Thursday, July 02, 2009

Part 2 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments

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92 comments:

  1. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:09 PM

    usa today has not been 'spared'. significant cuts in department budgets and staff coming on Monday in advertising, dot com, marketing and ad ops. sorry.

    7/02/2009 2:06 PM

    This is old news. Management has already decided these cuts in Tysons and NYC and will be announced Monday morning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:17 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:18 PM

    Just saw this post on a stock message board about Gannett: "I was bullish now not so much. More cuts means that GCI is doing even worse. If their business was stabilizing or picking up there would be no need to have a 2nd round of cuts. Also Buffet says he sees no signs of recovery "no bounce." I hope earning meet expectations or we will drop under $3 for sure."

    Investors seem rather upended right now. Probably not a good thing for the financial wizards at the Crystal Palace.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:24 PM

    6:45am said:
    "What the f**k is wrong with you hateful and sick trolls on this blog? GET OFF and go back under the bridge you live."

    I think they ARE getting off. LOL

    Just wanted to repeat how important this blog is for those interested in attempting get a handle on their personal futures.

    Being someone who has participated in blogs and discussion groups since about 1989 (if you include BBS's). I am getting a kick out of the troll action here. Sorry it's at your expense, Jim. But it's fascinating! A great study in compulsive behavior, as you watch them contribute to something they supposedly hate.

    Good luck, my fellow GCI humans.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:29 PM

    My heart goes out to all of you who are still working for Gannett, and to those of you who have already been let go and are still looking for work. I was part of the December casualties, and was just lucky enough to finally get a great new job in another industry.

    I can't even begin to express what a blessing this blog has been in my life. I watched senseless layoff after senseless layoff last year, and idiotic, inhumane management at the company in the meantime. I will be forever grateful that I had this place to commiserate with people undergoing the same stresses and frustrations.

    Thanks, Jim, for working so hard to give us a place to find the truth and voice the truth. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

    Best of luck to everyone else as well in this difficult time. Please do everything you can to get out on your own terms. Life post-Gannett is every bit as wonderful as you imagine it could be.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:29 PM

    1:22 PM and 1:35 PM have it exactly right about this blog.

    And neither of them had to stoop to cheap insults.

    Then, of course, Jim must post that "trolls" are corporate drones.

    NEWS FLASH: Disagreeing with Jim does not make someone a troll or a corporate drone.

    Shut down this blog now. It's such a farce it's ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:40 PM

    @2:29

    The cool thing about this blog is that you can shut it down yourself.
    Just leave the URL out of your Address bar. Pretty simple?
    Or are you some sort of manager?
    If that's the case, call one of the people that make you look good, and have them show you how to NOT see this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:40 PM

    PLEASE STOP COMMENTING ABOUT JIM!!!!

    Let's talk about the layoffs!!!!!

    I am sick of scrolling through posts that say: "Jim sucks" or "Jim's great."

    I think EVERYONE IS, including JIM!!!

    Let's talk about the layoffs.

    I want to know what's happening in Westchester, where we are supposed to hang out until August to learn what's up.

    I want to know who among my friends is getting laid off.

    I think I speak for everyone when I point out that JIM IS BESIDES THE POINT. HE IS NOT THE NEWS.

    Please, let's stay on topic and share news.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:51 PM

    tell that to Jim....

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:52 PM

    2:40 PM wrote: "I think I speak for everyone when I point out that JIM IS BESIDES THE POINT. HE IS NOT THE NEWS."

    Funny ... he's spent the past few months making himself the news here.

    I agree that I'd much rather see layoff info. It's the only reason I keep coming here. But that's being drowned out not just by Jim's detractors, but by Jim's supporters and by Jim himself.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous7/02/2009 2:57 PM

    2:52 has it right.

    The Jim-sheep are the ones who destroyed the blog. They kept stroking Jim's ego and kept encouraging his insanity.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:03 PM

    Seriously, Jim - you're going to let 2:17 PM name names about who should be laid off?

