You'll recall that USA Today apparently didn't give up any jobs during the big August layoff -- prompting my speculation that Publisher Craig Moon (left) would need to sacrifice something in return. Guess what: I was totally wrong!Now, rival publishers across the company, doing a lot of really shitty work in weeks ahead, are no doubt wondering: What's Moon's secret? (Maybe all those rumors about the nuclear option weren't so crazy!)
Defending Moon, bashing Hopkins
In a new comment here, and on his own blog, Tim Chavez notes that USAT's circulation numbers "are up compared to other Gannett newspapers. And a primary reason why is publisher Craig Moon, who used to be publisher at The Tennessean. It was my privilege to work with Moon during his tenure at the Tennessean. I found him to be honest and a man of integrity. He was actually a better journalist interested in what readers wanted than the people in charge of the Tennessean newsroom."
Another reader, commenting anonymously, says: "Jim has a personal vendetta against Moon and it shows time and time again on this blog. But I for one think the man is a good manager. And I have seen him fight for jobs and those of you who do not know him, believe me, he has saved a lot of jobs. So maybe Jim does not like him but that is personal. if Jim was honest with his readers, he would report in an unbiased way. Moon cares about his people, even though he does not always win the battles."Please post your replies in the comments section, below. E-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
[Image: today's USAT front page, Newseum]
I think nuclear is coming. Imagaine a free online USAT with pay- for- view local obits, jail dockets, property transfers, marriages and divorces. That local information would be free, though, to USAT subscribers. That's a win-win for local and national, I think.
ReplyDeleteInstead of always making it personal, why don't you try and look at the numbers. USAT fares far better than the other papers and will be a survivor. The business is just better.
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:08pm. HI ANGIE P. Are you defending Craigy-poo again? Get over it. USAT is going down. You know it and so do the rest of the people.
ReplyDeleteI hear that USAToday is going to announce a 20% round of layoff's. I think this might include some big executives too.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's got pictures?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of pictures, I look at that mug of Moon that Jim posted and think, "Would I buy a used car from that man?"
ReplyDeleteI worked with Craig Moon in Nashville at The Tennessean. He is a good manager. Period. And he listens and likes good ideas.
ReplyDeleteHe treated me well and opened up doors that were closed to me by newsroom politics and the unwritten rule that Americans of Hispanic descent should not be writing about politics.
He is a good guy and more of a journalist with an eye toward readers' needs than the top bosses in the newsroom at The Tennessean.
USA TODAY is very fortune to have him in charge. And he is the lone voice on the operating committee with any sanity.
Thanks.
Tim Chavez
www.politicalsalsa.com
USA Today is spared the cuts because it is not losing as much revenue as the community newspapers. Plus, I detect a corporate strategy here of making USA Today the fortress that will carry GCI into the 21st Century as a Web product, while the community newspapers are yesterday's news. The dead tree products are going to left to wither and die off, but USA Today will flourish. It is quite a gamble, given that community newspapers currently provide the lion's share of revenues for GCI. But I think the deep thinkers believe that is going to decline eventually and unfortunately we will never know because the community newspapers are going to be gone soon.
ReplyDeleteAnyone working for these losers needs to realize what is happening, because there is no future in community papers.
Great job again, Jim. You have become the leading independent voice on what is going on inside Gannett. Tara must be tearing out her hair because she no longer can do her job of controlling the distribution of information on this company. I thought she was a lousy editor, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Despite what some may think, however, I take no pleasure in making anyone's job more difficult.
ReplyDeleteIn case you didn't see Back To The Future part 2, USAT is alive and well in the future. It's the one paper that didn't lose circulation in the last statement; in fact, it gained. That's why the staff is still intact.
ReplyDeleteanon 6:11 - you are an idiot.
anon 6:13 - you are an idiot as well.
anon 6:08 and 7:28 have it right.
USAT is a good place to work and there are people that are good at what they do and they care.
