Regarding 51-year-olds like me who can learn to blog, a reader says: "I also find it funny if not ironic that you made this blog so successful. I sat in on a meeting about a year ago where the top dogs were urging us dinosaurs to get involved with the Internet in any manner we could. Learn about it. Use it in our daily lives. Start our own websites. Blog. Whatever. . . . Well, I guess we're all using it now, judging from the volume of comments you get here, Jim. Next time, maybe the bosses will be careful what they ask for."Join the debate, in the original post.
Jim, if you did start selling ad space I would think you were drinking the kool-aid.
ReplyDeleteWish our paths would have crossed while you were at USA Today. Never had the pleasure of meeting, but you are now becoming my hero! LOL. This blog, for many of us, is sweet payback. While that might not be its intent, Gannett Blog is full of truth, wonderful ironies and justice for the little people who never had a real voice here.
ReplyDeleteThis is true: USA Today's top editor inspired me to do all those Gannett Foundation posts earlier this year. (I do not believe he intended to.)
ReplyDeleteHere's the main one: http://tinyurl.com/652r68
This blog has clout because you are a journalist and were on the inside for a long time. You know the tricks of the trade and you know Gannett. I noticed last week that E&P was sourcing you on breaking the layoff story. I love it! Won't be long before the AP is quoting Jim.
ReplyDeleteI hope USA Today's top editors are reading this blog daily. I hope staffers are commenting as often as they can. This blog is spreading like fire. Ladies and gents, this might be the best chance we have to turn things around. I encourage all my brothers and sisters on the inside to get onboard, interact here, tell stories that need to be told. We finally have an outlet that can reach an unlimited number of people and the protection to say what needs to be said. Gannett encouraged us to use this technology, so let's do it. Let's give Jim's blog an even bigger push.
I am sure everyone has a story to tell, whether it's about "the blue ball," age discrimination, something you witnessed at a meeting, a threatening remark unjustly made in your last review. Maybe you were harassed or trivialized. There are thousands of stories. Let's tell them all. Let's feature the most profound. Let's make these bully editors and fraudulent higher ups think twice about their tactics in the future. Now is our chance. I am not totally sold that Gannett isn't going to try to shut Jim down. Please, act now.
As journalists, this is perfectly suited to your talents. It's far better than going postal, and better than hanging up your career or being forced out. We didn't pick this fight, but now that we're in it, let's do all we can to voice our concerns and win back our respect and pride. There are a variety of topics to choose from, from online merger hassles to layoffs. Just day-to-day things that remain broken, or managers who have gotten away with hell for years...It all needs to be exposed so that significant changes may occur. We need a total overhaul.
Other than by word-of-mouth, I wish there was better way to inform people of this blog. I still meet folks within Gannett who know nothing about it. Maybe we should start a fund to take out an ad in every single Gannett paper, or maybe just USA Today! Jim, do you have a rough guess at what percentage of Gannett employees know about this blog? Seems like a fair number of newsroom people know about it (although I just talked to one today who had no idea), but it appears to be lacking input from other employees in other departments.
ReplyDeleteI also think you need to assure people that there is no way Gannett can trace their comments here. If they were confident of that, you'd see even more replies and interactive traffic.
@9:50 pm: I'd be taking a wild-ass guess. I'm running a where-do-you-work survey, but that data can't really be compared to anything.
ReplyDeleteAs to security here: That's my No. 1 concern. However, if you come to this blog from work, or use company e-mail to correspond with me, there could be risks. I'm not an IT expert, however.
I'm an IT guy and a former Gannetteer. There are most definitely ways they can track - trust me. I would not put it past a few paranoid types in the tower. Jim's advice is spot-on.
ReplyDeleteIf you're Web savvy, I just found this on the Tulsa World Web site:
ReplyDeleteThe Tulsa World is seeking
Web Programmers
for our website, tulsaworld.com. We have decided to expand the web development team to manage the increased demand of programming projects. The selected individuals will join a team dedicated to achieving its goals of excellence by developing, programming and
implementing software applications. These positions are regular full time positions that will enjoy all the benefits the company provides including; excellent compensation and work environment, job expansion,
and financial growth opportunities.
The qualified candidate(s) must have a Bachelors degree with a minimum of three years experience in a web programming environment; possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, project management, web layout and testing skills. Proficiencies must include: ASP.NET, VB.NET, Microsoft SQL/Database, Javascript, XML, and HTML.
Contact: TULSA WORLD Human Resources
Fax: 584-8966
Address: P.O. 1770
TULSA, 74102
11:18 - I'm not Jim, and I can't speak for everybody, but I don't think Gannett Blog readers want this to turn into a jobs site. There's plenty of breaking news and opinions to read here without a bunch of job listings. Plenty of other free sites post job openings...
ReplyDeleteSorry ...
ReplyDeleteWas trying to be helpful.
I shant do that EVER again.
[Tears up 3X5 card itemizing networking as a jobfinding tool.]