    So much for "civil" and a "less-contentious note."

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jim7/02/2009 3:10 PM

    3:03 pm: No on naming names. I'm just catching up. I've removed that one.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:19 PM

    Jim...

    Some thoughts.

    Thanks for doing the blog... and for doing it right for all of this time. We'll miss you. I hope that you'll consider some really solid business reporting on things that you have uncovered over the past two years about Gannett (the gas can).

    Have you considered randomly-timed posts after July 10? When news breaks or when you uncover something significant, for example. That way, Tara will have to check the blog every morning and night to see if anything new has been submitted. She'd have to do this forever. Just an idea...

    On the number of people let go... the 1,400 could be actual people employed right now that will lose their jobs this week. Sounds like (based on Nashville) all unfilled jobs will remain unfilled... this could be another 1,000 positions easily... that's only 13 per newspaper. Back of the napkin estimates would be that this saves only $100 million a year. Remember from Gannett's 10-Q that advertising revenue was down 29% at USCP in Q1 for a total of $300 million year-over-year in that quarter alone.

    This is actually a very small expense side reduction. If ad revenues are down 20% (that would be a low estimate), this workforce reduction will not come close to making up for the revenue shortfall and preserving the high margins that Gannett has enjoyed. Gannett has finally realized that it can't cut expenses to match revenue without really ruining the product (which it already has).

    If newsprint prices go back to $700 per ton between now and 2011 (which they probably will), there will be more pressure on the expense side to reduce head count. The very fast drop in newsprint prices probably saved 1,000 people from getting it in this round.

    Gannett will have another round like this at the end of the third quarter. Furlough, furlough, reduction in force, reduction in force, Q1 through Q4 respectively.

    Scott

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:19 PM

    I am 52 and been out of work since December. I was loyal to the company for many years, but that loyalty was not returned when I most needed it. Instead, my editor, for whatever reason, decided to boot me onto the street in an economy that offers aging newspaper people very few options. I had good reviews and multiple skills, including technical ones, that would have allowed for me to move into a variety of other positions. There were dozens of other people with lesser abilities and without much time on the job to prove their loyalties who my boss could have chosen. Younger people who would have time to recover if let go. He could have selected any number of mid-career malcontents who could hardly put in an honest day's work. But my editor chose to throw me to the wolves. I can only believe it was done for personal reasons or because of some twisted logic that destroying me would somehow make him look good. He was a man always looking after himself. Frankly, it's amazing the guy can sleep at night. He essentially ended my career about a dozen years early and decimated the lifestyle of my family. He had other less brutal options.

    I've tried every avenue there is to find my way out of this mess, but it is far worse than even today's unemployment news portrays.

    There is very little talk about age discrimination, but if you are over 50, regardless of your qualifications or willingness to be flexible in a career move, you are most likely done if you lose your job next week. I can't even get a foot in the door and have been trying seven days a week for several months.

    For 30 years I had no problems finding work, remaining employed in a variety of companies, occasionally getting promoted and all that good stuff. That's all changed now. I suspect others will soon find this out. I also suspect some profound tragedies are on the horizon. My self-esteem is shot. I haven't the dimmest of hopes that finding work is going to get any easier as I enter my mid 50s.

    Sometimes I can't even believe I am saying these things because it's always been my way to push ahead, be confident, learn new things, take on more responsibilities, to do the right thing knowing that someone will take notice and do the right thing in return. The world as I knew it changed last December. First I was betrayed by a man who, whether he liked me or not, should have respected my service and not signed off of my death sentence. Then I the world I entered, post-layoff, was a very different place than I remember the last time I was looking for a job. Very unfamiliar, inflexible and even cold. Potential employers don't even bother telling you that they've received you materials anymore. You can send out hundreds of letters and applications and only hear back from a handful of companies. And those will likely be form rejection notes. The treatment I have received from hiring personnel has been unprofessional, negligent and arrogant. All I can think is that all of the people who aren't helping others by just being kind and decent, will pay a price for their actions at some point in their lives. Just as my boss has paid a price. He knows who he is.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:22 PM

    2:40 Amen

    Stick to the layoff news PLEASE!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:24 PM

    Layoffs at the Honolulu Advertiser will be announced shortly-contrary to what the union there was told.

