Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday | Dec. 15 | Your News & Comments
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52 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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Hi, there! And just a friendly reminder: I always sign my comments!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, out frustration at the undeserved arrogance of the non-geniuses guiding GANNETT into oblivion, we lash out at the huge salaries and the aloof detactment and the way terminations of good hard working people are handled in a way similar to billionaire Ron Perlman methods in divorcing his wives; and this is justified.
ReplyDeleteBut, when put in the context of the collapsing economy, even a well managed healthy newspaper company would have a hard time survivng.
Look at TIME magazine's TOP 10 FINANCIAL COLLAPSES of 2008. They are frightening. And next years are going to be worse...namely the collapse of the U.S. Dollar under multiple-Tsunamis of Debt.
Everyone, get your houses in as much order as you can. Network with co-workers, friends and family members you can depend on, diversify your knowledge base - learn skills in fields unrelated to your current one, and be ready to live frugally for long-time.
This is not hyperbole, this is just seeing the waves coming at us.
Larry St. Cyr to the rescue!
ReplyDeleteSigned-
Underdog
This blog is dead. No more are people posting.
ReplyDeleteSad Jim and I just sent you $10 from my severance!
Get rid of the comment moderation.
Hi there right back at you. Guess you don't need a reminder that I never sign my comments.
ReplyDeleteI hear at least three other large papers are ready to follow Detroit's example very soon.
Hi, Any news on N.J. group.
ReplyDeleteWow.... where'd everybody go?
ReplyDeleteOne of the Sunday news shows mentioned Detroit's plan ....
It appears to not be a big secret.
Is the announcement still planned for Tuesday?
Buyout, layoff or fire the journalists....Hire $20 contract employees to pump up Moms site usage....See business flee from advertising in products promoting red-light activities...Hit repeat...
ReplyDeleteUh-oh, more trouble ahead in Cincinnati. Our mighty publisher/chief order-taker is calling assemblies at the end of this week. The general thinking is that certain newspeople will be shifted into full-time posting of comments on Moms, while others will generate advertiser-friendly MetroMix reviews. Also under consideration will be the sale of naming rights to the newsroom and a new program whereby companies can pay to have their names, experts and products prominently mentioned or excluded in news stories.
ReplyDeleteFrom: Navin, Marianne On Behalf Of Buchanan, Margaret
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 9:38 AM
To: Cincinnati-All1
Subject: Employee meetings
TO: All Employees
FM: Margaret Buchanan
RE: Employee Update Meetings
I will be holding two meetings on Friday, Dec. 19, at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the 20th floor conference room.
The purpose of the meetings is to give you an update on the state of the business. A lot has happened since we last talked.
I hope that you attend and that you find it informative. And as always, if you have questions of any kind, I will be happy to try and answer them.
Margaret
Newsquest closings:
ReplyDeleteUp to 11 editorial jobs are under threat as the regional publisher Newsquest proposes to close its Citizen series of free weekly papers in Blackpool, Preston and Lancaster and move the operation of its Chorley edition to Blackburn.
The closures are part of a plan announced last week by Newsquest, owned by the US newspaper giant Gannett, to make drastic cutbacks to its regional newspaper publishing operation in the north-west of England, including closing 11 newspapers.
A number of non-editorial roles, including jobs in the ad sales team, are also understood to be at risk as the papers close.
"There is real anger and it comes from abandonment of communities like Blackpool and Preston, it has given Johnston Press a monopoly in these towns. We're all shell-shocked good journalists are being put on the scrapheap," a Newsquest north-west staff member told MediaGuardian.co.uk.
Read the rest at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/15/newsquest-citizen-titles-blackpool-preston-lancaster
If Detroit is really going to eliminate home-delivery as shared, then how will advertising reps sell that there’s still value in those days at other Gannett papers that don’t follow?
ReplyDeleteSorry, but one has to believe that actions in Detroit will carry far more weight than anything that Bergin and/or marketing departments “words” have to share.
I was interested to learn this weekend that one Gannett newspaper has a shopping diva writer in the newsroom (there maybe other sits that have one, too). Some of us wondered why the diva wasn't let go in the latest round of layoffs instead of some veteran reporters.
ReplyDeleteI was told that the Diva's salary was paid by the advertising department and was not a newsroom employee. Yet, this person sits in the newsroom, writes for news department, has written some section cover stories and writes almost daily about products that have advertising sales potential. But at least some, including those sitting in the same room as her, had no idea she really wasn't part of the newsroom.
I'm not sure what to make of this. Is this an ethical or full disclosure issue? Should readers be told the material she produces is paid for by advertising and not editorial? It's like running those full-page gold buyers ads and leaving off the paid advertisement disclaimer at the top of the page.
What do others think?
Lots of jobs posted now for the shared services center in Indy.
ReplyDelete11:17 They are trying to break through the separation between advertising and editorial, and get more advertorial copy in the news sections. There are stories in the past that would have run under an advertisement slug that now are appearing in the main news section. When I raised questions about some of this, my manager pointedly asked if I was not interested in getting a paycheck anymore. We are all whores now.
