"Whether the news is good or bad, we need to know soon,'' a reader said in a comment today. "If USAT ever wants to return to a healthy place to work, it needs to start with the sharing of vital info in more timely and open fashion. Here's yet another opportunity to do things with professionalism and class. Let's see how management handles it this time."Speculation that the ax will fall at USA Today is driven at least partly by the fact that Gannett's flagship didn't disclose any job cuts in August, when the community newspaper division shocked employees with a surprise workforce reduction of 1,000 positions, including 600 layoffs. Detroit, on the other hand, escaped layoffs at the time by persuading 116 employees to take buyouts.
[Image: today's USAT, Newseum]
I don't see either paper escaping some form of staff reduction. Blame it on the times we live and work in. Whether editorial is hit or not remains to be seen. But I do agree that whatever is decided needs to be communicated promptly and decisively. I work in the newsroom at USA TODAY and I can tell you that a lot of people have not relaxed or even adjusted to the last round of buyouts announced around this time last year. Ken Paulson's staff meetings are thin on information that we can use, so hopefully our MEs or someone in the know will come clean with us. And I hope those in power have a better plan this time around on how to absorb any potential job losses.
ReplyDeleteJust curious...Is Detroit's newsroom run as badly as USAT's? Are top managers there prone to sticking their heads in the sand and do they lack ability to communicate? I see lots of mid-managers running around trying to keep the flagship afloat, but have no clue as to the what the editors with the real power are doing to make things better during a difficult time. In fact, I see some of the worst planning and preparation ever coming from the top editors. They appear totally detached or unaware that there are major problems growing. They let things go for years -- like not addressing problem personnel -- and now it's almost at a breaking point. Combined with the threat of layoffs, it's a real depressing place to work lately.
USA Today does not need to do layoffs. Moon runs both the DFP and USAT separate from US Community NP.
ReplyDeleteMoon marches to his own drum. The last thing he is going to do is follow what the newspapers do.
I totally disagree with 8:44. Lets be honest. There's a lot of dead weight at USAT. Much of it remains after last year's departure of 43, much of it will be around after this around, and unfortunately, probably the one that will come in 2009. Start with the repetitive layers of editors in News. Then move to the non-producing reporters and redundant editors in News and other sections. Factor in quota hires in every section who aren't working out and making more work for others. Throw in those immune from last year's purge- often useless copy editors and dot.commers.
ReplyDeleteLet's be honest; 40 to 50 USAT staffers could be ousted with little qualitative loss if someone (are you listening, Ken?) had the guts and decency to make everyone eligible for elimination. Give producers more money. If hires are to be made, do it with a blind eye and base it on competency. If they don't work out, fire them. And get rid of former line editors now relegated to rewrite desks and other jobs but still drawing top pay. Or turn them into reporters. That would do much more for morale and improving the product than monthly editor meetings and traveling popcorn shows.
what do you suppose the chances are of Detroit taking over all Gannett properties in Michigan? Like Lansing, Port Huron and Battle Creek? Since Detroit has the primo press - and lately it seems as if Detroit is covering more Lansing than Lansing - and wasn't USAT printed in Lansing for a time?
ReplyDeleteHmmm, just thoughts folks.
Maybe this is why no layoffs have been announced at those properties? They could certainly consolidate all kinds of upper management and worker bees by pulling those properties into one main site of operation.
Thoughts?
9:08 - that is a very scary thought - Detroit is cancerous - I am sure the others are not great but it would be a disaster. Detroit can't do what it is charged with (they have been losing money - really) for several years while the other dailies have been making decent to good profits.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few people at USA TODAY who are not productive, like all propertes. The problem is that the top never seems to know that those people just sit around all day doing nothing. So good people get cut who work their butts off. USA TODAY is very lean now, but cutting those unproductive people would be okay.
ReplyDelete