    More to follow.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:26 PM

    2:40, just ignoring the blog is not an option. Once again, one of you Jim-sheep has named a bunch of people in an attack post. Jim does nothing to stop this until it's too late.

    Get a clue, Jim-sheep. We know you're sweating through your sheets because the blog is ending July 10. Get over it. The blog needs to die.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:27 PM

    I wonder how many jobs would have been saved had Gannett actually started implementing a WSJ type subscription program for online content long ago.

    Yet another example were Gannett put the No in inNOvation that could have helped.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:27 PM

    3:19 -- I am so sorry. That could be me in a few years (I'm 49). I don't understand why people think middle-aged people are ready for the crypt and unable to adapt to new technology, or that life experience isn't important.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:29 PM

    RE: 3:19 PM

    Hang in there! I'm 51, got the boot in August of last year and found a terrific job working with great people and a good company.

    There's opportunities out there, but you're right on - the job search thing sure has changed.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:36 PM

    RE: 3:27 PM

    Not every company thinks like Gannett or treats their employees as a commodity. There are some out there that actually value seasoned, experienced people.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:42 PM

    You don't think Corporate has planted a person on this site? Who else has the time to respond to every post. Nothing better to do dear? I understand that the Corporate office is furious that this leaked before they were ready. This is the way Gannett treats people.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Jim7/02/2009 3:43 PM

    I'm sorry, Scott. My decision is final. I served notice more than a month ago -- plenty of time for any of my readers to step forward to start a blog. Indeed, there's still time.

    But only Gannettoid.com has been willing. It simply cannot be that I'm the only person out of 41,500 people with the skills to do this. I've posted nearly 4,000 of my own items, nearly daily for 20 months. I've easily read or scanned 50,000 comments.

    I had considered shutting this down really early: June 1. But then I got an inkling of this layoff, so delayed my plans another month, until July 10.

    This layoff will roll into another one, or some sort of management crisis over Dubow's return, or non-return. It will never end.

    And on top of all that, I'm expected to do all this for free, while my health suffers, after Sparky threatened to end our relationship? I have promised him, and my friends. Be reasonable. Would you agree to this for even a day, much less nearly two years?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:45 PM

    Anonymous said...
    RE: 3:27 PM

    Not every company thinks like Gannett or treats their employees as a commodity. There are some out there that actually value seasoned, experienced people.

    7/02/2009 3:36 PM

    I'd like to hear who they are and it would also be interesting if they are public companies. Name some names. Back up your BS.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:46 PM

    "And on top of all that, I'm expected to do all this for free, while my health suffers, after Sparky threatened to end our relationship?"

    Stop whining, you failure. You have posted lies and allowed people to post lies.

    You should suffer, as should your pathetic Jim-sheep.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:48 PM

    Googling Gannett will show you published stories about Hawaii and Great Falls Gannett outlets indicating that they will have no layoffs.

    Sigh of relief for some. Tightening of the...umm...really lower colon for others.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous7/02/2009 3:50 PM

    Corporate person you can't handle the truth. Jim and the people told the truth. You and your company are liars you know it and I know it. Now the world knows it.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Jim7/02/2009 3:51 PM

    These goons are either editors or unusually carefully typists: Note how perfect the comments are.

    The guy/gal who writes, "You suck, Jim," always includes the , and period. Everytime.

    Plus, they are really fast. That's why I've wondered if management hired a notorious spammer whose name I dare not set down in writing. He's been the subject of court orders.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Jim7/02/2009 3:56 PM

    Then there's the one who starts every post with a quote from someone they want to attack.

    " Blah, blah, blah."

    You are a sheep.

