in the bunch.
What the ehck was wrong with Chin? She did not takea long enough drink of the kool-Aide? I've met here before and seemed bright. Didn't GCI save her when they sold the Washington state papers because she was soooooo good? what the f happened?
Again- When is someone going to wake up to all this nonsence???????
HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
when is someone going to wake up and realize this place is ready to self distruct? It's a house of cards ready to implode.
I'm one of the drones in FC and Chin pulled the wool over our eyes. One week prior to her departure she held a "State of the Company" meeting complete with one of her well-known crying fits declaring she was in for the "long haul" and wasn't prepping us for sale. Then boom! She walks out on us.
ReplyDeleteKim seems personable, but shy and reserved. Not the personality for a publisher, but we'll see what happens.
2:22 am.. I'd have to agree with you. She has no personality. Doesn't seem like it will be any different than Chin. Same ole, same ole'.
ReplyDeleteWe also think that she does not have the experience to do the job. She knows advertising ok but she has worked for the same company for 20 YEARS!! Doing the same work in advertising. What's up with that? I'm very bothered that this quiet, reserved, blondie is in charge of this place, my future, my friends future and the voice of Fort collins. But then again who cares what I think right?
I have known Kim for about 12 years and have worked for her in the past. Kim is NOT AN EMPTY HEAD BLONDE! If anyone claims that she is, they are the confused ones. She is smart, dedicated, listens, cares about her people and empowers her employees to do their jobs. She is also a talented guitar player and singer, who has a “heart” and a powerful faith, that you don’t usually see in a Gannett executive. I heard people at corporate say that Kim is lucky to be going to Fort Collins. I say, Fort Collins you’re the lucky ones! Rumor has it, that if she did not go to Fort Collins, Kim would have ended up in Montgomery. Montgomery, you missed out on working with one of the truly Great Ones!
ReplyDelete6:16 6:02 Pla-ease! Thanks for responding to the cooments Kim's mom!
ReplyDeleteGuitar player? Singer? What the hell does that have to do with managing a business with a personality? Intro ducing new innovative ideas? Being a Leader to all departments? What is she going to sing to the staff? This isn't the Sound of fucking Music!
Dear Anonymous and Jim Hopkins:
ReplyDeleteWow! The "F" comment was offensive and just showed your ignorance and lack of maturity. Obviously, not something an astute publisher would ever say. I am not her mother, but I am sure yours would be ashamed of your comments. Personal attacks are always a week argument.
For everyone’s information the “singing and playing guitar” comment was a reference to her having a personality. I agree, she can be reserved, but she is not shy about her job and making the work environment more positive and profitable for her employees. As far as being a good publisher and running the Ft. Collins property, only time will tell! But I, like MANY throughout Gannett have confidence in her abilities.
But for those Coloradoan’s that have no vision and whose vocabulary includes only four letter words, I suggest you start looking for a new job. She is no Chinn! She is the real deal as another blogger wrote. Fort Collins, I’ve seen your numbers. I would start trying to work with her to increase the readership numbers and make the paper profitable again! Like it or not she is your boss and probably the last best hope for your little paper.
GROW UP! Is this really the first time you have heard the word fuck? Believe it or not many people use it to make a point as I did.
ReplyDeleteI still don't understand the point you are trying to make regarding the guitar and singing. Very lame. Because she likes to strum the strings and sing she has a personality? So is she going to break out in song when she has to deliver bad news of more cuts? This is turning into a SNL skit before our very eyes!
What it comes down to is we need a leader that is going to bring us to the next level and many are convinced that she isn't the person to do it. She is shy and VERY reserved. She doesn't give you the feeling that she "gets it" or understands the market, process, culture etc.
For all the warts, Chinn was very well liked here. Saying that Kim might have some of the good qualities of Chinn would win favor with the group. Saying she is totally different is actually not a good thing.
Love the comment that "she is our boss like it or not". This reeks of Gannett and all that's wrong with the company today. We want to do well and make the place we come to everyday successful. Really we do. We want to make our boss look good. But when we can't be critical of their faults then the game is over and it's just a job again. We have choices too! I also think that we have not seen our last publisher in Kim. She might be the best thing we ever saw but today it's worse than it's ever been.
By the way, my mom is very proud of me because she taught me to express myself. If it's done using the work fuck so be it. Do you think you might be a bit closed minded? Just a tiny bit? Let me know your thoughts Kim's mom. Or is this Denise?
I worked with Kim for many years and she is not shy and reserved. What you are seeing is Kim's ability to go in, quietly access the situation, get to know the people and then she acts swiftly and fairly. Give her a chance and you will all see what she can do.
ReplyDeleteKim will prove herself through positive action. Show them how it's done Kim!
Kim really did nothing in Lousville. Everything was set in place before she got there. As one staffer put it when she was leaving not to be replaced "more work, same money for us...no wait same work since she did not do anything anyway."
ReplyDeleteI work in Fort Collins and have to say, I really like Kim. In her first few months at the Coloradoan she has made a genuine effort to get to know everyone. I had nothing against Chin, but she was very impersonal. At least Kim is making an effort to be human. We haven't had a publisher like that since Dorothy Bland (who is STILL missed!).
ReplyDeleteWell it's been several months now, Kim is still with us... but many have left since then...and not by choice. Perhaps the fact that Christine Chin left because she supposedly could not handle the stress of layoffs anymore was the reason they brought the cold shoulder, stuck in her office thinking about who to cut next, Kim Roegner on board.
ReplyDeleteWake up Gannett bloggers.
I work at the Coloradoan. I have seen everything right before my eyes and I fear everyday that I'm next to go. If I had only known that one day I may lose my job because of the falling economy, I didn't realize that my likeability would be considered into the factor of my layoff. Those that continuously butter up to Kim will likely stay, if you know what I mean.
Sadly, what the company needs to realize is that it’s not the news, nor the artists, nor the people who put the whole paper together in the press….it’s the terrible sales staff that is making the Coloradoan fail. If Kim Roegner knows anything about advertising from her years of experience, she would reevaluate the sales reps and get rid of the dead weight.
Stop making the rest of us fear, get rid of a different kind of producer, or should I say, non-producer!
She is an anorexic idiot!
ReplyDeleteKim is very down to earth and is great to work for.
ReplyDelete