If the USA Today business model is so strong and successful then why doesn't Gannett impliment the same practices throughout all there other papers,thus creating a stronger company
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I agree with Jim's "USAT spared again" headline. The Dickey letter was addressed only to USCP executives. That is only one segment of GCI, and I believe we will hear from the others, including USAT and the Freep, in other letters yet to be seen. I come to this conclusion out of a back of the envelope conclusion that the cuts at the community papers won't be enough to make up the revenue shortfall. The loss was less at USAT, so the cut won't be as dramatic. But I do not think USAT will be "spared."
ReplyDeleteUSA Today won't be spared. Aside from expected reductions in staff, there are several jobs that remain open that probably won't be filled - unless the job candidates meet certain demographic requirements. Unfortunately, the paper's hiring editors should be more focused on bringing in talent, regardless of race or gender. There are plenty of talented journalists who have been forced out at their newspapers. Just check out the LA Times and New York Times, for starters. Unfortunately, the mindset is on filling quotas, not hiring the best available talent.
ReplyDelete8:19pm Anon...You are an ass kissing loser. USA Today is a money losing piece of shit. I used to work there and Moon, Webber, Lavington should all be thrown out. When is Dubow going to learn about the excessive spending going on over there at USAT.
ReplyDeletePerhaps living in the other "tower" has been good for Moon as no one asks him questions. Has anyone seen the lavish parties that they throw?
Have you taken a look at the advertisements in USA Today's paper? Everyday there is an add for Gold Coins and Life Insurance. Looks like sales is doing real swell in the flagship publication. Murdoch has nothing to worry about.
We often forget about the USA Weekend boondoggle. I use that paper to wipe my ass with. Nothing good their either. Looks like Marcia B has got the goods on Moon. No reason why that three page paper is still around.
I think 8:57 is right: USAT/USAW/Freep is a different division headed by Moon. It isn't necessarily spared, just easier to leave until after the more complicated community division.
ReplyDelete10:33: Peace out!
Anon 10:33p... You are so right. It is about time that someone started to talk about the crazy spending going on at USA Today. Someone needs to expose the spending on the ridiculous parties.
ReplyDeleteWhen is Moon going to be fired anyway?
I heard that Jeff Webber is on the chopping block. It is about time!
ReplyDeleteWatch this space shortly after the elections are over.
ReplyDeleteUSAT has enough staff to do a decent job on the '08 election -- a big election by any estimate.
Within a month, watch for about 50 buyouts offered ... and not at the same cushy rate of last year.
hey 10:33 - don't call me a loser because you don't even know me. Feel free to call me anything else but a loser.
ReplyDeleteAt least there are ads in USAT. And I don't see any parties going on. Christmas is a lunch at the office. Why don't you get specific on the lavish spending because I sure don't see it.
Your ass would probably appreciate softer toilet paper and that might put you in a better mood!
10% cut across the board is the magic potion to starve off the failure of the printed news industry. I think not...
ReplyDeleteThere are local papers in the Gannett chain who actually turn a profit (the one I work at being one of them), but they are bound hand and feet trying to infuse hard earned cash into other dailies which are failing miserably.
Just like the last staffing cut, where senority prevailed, there is no sense holding on to dead weight when the ship is sinking. If Gannett are actually trying to run a profitable business, or at least give the impression that they are, then they need to let go of the ventures that are dragging them down.
It is simple economics.
I have many ideas on how to shave the operating budgets, but who in Gannett land is going to listen to someone like me, for I am after all just a simple skilled worker, who strive to do the best I can each and every day I walk through the company doors.
10:33 you have no idea what you are talking about. USAT is strong and will endure and mange themselves well int his downmarket and come out strong again.
ReplyDeleteUSAT will most likely have layoffs as week. But they ae strong and will endure.
USAT is different just because of its position as a national newspaper -- its revenues haven't fallen the way most community and big-city newspapers have.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth remembering that the savings from last year's buyouts have really just started kicking in. Nonetheless, pretty much everyone in the newsroom assumes there will be a round of layoffs before year's end. If nothing else, that's just based on grim assumptions about the reality in which we all currently live.