    Shut this blog down, now!

    It's as though it's on a save-get key, or some kind of template. There are slimy P.R. crisis-management shops that offer this service.

    Apple has hired them, I'm told. I dealt with one over a Bayer product-liability lawsuit, and another over a story about Clear Channel contributing only to the GOP. Where do you think some truly desperate, out-of-work journalists go?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:00 PM

    RE: 3:45 PM

    In my experience, the non and/or not for profits are great places to look.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:03 PM

    Jim is giving the corporate trolls their layoff notices July 10. They won't have any job after that. Awe.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:07 PM

    Yes perfect typing and condescending attitude, sitting on the blog ready to respond. No accident Jim. I know upper level will do anything they want they have no fear of lawsuits.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:10 PM

    What's the news from the Arizona Republic in Phoenix today? Meetings every hour . . .

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:10 PM

    Jim, you think proper English is an indication of corporate lackeys? You realize this is a news media company? Just checking.

    Your constant use of words like "always" just indicate your bias and illogical thought process. There is NEVER always or never.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:11 PM

    Jim probably has been the subject of court orders. That's why he's throwing that phrase in now.

    He and his sheep are really good at taking things they're guilty of and transferring them to others.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:12 PM

    Ewe suk Jim.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:13 PM

    Randy Lovely is meeting with AZ Rep newsroom this PM. He is telling us we will lose 6 - 7 percent of newsroom including, possibly "a" photographer and "some" reporters. Sounds like mid management and copy eds could get hit hard. There is no word of what the severance package will be. He said they don't know yet.

    WTF? Don't know yet. They're firing people in 7 days and they don't know the severance terms?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:14 PM

    Jim:

    I would not have been able to do it for very long, if at all.

    I was always quite amazed by your dedication to this process... and this blog. How you had to do it every day, etc.

    At one point, I thought you could keep it up by letting a team of people pick up the slack... if there was a group of 10, for example that could monitor, and take turns.

    I am afraid that Gannettoid will just bring us back to where we were before you started this... looking and longing for information from a company that is so reluctant to give up even the smallest morsels of information to its minions.

    As an aside, do you really think that Dickey rented a car and drove from Tuscon to Palm Springs to play golf? It is 380 miles.

    Scott

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:27 PM

    Randy Lovely told AZ Republic suburban newsrooms the cuts would be less than those in December. Many thinking about 20ish. He said they hope to have the dirty work done before thursday when we'll have another staff meeting for the survivors.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:28 PM

    Weren't you originally looking to shut down the blog on October 1?

    http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/faqs-about-me-cant-you-please-save-this.html

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:38 PM

    Heard up to 28 will get the ax in Central NY.

    Sad, very sad.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Jim7/02/2009 4:40 PM

    Scott: I was told that Dickey stopped in Phoenix for a pro game of some sort, and sat in The Republic's skybox. Dunno whether that's true.

    But, sure, he might have driven to Palm Springs. Some people like to drive. I don't. Maybe commercial flights didn't have a schedule that worked for him.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:41 PM

    Good Afternoon to all...

    My comment may not sound as eloquent as some others that have been posted in the past few days but I felt that this needed to be said.

    Obviously there is no need to define what a blog is. That it allows us to come together and share comments and news is a wonderful thing in and of itself.

    With that said, as I told Jim in my e-mail last night, I want to openly thank him for taking the time to establish a place where everyone can share their thoughts and get information on Gannett land. It will be missed.

    It is disheartening to say the least that all of this negativity, this mud-slinging that I have seen on the blog there is no basis for doing so. Let me pose this question...What satisfaction does someone have by berating and belittling someone else?

    Yes! We have the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation. However, if the individuals who are doing so, who obviously feel the need to come on here and rag on Jim for whatever reason, spent half the time actually being PRODUCTIVE and PROACTIVE we could come together and salvage what Gannett has become. Unlike many others who have spent a good part of their lives at Gannett I am a relative newbie; however, it does not mean that I don’t have the right to speak up. It is sad to see ANYONE get a letter informing them that their position is being eliminated and I have seen it too much in the past few years.

