Friday, September 26, 2008
Friday | Sept. 26 | Got news, or a question?
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41 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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The biggest bank failure in history happens, and all we have on it is three graphs about 8 pages into the A section.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of failure!
In the NJ group...we all suspect something is in the pipes. Is there another layoff coming soon? EVERYONE is running scared, but told to remain positive. I have heard rumors from the production dept that the ads from India are horrific and that it takes them more time to correct the mistakes.
ReplyDeletein response to a comment I made yesterday...
ReplyDelete4:06 PM
Are you saying readers need to have offshored ads because they don't have "issues?"
9/25/2008 5:02 PM
No I am not saying that. I am saying that whenever someone says but american only that it is not realistic.
Go shopping for something besides food and try to buy only american made products, you cant do it.
To live in such a way would require you to substantially lower your standard of living, kiss your plasma tv good bye for example.
We live in a global economy. to shut the door on imports would hurt us more because our economy depends also on our EXPORTS.
Statements such as the ones regarding the ad outsourcing and imports are ignorant and short sighted.
If we,as a nation,do not learn to survive in a global economy,the we are in serious trouble.
NJ group with horrific 2adpro ads....there are sites where this has been a real success.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is doing something wrong..
wrong people leading the project probably...
and the piss poor attitudes of NJ group people..as evident by most of their posts at this blog
"BAD NEWS JIM" I click to read today news, on the Gannettblocksucks, web page and their"NOT THEIR ANYMORE!"
ReplyDeleteI am so sick and tired with with the people who claim to be in the NJ Group and how everything sucks. It doesn't. Times are tough, sure, who doesn't know that. But there are a lot of hard working people who enjoy their jobs who don't like being pictured as hating the company. We don't.
ReplyDeleteTo 9:04 a.m. I add AMEN!
ReplyDeleteWilling to bet the vast majority of Gannett employees are dedicated, hard-working people.
It's the minority slackers who populate this blog.
They'd probably bitch about a free beer.
Amending my 9:17 comment.
ReplyDeleteIt is the slackers who are in the minority who populate this blog.
No racial overtones intended.
So here is what I have heard about 2adpro ads. Bah Hum Bug. I worked at a Gannett Newspaper for 7 years. I was new to group of people that have worked there since before computers. Any change is bad in their eyes, and that included me the new guy. It was a physiological battle every day.
ReplyDeleteIf Gannett wants this to work they are going to have to replace people with the right people for the job. I do not mean layoffs, I mean shifting certain employees laterally to take over task they are great at, and bringing in fresh people out of college to run the new system. The older Gannett employees moral goes down every time Gannett brings on change. I think it is the way Gannett pushes these things off on unqualified Advertising Directors and Managers that naturally have awful people skills.
If there are people in the jersey group that are happy.....thank god....my question is.....where the heck are they....
ReplyDeleteCertainly we do not see many of them on this blog..
I too am sick of the people that all they can do is piss and moan...this country is on the edge of a financial abyss and for some reason they think Gannett should always be like the emerald city...
They need to start steppin and get the hell out of the way.
9:26 AM
ReplyDeleteAmen to a voice of reason....get the dead wood complainers out the door.
Put people in place that can make things happen.
Corp really needs to put someone in charge of the ad outsourcing problems, have them go site to site, find out what the hell is going on and broom the people that cant make it work to the curb.
Whiners...get out...we dont want you here anymore....open your eyes and see whats happening in the world.
Just because someone is pissing and moaning does not mean they are not working hard to help their company keep its head above water. I would imagine the NJ group has just as many dedicated, hard-working employees as any other group. I know I was one - until they laid me off.
ReplyDeleteHey, news flash for all you NJ group haters out there...a lot of the hard working people took the buyout.
ReplyDeleteThe NJ group has a long history of being miserable and it was justified in the Bob and Ketan era. But it is time to move on. It is just really hard in this climate. When people are scared they result back to the culture they know. I believe there are more lay offs coming. One just has to look at the economy and know it is coming. I guess if you ask yourself if I were to leave voluntarily would they replace me? If the answer is no, then start looking.
ReplyDeleteHey 9:37- this blog would probably not be very popular if there were no whiners. Just as there is a place for those Devil's Advocates, there is a place for whiners. Whine on folks - there is useful information in that tone of voice.
ReplyDelete10:16 AM
ReplyDeleteWhen the economy really tanks and you are standing in that breadline reminiscent of the 1930s....you will wish for your lousy old gannett job back
The closest GCI paper to NYC fails at covering the biggest bank failure in history. The A section fronts have fluff and non news centerpieces almost every day. Are they afraid to play financial news on the front in fear of losing what few advertisers remain?
ReplyDeleteCan someone clarify who would be the "right people" to run 2Adpro with some success? Should we hire someone that is from India so they can translate what is needed? When a request for a generic photo of a group of people comes back with a photo of a group of people wearing turbans..is that the fault of who is leading the 2Adpro project? How hard can it be to design an ad from the specs you are given? Maybe its beacuse you dont speak the language or have any idea about the culture you are dealing with. For the NJ Group this project seems to have failed and there is no turning back. We have to make it work no matter how much we dislike it, its here and its NOW! Meanwhile, Keep up the good work NJ Group!
ReplyDeleteHas the NJ group asked for any help from sites where it is working..any help at all?
ReplyDeleteIm would think that Austin Ryan or Toni H, would be glad to help.
Im not trying to slam the NJ people but geez..if you are having that much trouble...send up a flare for gods sake.
