Social media author Paul Gillin notes on the Newspaper Death Watch blog that Gannett continues to "pointedly ignore" Gannett Blog, even after it became a major source of news about job cuts at the company. "Now," Gillin writes, "The New York Times has selected Gannett as a poster child of corporate cluelessness in this piece about transparency in the blogosphere. According to the Times, Gannett still refuses to return any inquiries from blog editor Jim Hopkins, despite the fact that his posts consistently spark dozens or even hundreds of comments. In acting as a virtual water cooler for the entire company, Gannett Blog has become the destination of choice for employees who want to learn what's really going on at Gannett because the company provides so little information about itself. As the Times notes, in an increasingly transparent business world, silence is no longer an option."[Image: Gillin's Secrets of Social Media Marketing]
When did GCI ever disclose information about itself or its corporate plans to the rank and file? Even in the bad old days before email and the Internet, GCI shrouded its decisions behind closed doors and handed dictates down from above in thunderbolts. There were rumors about what was going on, but discussed only in the back-of-the-room. Today, we have a public blog where all of GCI's dirty linen is hung out for everyone to see. You think stock investment firms don't read this blog? It is a communication vehicle, and Tara is making a huge mistake not utilizing it, or moving to try and direct it. The stock barely moved when they announced the most recent cuts, blunting the impact of their annoucement. It is clear why: the move was broadcast here. If I wanted inside information on GCI, this is a must-stop place.
ReplyDelete"Silence" AND parochial, outdated thinking should no longer be options. Yet, I am too keenly aware of both, at least at USA TODAY, on a daily basis. The lack of leadership, lack of vision and just lack of basic functionality at the flagship is stunning on all levels. Time to get rid of hiring quotas. Time to rid ourselves of manipulative managers who are only looking out for themselves and who don't possess an ounce of charisma. Time for more transparency and less shallow cheerleading and contrived celebrations. So little inspiration at USAT that it makes me wonder what things are like at smaller Gannett papers. Must be a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteUSAT is in essence a larger version of other Gannett papers with a few cosmetic difference. I've worked at USAT and other Gannett properties. USAT has more bells and whistles, money and people, but the same horrid managers and policies as the smaller Gannett papers and other businesses.
ReplyDeleteUSAT wastes resources at an alarming rate, too. Very showy place driven by marketing more than quality of product. But basically it's a Mickey Mouse operation that concerns itself more with silly quotas, corporate-speak and smoke screens than substantive and visionary thinking. It's the dumb blonde of newspapers, whereas many other Gannett properties are dumb and unattrative.
Internal communications are a joke. Major policy changes aren't communicated very well. Sometimes that is intentional, sometimes it's just stupidity. Things that directly impact my job are often kept secret until it's either too late or just sort of laughable to me. At least at the smaller papers I was usually clued in to decisions that were being formulated. I could weigh in, and steer things in better directions at times. At USAT, there is so much red tape that no one really has all that much influence. Most things are done by committe, and when the committees consist of the people they do, well...
For reasons too long to explain here, Gannett does not attract the best talent nor retain it when it does. The decrease in resumes alone to Gannett properties proves the word is out that Gannett is no longer a desirable company for true professionals. I can remember stacks of resumes pouring into USAT back in the day. Now, many department heads are searching for resumes to fill what few positions we are allowed to fill.
The secrecy and closed-door brainstorming sessions are a farce. I've sat on meetings that truly are so uninspirational that they seem like a bad dream. Confidence in many managers couldn't be any lower amongst the staffers. Too many dumb decisions. Too much salesmanship of those dumb choices.
My advice to anyone wanting to get into media -- stay away from Gannett, or any large, antiquated companies that cling to old policies of lack of transparency and other stupid ideas. While places like NYT might have smarter people on the whole, they still face many of the same issues Gannett does. Let's face it. Big business needs to reinvent itself, not just in McLean, but everywhere. It's going to take more than popcorn to solve what ails us. (That's an inside reference, sorry).
The poster child of corporate cluelessness?
ReplyDeleteFinally, the truth becomes public.
Hey, Jim: Could you try to do paid speaking engagements like Paul Gillin is advertising on his site?
ReplyDeleteYou could speak to companies about what you've learned on the best ways for them to communicate with their employees.