    I challenge each and every one of you out there to come up with ideas or strategies that could actually be useful. Don’t be afraid to speak up, to share those ideas. “One person can change the world” and that could “be the change you wish to see in this world”. Food for thought!

    Jim, thanks again and have that glass of Sangria!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Jim7/02/2009 4:41 PM

    Yes: I originally set Oct. 1, because I wanted to give readers time to re-group and start some blogs that would succeed this one.

    But when no one stepped forward, I figured: Readers love the blog, but don't want to do the heavy lifting. Truth.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Jim7/02/2009 4:46 PM

    Here's what management doesn't like. If a vendor/creditor/potential employee Googles the company's name, Gannett Blog is a very high result. The truth outs.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:50 PM

    If you Google "Jim Hopkins Gannett," a couple of the early hits are about him flaking out at the shareholders meeting.

    The truth hurts, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:51 PM

    USA Today editorial escapes layoffs. Stunner!

    Fattest newsroom in the chain, for a 5-day no less, and they avoid the big cuts again. Oh, no sense of unfairness about that, huh?

    USATers will tell you that they cover the world, or some baloney like that, and need every one of those staffers to produce those compelling briefs about Oprah. At the same time, they will put down the community papers and everyone who works at them for a fraction of the pay. But they have a comeback for that too. Poor folks live in the most expensive area in the universe and need the big salaries, the gym to stay healthy because of all the stress and the subsidized-on-premises food because they can't break away from the office for long. You know, just too busy covering the world.

    Geez, the arrogance over at the flagship is going to be off the charts now as once again they prove to be GCI's favorite sons and daughters. BTW, do people realize that USAT routinely hires people who have never worked day in business? Any guesses as to why?

    As long as this company keeps picking on the weak and the aging, the small peeps away from the glamor of the Crystal Towers, it will never be a company that gets much respect. It's as ruthless now as it was in the 80s. Except now, instead of unfair businesses practices that crush the competition, Gannett is eating its own and getting fat and more corrupt in northern Virginia.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous7/02/2009 4:56 PM

    You know what's interesting? The critics of Jim and this blog have gotten so angry and so caught up in their own attempts to be disruptive that every post they make is peppered with name-calling.

    And that's when you know someone's lost an argument. When they can't simply stick to arguing the facts, but punctuate every response by calling the previous person names, you know you've won.

    It like listening to a little kid. And we all know how annoying little kids can be when they don't get their way.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:02 PM

    Nice try, 4:56, but you're just a Jim-sheep.

    Jim promised months ago to post performance reviews. He hasn't done it.

    Jim ran with the rumor there would be 4,500 layoffs in early July. He was wrong.

    Jim said he would carry the banner at the Gannett meeting. Instead, he flipped out.

    His post-career pattern is the same as his career pattern. It's filled with fail.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Jim7/02/2009 5:06 PM

    4:50 pm: I'm so lovin' -- the truth! Gadfly? Gadfly?! I'm comin' after your franchise, Evelyn Y. Davis!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:07 PM

    ####That's why I've wondered if management hired a notorious spammer ... ###

    Right, Jim, they hired a spammer!

    It is unbelievably loony to think that. Seriously. Wow.

    To think I worked with you once.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Jim7/02/2009 5:07 PM

    5:06 -- glad to see you back! Recognize that comment construction -- all too well. You're the latent who's obsessed with Sparky's spunk!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:08 PM

    5:06 was you, Jim.

    The stupidity level is amazing. The insanity is amazing.

    The question: How was Jim ever employed? How has he survived to this point?

    ReplyDelete
  55. Jim7/02/2009 5:09 PM

    Or is that spunky's spark?! Whatever: Strange, you straight guys who spend so much time focusing on my being gay. Things that make your wives go . . . straight to a divorce attorney!