I am stunned USAT escaped another round of layoffs. Despite being in better financial shape, it still amazes me that a newspaper that is so bloated can go untouched. The bloating isn't tied to just numbers of employees. I agree with 10:20. There is a major hiring and retention problem there. Way too much dead wood. Some of incompetency in the newsroom was brought on by quota hiring. C'mon, let's be frank. There are people who have no idea what it means to work in a newsroom and probably will never learn or care about world events. They are people who wouldn't have been hired by a bad weekly 20 years ago, let alone a national daily. But some of the problem employees are just people who haven't kept up with the times. Unfortunately, I am not just talking about the current online initiatives. There are people who still don't know how to use a printer or make an electronic request or attach a file to an e-mail. CCI? Wow, to some people at USAT, it's a total mystery. They actually get hostile if you ask them to do anything using CCI.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't perform basic tech functions, you shouldn't be working at a newspaper. By the same token, if you don't know who is running for the Senate from your state, or are clueless about who won the Super Bowl last year, you also should find another profession. The USAT newsroom is filled with people who are clueless about current events and/or technology. They are there either because of quotas (and protectionism that sets a different standard for them once hired) or because they were grandfathered in. So I would have thought some of these folks would have been booted during this round of layoffs.
There are many good people at USAT thirsting for qualified help. But there are also a lot of staffers who are simply a drag on the system. While some perform the jobs of several people, and do it well without an ounce of appreciation, there are some who can't even carry their own weight and are a major pain in the butt for everyone else. Ironically, they are the ones who get praised for just about anything.
I hope our relief at USA Today isn't shortlived. It's hard to believe we're not going to be cut in some fashion. If the powers that be put out a statement saying we're safe, as they have, but then turn around a month from now and cut jobs, what little trust is left will be gone forever.
ReplyDelete10:03 a.m.: As a former USAT employee -- nearly eight years -- I can confirm everything you wrote. (And I'll admit that I don't know who won last year's Super Bowl.)
ReplyDeleteI currently work at USA Today, and like Jim, I totally agree and confirm everything 10:03 said about the newsroom operation.
ReplyDeleteSome high-ranking USAT newsroom managers worry way too much about perceptions and not enough about realities. That alone has caused a ton of frustration for staffers and mid-level editors. You can work your ass off, be as talented and professional as they come, and it still isn't enough for some top editors. It is so difficult to work in an environment where you are asked to perform small miracles each day while others coast, but at the same time be hounded by trivial editors who tend to make things personal in their relationships... who want to change functional, top performers into something they are not just because someone has an incorrect perception.
ReplyDeleteI often get the feeling that office politics are far more important at USAT than professionalism, intelligence and productivity. It's a sad, demoralizing situation that exists in some departments. If you don't grandstand, you aren't doing your job, according to some of these top managers who should kiss the ground some off their staffers walk on. Instead, they pick on them, talk down to them. And the only way they might notice how vital these people are to the operation is for these highly competent people to walk out. Obviously, many good people have left, tired of being treated like children, tired of not being appreciated and tired of wearing so many different hats that one simply can't keep up with all the tasks at hand.
Yes, quotas are real and a big part of the problem. So is the thanklessness of what we do and the pettiness of the picky managers who are never satisfied. These managers who are only concerned about perceptions and are not supporting their best people, should be removed from their jobs. If they can't deal in reality and solve real problems, and are so blind as to not see how hard people are working, then they must be identified and shown the door.
I was actually hoping one or two managers, and a few less than productive staffers, would be booted in this round of layoffs, but somehow USAT escaped. That isn't neccesarily a good thing.
I hope this blog survives long enough for me to come back here, after I leave USAT, and name one of the most horrendous managers I have ever known and all his misdeeds and deceptions that have led to so many people leaving and others being discouraged on a daily basis by his petty remarks and pure selfishness. Even as people have broken their butts to make the impossible possible, it's never been appreciated because of his faulty and over-valued perceptions.