ReplyDelete@11:17AM: They'd fit right in at Central Jersey:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8099437767970534324&postID=4690057426732358138
See 9:40AM's post.
5:24AM: This blog is NOT dead. Comments have slowed down because the immediate major Gannett screwing of employees has simmered down. If you think it's more than a breather, you are naive! It would be very nice to say that Gannett has become a fair and respectable employer with some fundamental regard for its employees, but that is idiotic.
ReplyDeleteWe should be thanking Jim as he gets somewhat of a breather from the hectic pace, but his mission is far from over.
We cannot even begin to thank him fo his dedication and hard work on our behalf.
I saw "Milk" yesterday and could not help but realize that Jim is another San Franciscan who has led the way!
The Detroit decision, IF it goes through will be a disaster on numerous fronts:
ReplyDelete1. Circulation - While many may demand a refund for a portion of their pre-paid subscription, they won't get it. Detroit isn't that stupid. What subscribers WILL get is a credit extending their already paid subscription based on the number of non-publishing days and days they paid for. What does this mean? It means that for a long time, Gannett won't get a DIME of subscription revenue.
2. Never mind the tons of cancellations.
3. If they think that single-copy revenue will jump significantly when there is no home paper, they are mistaken. People buy the paper from habit and convenience. Those who buy a paper at a newstand will keep doing it - those who don't - won't.
4. The drop in circ numbers will affect advertising rates to the negative, especially local and national ads. Nobody cares all that much for ABC audits anymore, but they sure as hell can't help but notice a 50% drop in circulation! And how can an ad rep ask a business to pay the same linage rate for half the papers delivered? Ad revenue WILL plunge! (What revenue there is)
5. Websites??? People will go the TV station websites now for breaking news, and don't you know they will promote their TV, cable and web news ever MORE now. If Gannett thinks people will shoot over to the Freep and Daily website, they will be in for an unpleasant surprise.
6. It will be almost impossible to reverse this decision in the future. They is stuck with this mess.
Anyway, in about 3 months, we can all ask the Detroit and Gannett "think tank" consultants, about the Detroit decision:
"How's that goin' for you?" Ha!
11:17, wow! I'm glad Gannett laid me off. It has become too humiliating for any real journalist to be associated with this company.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, so I was looking at job postings and noticed that at least some Gannett ads are clever in wording that the job, which looks like the same old newsroom job to me, is defined as a "newly created job."
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1002769
I suppose the lawyers did that to circumvent class-action lawyers who might be looking at age discrimination as a factor in laying off the old and replacing them with the new -- people who can be overworked, underpaid and the insurance providers will give corporate some kickbacks for less use of medical benefits.
Anonymous 12/07/08 3:15 p.m. wrote:
ReplyDeleteAnd, if Buchanan won’t publicly come clean about this with her employees and readers – something that many of her peers did, then what else is she capable of suppressing? Lots. Limiting a well-respected business editor to sign off this week in her final column by stating that her last day was this past Tuesday, with no explanation, confirms it.
I am a former Cincy Enquirer employee (not from the newsroom) and wondered about the ethics of allowing the business editor to post that "farewell" column. How is that perceived by other employees who got the axe? Wouldn't everyone like the opportunity to use such a public forum to say goodbye and inform readers that they are looking for a new job???
I have wondered about the propriety of other things in the past, too--Like allowing a business reporter to do a front page business section spread about his newly released book and promoting the sports themed books done by the Managing Editor/Non-Daily Publications and New Initiatives.
I am not a Journalist, but doesn't all this cross some ethical boundary?
Interested in thoughts from other posters.
The Springfield News-Lead3er, which laid off its only full-time local columnist, still has the "shopping diva" on staff, producing thinly veiled ad copy in the news section. I refuse to look at, for fear my eyes will burn.
ReplyDeleteBlog is not dead.
ReplyDeletePeople fearful of losing their jobs are exhausted from the stress. People who lost their jobs are out looking for work, no time to post. Remaining newsroom people too busy doing three people's jobs to post. The weirdos at Cherry Hill are out Christmas shopping. Everybody else is getting paid $5 a post to pump up the forum numbers.
Shirley, Thanks for the chuckle about Cherry Hill!
ReplyDeleteNothing personal Cherry Hill staffers, but that's funny.
Lookie at the McClatchy November report if you want a glimmer at what is going on at GCI. We don't post monthly results, but McClatchy shows the ad drought accelerated in November, with only a reported increase in online sales. Gannett and the other news chains follow one another in these sort of reports, so GCI's results have got to be just as dismal/
ReplyDeleteThis from MNI's press release:
The McClatchy Company MNI today reported that consolidated revenues in November 2008 decreased 19.4% and advertising revenues were down 22.4% compared to revenues in November 2007. The Company noted that the declines in print advertising were partially offset by a 7.5% gain in online advertising revenues in November 2008 compared to November 2007. For the first eleven months of the year, total revenues declined 15.9% and advertising revenues declined 17.8%. Online advertising grew 10.6% in the first eleven months of 2008.