    ReplyDelete
  56. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:10 PM

    Right, Jim. You caught us.

    Except weren't you claiming this was all the work of a single person?

    Even your paranoia is no longer consistent. I think we're witnessing a mental meltdown of Jim before our eyes. This should be an entertaining weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:12 PM

    Jim, is there a nuthouse on your island? I think you're going to need it.

    We should start a pool as to when Jim flips out this weekend. I say by 6:30 p.m. Eastern time on July 4, he'll be institutionalized, perhaps for good.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:15 PM

    The sad part is there are real things to talk about here:

    -- layoffs

    -- finances

    -- where the company is going, or not going

    Instead, Jim makes it about Jim, introduces Sparky as a supporting character, makes his inner turmoil a subplot, invents villains and corporate conspiracies, as if THAT is what we are supposed to talk about.

    There are plenty of jerks on all sides here. How about IGNORING them and concentrating on what we do as a company, what resources those who are getting off can find, helping each other, etc.

    The vast majority don't give a damn whether Jim finds happiness or whatever. Start a Jimblog for that.

    And the sad thing is, Jim is the biggest offender in taking this blog off track.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Jim7/02/2009 5:17 PM

    5:15 p.m.: [Yawn.] Locked. Loaded. Next victim!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:19 PM

    By the end of the weekend, there will be a Youtube clip of Jim Hopkins in a straitjacket. It will be one of the most popular clips on the Internet.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:20 PM

    3:19 AM...... Your analysis is very valid, but how would you like to be one of the employees let go in their early 60's--- with painfully small pensions and too young for Medicare to kick in?

    ReplyDelete
  62. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:20 PM

    5:15 #1 is yet another Jim-sheep.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:21 PM

    Why doesn't everyone take a look at the Anonymous 4:41 pm comment that was posted.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:22 PM

    Jim rules the corporate fools

    ReplyDelete
  65. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:24 PM

    With several floors already or
    practically all vacated at Crystal Palace, it's time to move elsewhere GCI Corporate!

    Anybody see Fox Business News Happy Hour yesterday? Rebecca Diamond shouted out "stop firing" that was directed at GCI. GCI's layoff news was at the top of the show.

    GCI management should might as well die right now.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Trashed at the Courier News7/02/2009 5:25 PM

    Never in all of my years at Gannett have I ever felt the need to express myself in this way, but there comes a time when we have earned the right to spell it out clearly and concisely. TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE USED THIS BLOG TO ABUSE JIM HOPKINS AND HIS SELFLESS CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US FOR SO VERY LONG....GO FUCK YOURSELVES!

    ReplyDelete
  67. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:29 PM

    5:24 here: what I meant to say in that post is that GCI management should let the Company die now.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Oregon Media Central7/02/2009 5:35 PM

    Statesman Journal (Salem, OR) laying off 10, restructuring 5 more:

    ReplyDelete
  69. Rainbow the Editorial Boy7/02/2009 5:36 PM

    JIM... Don't publish this is you feel you shouldn't.... but over the past few year I've thought you were so damn hot I wanted to just eat you up. You've got class, great looks, a sense of humor, a great man in your life, and probably a fabulous package!

    xoxoxoxo
    Rainbow the Editorial Boy

    ReplyDelete
  70. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:46 PM

    What's the overall feeling in the online components? A large part of their viability is driven by the ads in print and sharing of resources between advertising, content and of course circulation helping get their relentless internal ads out. It's not uncommon to see several pages of ads over a week (and frequently a total of one+ page on Sundays) devoted to promoting online. If the coming changes effect the quality of the paper, advertising, therefore circulation and ad revenue, it would certainly also effect the most visible sales tool for online. Anybody in online feeling squeezed?

    ReplyDelete
  71. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:47 PM

    Any word on layoffs at the HNT or CN?

    ReplyDelete
  72. Jim7/02/2009 5:47 PM

    OMG!!! Big Al?!