12:12 p.m.: Why wait on revealing that name? Send it to me in an e-mail; I'll keep it private, until you tell me otherwise: gannettblog@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI left USAT a while ago, not because I didn't love the newspaper, but because of one manager who I no longer felt had any integrity, tolerance or intellectual honesty. Trust had broken down, as it did with others who have since departed because of him. As one writer said here, there was no sense of appreciation, let alone support, for the impossible and wide range of tasks we had to perform each day. Perception was indeed the only thing that mattered to him. He didn't want to hear the harsh realities of certain situations that were festering in his department. He'd never go to bat for his people. My relationship with him was shallow and phony as a result of being hounded by his petty complaints and off-base accusations.
ReplyDeleteWhat was ironic was that he seemed to be hardest on those with the most responsibilities. The people working the hardest under less than desirable conditions. They could never do enough to please. I personally was torn in so many directions that when he'd simply make a brief remark about anything I did or didn't do, I would take it much harder than I should have because I was stretched so thin. His only words of appreciation came after I resigned. And by then, it almost seemed for show. Didn't feel sincere. Seemed like he did it to impress others, to show what a standup guy he was. Again, the perception thing...
As someone once said, employees don't leave jobs, they leave their bosses. That was true in my case and in many others who left this man. I was heartbroken to leave, as were others, but without a strong manager in our corner, our jobs became impossible.
Even more than his shortcomings, I am disappointed that he continues to stay off the radar screen of those above him. How disappointing it is for the highest managers at USAT to let this situation fester. To this day I don't know if they are just ignorant or unwilling to get rid of this manager. There is a big mess that needs to be cleaned up. I don't envy the person who will eventually be charged with that.
When I heard the company was going to lay off more folks, I felt horrible. But there was a side of me that also wanted to see this man finally pushed out, and maybe this would be the time for that. Then I read that USAT was exempt.
There are so many fine people at USAT, but there are some less than qualified people too. But none of the unqualified people can do as much damage as a high-ranking editor who can affect so many careers and lives.
I hope USAT continues to survive, but there are some seriously bad apples still hanging from the tree in the newsroom. From what I hear, there are also some very bad policies being installed that could hurt the credibility of journalism there. Frankly, it sounds like a mess so, again, I was surprised to see USAT not take this "opportunity" to right the ship.
Jim, I can't reveal the name for reasons that I also can't state at this time. However, the day is coming in which I am going to do a tell-all on this man in some form. His reputation has been built on the backs, and frankly, the wreckage of other people's careers. Wreckage that he created. He has used and abused people for a long time. He pretends to be your friend one day in order to extract something he wants, and will turn on you the next day. Demands loyality, but shows none towards most of his staff. Wants his right-hand people to make up for all his shortcomings, and when they don't, he slams them. He tries to change people rather than promote their strengths. It's a constant battle.
ReplyDeleteThis is my life, and the life of others under this guy, at USAT.
Yes, I will be leaving soon.
I think I know who some of you folks are talking about. A well-known manager who has step on so many toes that it's hard to believe he's still there at USAT. A man who lacks so many leadership qualities that it's mind-boggling that he's considered in the high regard he is in some circles. To many of us who have worked for him, he's a brute and joke. Just goes to show you that talent often has little to do with how high people rise up in an organization and how long they survive.
ReplyDeleteIn the interest of fairness, I've reposted this item so Moon's defenders can get equal play.
ReplyDeleteMoon defender. USAT is dragging this company under. The production cost are buried in the budgets of community newspapers, so USAT shows a profit when there really is none. I suspect corporate brains are positioning USAT to be the lead product of the digital age, but USAT does not and cannot bring in the revenues to support that. USAT is a legal of a failed Neuharth regime. It has large circulation, but only because they are counting hotel rooms as readers, even if they are vacant, as they are clearly in this recession. It is an operation built on sand, and as such will collapse. But unfortunately, it will take with it community newspapers which are paying for its operations.
ReplyDeleteAs for lavish spending, what about the USAT office on Pennsylvania Avenue, 13 miles from the towers in McLean. The Washington branch was set up so USAT reporters would not have to drive the distance to McLean, but they could have been positioned in free spaces in the U.S. Capitol but for the flag-waving considerations.
Thanks for being fair. You showed yourself to be a mensch...once in awhile at least.