And if you do get help you had better keep the whiners in the broom closet.
I found out what corporate was doing at Des Moines this past week. Apparently, they were working on a new product and the head of digital Saradakis was there with his team and some of our employees. I am not sure what the connection is with Apple, but the senior team at Des Moines seemed impressed with corporate's commitment and attention toward Des Moines.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some fellow employees bumped into Saradakis in front of the building and were talking to him. Based on the "10 minutes" they had with him, they said he is a really nice guy and very approachable.
I personally think we have done a good job at Des Moines and we have a great team. In my group we are always challenged and we do not see the big issues that other newspapers bring up on this blog.
Of course we are all nervous about layoffs and the state of our affairs :(
Des Moines....there are a lot of people who like their jobs and a lot of people who like to complain.
ReplyDeletethis blog attracts more complainers, unfortunatley.
1:59 PM
ReplyDeleteJust think how many rumors could have been squelched if someone had just communicated to staff---and I mean everyone---a little bit about that visit. Think of how much workplace excitement that news could have generated among the staff. It just seems so mean of management to keep the rank-and-file wondering about visits from "corporate," especially now with the layoffs and all.
The Des Moines visit was in preparation for the roll out of the new Kindle-like newspaper product next year. A big flat screen people will buy and use to get their newspaper, which will be constantly updated throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteTrue 2:32p. It is sad that we learn about this corporate visit from this blog and not from our own Publisher or Editor.
ReplyDeleteyou gotta love the people who bitch about the "complainers" and "slackers" on this site. I find it interesting that despite knowing full well what this site is about they seem to read it often to see what the "slackers" are saying....sorta like those that are appalled at the rants of Rush Limbaugh but can site nearly every daily show for comment...hmmm
ReplyDelete2:51
ReplyDeletecan you tell us more about this product? Will it be purchased from Gannett or Apple? Will it be by subscription only? Could it be used to get multiple papers? This IS the kind of thinking Gannett needs to do to continue.
3:54: Visit Amazon.com to learn more about Kindle, a product described in the late 90s as "digital ink." Some have floated the idea of getting sponsors to offset the cost of putting these in every subscriber home. Gannett would get revenue from several sources. One chunk would come from subscriptions (instead of having the print product delivered to the home, the content would be delivered to the digital ink reader). Another revenue stream would be outside companies which would pay Gannett (and other partners) to distribute content on their behalf. It's the same model Amazon is using, but for news as well as content such as books, magazines, etc. The platform could also be great for self-publishing which would be a nice tie-in with initiatives such as "get published."
ReplyDeleteThat's just a guess, though. I'm not an in-the-loop Gannetter so don't read anything into this other than an educated guess.
I loved the look of George bush, dear in the headlights, he gives about the bailout! His legacy is going down the toilet because of the republican cry to always "deregulate everthing" while our jobs and economy is tanking! To believe that people voted for this clown twice!!! God help us if we don't get it right this time!! We than deserve what we get becuase I think we will be living in "W's" wake for YEARS to come.........gulp!
ReplyDeleteGo to your area book store and look at the current issue of Esquire for the newspaper of the future. The E-Paper demonstration is the magazine with the cover "The 21st Century Begins Now." Plug a wireless connection to it, and you have a glimpse of what future delivery will be like for the newspapers that survive this economic downturn.
ReplyDeleteYeah, on the Kindle thing: I've heard that each one will be built by ALIENS, who look suspiciously like ELVIS! Will you people buy into ANYTHING people say here?
ReplyDeleteOh, and I hear that the Kindle thing will be made out of Kryptonite, which Craig has secretly been hoarding, a secret responsibility of every CEO since Big Al crash landed on this Earth oh those many years ago...
7:44: Instead of ranting, take a look at the Esquire magazine edition and then think what it means for your newspaper and you. I am sure the first Pacific Islander given a telephone had the same anti-technology reaction as yours.
ReplyDelete7:44 KRYPTONITE! Great Caesars Ghost, don't you ever read anything else but comics. The Kindle is real.
ReplyDeleteObama is going down. He is such a rookie. He reminds me of Craig Dubow...inexperienced, scripted and clueless.
ReplyDelete10:18 you are right. Obama is getting bitch slapped right now by McCain. Sort of like when Gracia "the Knife" Martore bitch slaps Dubow.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? Barack rocks!
ReplyDeleteI just deleted a comment that included this phrase: "evil bastards like ____ ," followed by the individual's name.
ReplyDeleteIf and when eleectronic paper readers mature -- they need to go a few steps beyond what Kindle does -- that will be really exciting for our business. Once that happens, within 10 years, you can sell off our newspaper presses for scrap.
ReplyDeleteThe kindle is great if you read alot of books. I'm not so sure it's going to fly for newspapers.
ReplyDeleteIt would not be the complete paper with comics and ads, only news feeds. You can't download music onto a kindle, so why couldn't I download my news feeds onto an IPOD instead and save having to buy an additional device.
A lot of newspapers -- not just Gannett papers -- blew it on the collapse of WaMu. Most NJ/NYC papers ran big coverage on the bailout and buried the WaMu story in the business section. WaMu happened to have a big presence in NJ/NYC.
ReplyDeleteSuch reporting reinforces the idea that print/TV/radio news are nothing more than a mouthpiece for the government.
Well, I work in Joisey and love my job and most of my co-workers. It ticks me off to no end to read the crap on this blog supposedly from Joiseyites who are clearly ax to grind duffuses who have already lost their job. Go away. Please.
ReplyDelete