    ReplyDelete
  73. John Reinan7/02/2009 5:51 PM

    I am proud to be a Jim-sheep, if that's what we're going to be called. I'm saying that with my name attached, unlike all the anonymous haters here.

    Jim was my first editor 20 years ago, and he was everything a reporter could ever hope for: smart, thoughtful, humane, funny.

    I haven't seen or talked to him in person since October 18, 1991, but those qualities I just named don't change. In fact, he has demonstrated them repeatedly here.

    This blog has been great. I'm sad to see it end, and I wish Jim success with his next venture(s).

    For those of you worried about your futures, this blog has been an ongoing tutorial in how to remake yourself. Jim's been providing an ongoing example.

    The only drawback is that he couldn't make money at it. But I think he'll be able to solve that moving forward.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:52 PM

    It is obvious to me as a long-time reader of this blog that although it seems loony and out-there, Jim must be right: There is a corporate troll on the blog.

    The repeated use of the phrase "Jim-sheep" reminds me of GOP talking points memos. And the repeated use of "shut this blog" also seems contrived.

    It is very unlikely that multiple DIFFERENT people would use these uncannily similar phrases.

    I mean, Jim-Sheep, really? Who came up with that one? It sounds a lot like something out of a corporate meeting.

    Are you people really so threatened by this blog?

    Meanwhile, in Westchester, a day after the publisher said in an EMAIL that there would be a comprehensive overall, there has been ZERO communication from either the editor in chief, executive editor or top city editor to either their direct reports or to rank and file.

    Wouldn't you think one of them could have put out an e-mail with some kind of message?

    Even better: How about a newsroom meeting? But no. I've actually been to one newsroom meeting in all my years at the paper. They just don't like to communicate.

    Who exactly is making up this plan of theirs?

    ReplyDelete
  75. Anonymous7/02/2009 5:58 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Anonymous7/02/2009 6:02 PM

    I'm not buying the 1,400 number at ALL. That's 3%. How in any way is that an economic savings. I'd say if we are only losing 3% Gannett is one of the healthy companies right now.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Anonymous7/02/2009 6:36 PM

    What a train wreck this blog is. A joke. From all points of view. It is an embarrassment to both the company's victims and the company.

    It doesn't have to be this way. It you just kept the 'serious' posts, this would be an engaging and interesting read.

    But Jim's moderation of the site is incoherent, inconsistent and chaotic. It would be a simple -- exceedingly simple -- matter to juts leave the posts that make sense, from whichever point of view.

    But he keeps in the "sheep" posts. He keeps in the "troll" posts. And sometimes he contributes to the free-for-all.

    No wonder it's the laughing stock it has become, and as toxic as the management style he purports to abhor. Eight days left. And happily counting.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Jim7/02/2009 6:40 PM

    Dear Rainbow,

    You are the bomb! If you and your Sparky haven't found each other yet, hang in there. I was 42 when I met mine, and he was worth the wait.

    BTW: You've inspired me to write an important final post. Thank you.

    Jim

    PS: I just bought a new pair of Pumas. The salesman was *so* friendly when I told him I needed to move a half-size up -- to size-12s.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Jim7/02/2009 6:43 PM

    John, you pirate! Thank you!

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  80. Anonymous7/02/2009 6:50 PM

    Hawaii should be preparing for a bloodbath.

    Forewarned is forearmed.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Anonymous7/02/2009 7:02 PM

    The Jim-bashing is mind-boggling. How can people feel that much hatred toward one man -- and have that much time to repeatedly post bile-filled comments? Get a life!

    From the other Thursday thread -- Who cares how Jim spent the money readers paid him? Gannett pays me to perform a job, and I get to spend that money however I want.

    Back to the matter at hand: Why is it "old news" that USAT layoffs will be announced Monday? Has that been posted elsewhere?

    My manager told me this week that Hunke wants some time to examine the USAT group to decide what cuts to make (if any, but surely there will be cuts).

