Don't the top editors in Gannett's newsrooms also carry the title of director, since they're members of the newspapers' management operating committees? Assuming so, were any of those editors among today's 100 directors pink-slipped? If not, how come?
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Question: Were any executive editors laid off?
Don't the top editors in Gannett's newsrooms also carry the title of director, since they're members of the newspapers' management operating committees? Assuming so, were any of those editors among today's 100 directors pink-slipped? If not, how come?
33 comments:
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They should be, they are the worst of the bunch.
ReplyDeletestay tuned, not finished yet...
ReplyDeleteIt's my understanding that Information Centers and advertising departments were left alone this round, allowing them to focus on content development and sales. Today was all about IT, HR, marketing and production.
ReplyDelete7:52, very insightful commnent. Thanks for adding so much to the discussion and information sharing.
I, also, was told by my editor that no editors were included in this group of firings. Also said some really good people were let go.
ReplyDeleteThe 600 cuts were also supposed to avoid revenue and content generation, so it makes sense to leave those areas alone when dropping managers.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget, though, that there are a lot of beancounters that are going to be slaughtered once the regional finance offices are running.
There was at least one Ad Director let go. Most of the cuts were circulation and HR
ReplyDeleteTom Jekel,General Manager for Community Newspapers at the Indy Star, was let go today.
ReplyDelete8:49 p.m. When the 600 werecut, content people were included in the cuts in Westchester.
ReplyDeleteI know of two let go in Cherry Hill. Knew one of them and he was a really good guy. At the same time, it's at least "good" to see management is no longer immune.
ReplyDeleteFrom 10:33 PM: I forgot to say our exec editor was not one of the two. I believe he's on vacation.
ReplyDeleteThe positions eliminated at The Journal News in White Plains NY were: Vice President of Production, VP of Advertising, Vice President of Human Resources, Vice President of Systems and Technology, Vice President of Finance, and Director of Circulation Sales and Marketing
ReplyDeleteIts about time!
The Asbury Park Press has been without an EE for awhile, I think the better part of a year now, since Skip Hidlay became publisher of the smaller Home News Tribune.
ReplyDeleteIs it unusual for Gannett to leave such a large newsroom with no executive ed for so long?
When all this shakes out in the wash, I'll betcha the disproportionate ratio of men/women and white/minority becomes even more stark, which hardly seems possible.
What is the executive editor supposed to do anyway?
ReplyDeleteNever mind the executive editors -- what the hell are the MANAGING editors supposed to be doing? If it's anything like my plant, not much but getting in everyone's way. You could save at least three or four of the really GREAT people by eliminating some of the so-called "managing" editor bozos we have in this company.
ReplyDeleteHe-ey! I work with you don't I?
ReplyDelete-33-
Brothers in arms.
ReplyDelete-33-
my sympathies to competent people who were let go, whatever their job titles; as for the incompetent and the downright mean folks mentioned in various post, my sympathies go to their families.
ReplyDeletebut if having fewer "chiefs" saves the jobs of some "indians" who produce the products we sell (both content and ads), and means less time is wasted in meetings about the latest slogan from corporate, the savings will be more than just money.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has two -- two! -- top-level editors during this time of misery. Tom Callinan is VP and editor. Hollis Towns is executive editor. Neither one is worth keeping. Callinan works short days and serves only to carry out orders from corporate or publisher Margaret Buchanan. Towns has been working the job market for at least two years and his aloofness shows.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget about Cincinnati's third top "editor", Dennis Hetzel in Northern Kentucky. And, he has a top editor too which leaves him with way too much Time to Think Outloud. How he survived over the VP of circulation is amazing.
ReplyDeleteTom Callinan is worthless.
ReplyDeleteThere, I've said it. I restrained myself so as not to have my post scrubbed.
In Asheville (NC) the EE followed David Daughtry's formula (as per SCJ) for local news priority (an abject flawed and failed strategy), and summarily got herself replaced (along with her publisher) when Exalted Inner Circle Publisher Randy Hammer took over earlier this year. The marketing director escaped to Atlanta and has not been replaced.
ReplyDeleteThe Palladium-Item in Richmond, IN lost 5 director positions. Circ, Production, Online, IT and Accounting. It is a huge cut for a struggling newspaper. The Ad director and Executive Editor were not cut. Sounds like the OC meetings will be short from this time on. :)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of completely incompetent Executive Editors, take the one at the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, NJ. This guy was thrown out of Nashville and ended up being stuffed down our throats. This guy has no clue about anything. It's apparent why Gannett kept him but stuffed him away at our property. Another sign that incompetence reigns at Gannett.
ReplyDeleteAnyone lost in Muncie, Indiana?
ReplyDelete2:12, the pompous publisher in Asheville needed to go! Asheville lost a good editor!
ReplyDeleteNot sure about yesterday's cuts in Muncie. They have been thinning for the last few months. The had already lost their circ director and several IT staff members weeks ago.
ReplyDeletecontroller gone in Muncie yesterday
ReplyDeleteWell all I can say is that thank god they got rid of at least one racist skirt chasing director. Deserved it a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteIf they got rid of every single executive editor, would the published products look any different the next day?
ReplyDeleteI'd put money on it, that these higher managers and directors aren't put threw the same hell at annual review times as the peons.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many "points" are taken away when the employee's self assessment who's worked their ass off doesn't match the supervisors assesment? What the hell good is a self assesment anyway? What the supervisor writes down is gospel anyway, so do away with the time consuming paperwork.Just more and more BS to add fluff work to those already burdoned with way too much to do and too few hours to do it in.
I know of more than one gannett newsroom where there are far more editors than real reporters. The editors are rarely touched. But of course, they rarely do anything to rock the boat. This is especialy sad at the Ohio "smaller" papers which are al a joke and run by incompetents in the newsroom. Mansfield has a legally blind publisher who critiques layout and design... heheheh
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have an update from Pensacola?
ReplyDeleteAsheville is and has been the most
ReplyDeletef-up paper in Gannett, they lost four more directors and keep just spiraling downward with an even worse publisher thanks to Denise Ivey.