ReplyDeleteLet me reiterate this: you should NOT assume USA Today will not have lay offs.
They are a separate division from the community papers. However, I hope you are right for the sake of many many people.
I would LOVE to read an investigative piece on just how many hotel USAT's get recycled "straight from the carpet" in front of the doorways. I suspect the information would be incredibly damning on the "newspaper doormats".
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect to Tim Chavez, I too worked at The Tennessean during Moon's tenure, and found him to be hands down the most arrogant publisher I've ever worked under. With few exceptions, writers would walk past the guy in the hallway and he wouldn't even acknowledge their existence. (Jim, I know you had a different experience with Moon, but the man honestly never spoke to most folks in the building. He has the people skills of a boulder.)
ReplyDeleteBut the biggest problem I had with Moon is how he caved into a small but vocal group of conservatives who ridiculously claimed that the paper was in the tank for the Democrats. I like Tim Chavez, but it was Moon who gave Chavez the column space to be a cheerleader for George W. Bush. Of course, a lot of news organizations are guilty of doing Bush's bidding at the expense of the American people. (See: War on Terror, War in Iraq, Torture,the Patriot Act and Hurricane Katrina, to name a few.) But the criticism of Moon is still valid. We had a journalistic duty to report the news, whether it was favorable to Democrats or Republicans, and I thought Moon overall created an atmosphere where the paper felt like it had to tamp down on any reporting that would offend Republicans.
Delivery to hotels is not for every room in the building, ideally it's for "all occupied rooms" and the room counts are received a day or two in advance. That said, I've heard it represents approximately 60% of their circulation. With hotel occupancy being hurt in the economy, the USA Today golden goose is quacking. Previous posts mention USA Today expenses being buried in the community papers. Can you imagine being a community paper publisher under these circumstances? Yuk!
ReplyDeleteDo you idiots honestly think hotels would still pay for any newspaper that they did not feel of value to them? They have to make decisions about how to spend money as well. Obviously this is a great perk for the hotel's guests or they woud not pay year after year. And how brilliant of USAT to have thought of that revenue stream! Geez...dont you see WSJ and NYT now doing it too?
ReplyDeleteBrilliant!
For all you hypocrits who diss on USAT for "free" hotel distribution...think about all that free web content!
ReplyDelete4:04, you have GOT to be kidding! The claim that The Tennessean was "in the tank for the Democrats" wasn't a ridiculous accusation at all. I'm a Democrat, and I STILL thought that the newspaper's coverage was so biased that I could hardly stand to read it. I admire your idea of "journalistic duty," but it was, and is, in the minority at The Tennessean. And I know that for a fact. But I do agree with your assessment of Craig Moon. Arrogant doesn't even START to describe him.
ReplyDeleteMoon is a disaster. He has no interpersonal skills, is indifferent to his staff, and does not accept criticism well.
ReplyDeleteI also believe USAT/Freep/USAW cuts are in the works, and not part of the community paper initiative. Tell us how much you like the Moon regime as defender of USAT when you see the letter detailing the cuts they are going to make.
The USA TODAY budget is under review right now over in the Corporate tower. We all await the results.
ReplyDeleteI understand that Ken Paulson said during today's monthly staff meeting that the paper's 2009 budget is under review at Corporate, and "we don't know" what will happen regarding any staff reductions."It's not about us -- yet," I'm told he said.
ReplyDeleteTop managers should learn in the next one or two weeks what the 2009 budget will be.
You really can't pin any forthcoming cuts on Moon. Everything is controlled from the Gannett tower.
ReplyDeleteThere is a reason why last year's USAT buyouts were announced in November. Corporate put its stamp on the budget last November, and hasta la vista, baby.
ReplyDeleteAgain, November approaches. The question may be: Layoffs or buyouts? Layoffs are quicker,cheaper and bloodier. They also often are targeted at new hires -- but at USAT, the new hires all largely work on website and website-related jobs. It takes two layoffs there to equal the salary of one veteran staffer in many cases. That's another reason why you might still see buyouts, despite the wave of layoffs elsewhere.