    ReplyDelete
  82. Jim7/02/2009 7:17 PM

    6:36 pm: Exceedingly simple for you, of course, so long as I do all the work -- for free!

    What's that you say? Your Virginia McMansion needs a fresh coat of paint, while you play another round? Gee, when can I start?!

    ReplyDelete
  83. Anonymous7/02/2009 7:19 PM

    7/02/2009 3:19 PM

    Go buy the book "48 Days To The Work You Love" to help with your jobs search. You can check it out at www.48days.com

    Good Luck!

    ReplyDelete
  84. Anonymous7/02/2009 7:34 PM

    My Virginia McMansion??

    Right. You are incapable of accepting criticism. Even constructive criticism. Instead, it must be part ofvthe conspiracy to get you.

    You need to get a grip.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Anonymous7/02/2009 7:36 PM

    Don't know if managers were really blind sided by this or they lied to us. Randy told the Arizona Republic folks he was surprised by the speed of this round. They weren't accepting voluntary layoffs because they want to control who stays and who goes.

    He said they don't know the specifics of the severance terms yet because that part of the process has been outsourced and the company developing the packages is "working through the weekend" and they hope to know by Monday what the terms will be. He went on to say the firing process would be delayed if they didn't have severance packages in place before hand.

    He said the AZ Rep is still profitable, not as profitable as it used to be, but still in the black. That Gannett needs to keep the profits up to pay down the company's giant debt.

    ReplyDelete
  86. Jim7/02/2009 7:46 PM

    Here's a swell idea! I'll post my performance reviews after Bob Dickey posts iron-clad proof that he actually repaid the $25,000 Bob Hope tournament fee, plus all his associated expenses. And I want to see all the signed contracts for the new business that boondoggle cost us shareholders! And, and: I wanna see all his expense reports for every month he turned one in when the Hope tournament was held.

    Right. I thought so.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Anonymous7/02/2009 7:47 PM

    6:02 1,400 job cuts could work if everybody made $100K per year which would save the company $140 Million per year. Funny thing is if it works, they should have eliminated these people a year ago and kept the worker bees. That would have made sense, addressed serving clients, delivering papers... Of course if the average eliminated salary is $50K saving $70 million per year the company will be announcing big troubles again before the year's out!

    ReplyDelete
  88. Jim7/02/2009 7:53 PM

    7:34 pm: I agree with you, 100%.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Anonymous7/02/2009 8:09 PM

    The comment made by 3:19 p.m. MUST be sent to every Gannett publisher and editor - not that it would do much good.

    But at least they will see what impact their snivling little meager-minded firing decisions have had on the lives of REAL workers. Sadly, they were LOYAL workers.

    But some 30-something or 40-something manager feeling inferior and told to fire people automatically picks the "over 50 bunch" - who were probably there when he or she was parachuted in from some other Gannett property.

    Now these fired (NOT laid-off) older workers have thrown out the door, leaving essentially clueless teens in the newsroom - well, not teens, but not far from it.

    It is pathetic... and 3:19's post should be mandatory reading.

    Especially for civil rights attoneys!

    ReplyDelete
  90. Anonymous7/02/2009 8:16 PM

    See, 5:02? You've proven my point. You can't post anything without name-calling.

    How is anyone supposed to take your arguments about anything seriously when you can't post without name-calling?

    Performance appraisals are irrelevant because I had excellent ones and still got treated worse than the dog crap you'd scrape off your shoe.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Anonymous7/02/2009 8:20 PM

    If you look at a lot of the economists like Paul Zane Pilzer this isn't a little blip it's a total transfer of money because of the shift in the baby boomers. Take a look at the newspaper industry employment numbers in the past ten years. They've been cut by more than half. Take your job skills, get your resume out there and find a field where you can excell and you don't have the mismangers running your life. You can do it Gannettoids.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Jim7/02/2009 8:30 PM

    Sorry, posters: Identifying people by their initials-only is still identifying them. That's why I keep removing those comments

    ReplyDelete

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