From Newspapers and Technology (a trade magazine):
ReplyDeleteDetroit print changes
to be unveiled Tuesday
Detroit Newspaper Partnership, which prints the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. tomorrow to discuss operational changes that will include a significant shift in how the papers are now distributed.The Wall Street Journal last week said DNP will unveil a plan that calls for the papers to cease home delivery most days of the week and make other modifications.
Rumors had been percolating for weeks that DNP, owned by Gannett Co. Inc and MediaNews Group, but controlled by Gannett, would dramatically cut print distribution of the papers. The Free Press and News have a combined daily circulation of more than 475,000 copies.
Under the plan disclosed by The Journal, the papers would only be delivered Thursday, Friday and Sunday. On other days, only a small print edition would be produced, The Journal said, quoting a person familiar with the publisher's thinking.
Both Gannett and MediaNews Group are under increasing financial pressure as the newspaper industry continues to lose advertising and circulation revenues. Gannett recently laid off more than 2,000 workers while MediaNews has seen its debt rankings plunge further into junk status.
DNP just three years ago opened a $177 million plant in suburban Detroit, anchored by six manroland Geoman presses.
Continued carnage at USAT: Richard Whitmire quits editorial page:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.whyboysfail.com/2008/12/15/a-word-from-your-blogger-im-departing-the-msm/
Forget about November Ads, the decline in December Ads will send shock waves throughout Gannett. There is no doubt by 2010 Gannett daily newspapers will not exist in the same form. They will be online and some will print 3 days a week and other will print 2 days a week. The work force will be cut to half or less by then. Gannett will blame the recession, but keep in mind Gannett started the layoffs and buyouts 3 years ago. The company was failing way before the recession.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone heard anything else about the consolidation of the ad production staff like they did with all the Tennessee papers?
ReplyDeleteDo you know if they plan to implement this in other areas?
11:17 - It's not that unusual for one department to pay for another's employee. Editors/photographers for new magazines or niche papers are often tied to the expected revenue and thus "paid" for by advertising. Newsroom budgets are pretty much maxed out. The NIE reporter in Springfield used to be (and probably still is if he is still around) paid for by circulation since it bumped up numbers.
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's less about where the money comes from (aren't all reporters paid for through advertising or circulation in one way or another?) and where they report. Now of your EE is a spineless shill for advertising, then ...
4:16
ReplyDeleteAsheville has already cut four people from an already understaffed Ad Services. Now they have requested the Graphic Designers that have been working the same hours for 15 to 20 years to sacrifice their home life for the newspaper. They are having to cover the loss by working weird hours. These rules do not apply to people that were hired recently and are much younger.
Example:
12-6pm or 2:30pm to midnight. This will ultimately
have a bearing on their quality of life. I presume it is a way for Gannett to systematically get rid of old timers without getting sued.
Re: Odd hours
ReplyDeleteSome reporters have to work split shifts now, to get their jobs in without working overtime.
Some editors are working 12-hour days.
Some office assistants are coming in at 6:30 a.m. to cover the phones in the newsroom.
Just because you've had the luxury of working set hours for a long time doesn't mean you never have to sacrifice. Would these older workers rather be out of a job?
Quality of life, shmalaty of life. Do they want the job or not? If they don't like odd hours, they can quit and try to get something better working nights and holidays at a fast food restaurant.
5:19 PM -- Wow! Hope you end up with split-shift! Say 6am to 10, 4pm to 9pm. See how you like it. You'll have a job, but no life.
ReplyDelete5:36 PM ... Well, it would make for a lazy lunch hour with time for a nap before finishing my work day.
ReplyDeleteThere are worse things.
Anon 5:19 p.m.
3:55 pm,
ReplyDeleteDecember ad results will look very much like November - maybe a little better or a little worse, but not substantially worse.
jim, i think my post was one you removed sunday, commenting on overweight upper management. so let me try this again:
ReplyDeletemy intention was to point out the irony of removing bariatric surgery from insurance coverage the year after a reporter won awards for writing about his operation saving his life.
i also find it odd that two people who have been vice presidents/hr in a city which you'd evidently prefer i not name are grossly overweight -- obviously not taking the advice hr doles out about maintaining healthy weight, having good eating habits, etc.
if i can't name names, at least let me reiterate the cruelty of the first decision (since there were other people in the company who needed the surgery and might have wanted to have it, having seen how well it worked for our coworker) and the irony of grossly overweight execs chiding the peons for lesser amounts of surplus poundage -- and at one time threatening an insurance surcharge for overweight, just as there was for smoking. (you'd think hr people would know better than to try to implement a surcharge on a disability such as morbid obesity, wouldn't you?)
Any word on the finance consolidation? Not a peep lately, which leads to the belief that somethings brewing in that sector and as usual the ones affected won't hear anything til the last second. Anyone hear any rumors or facts?
ReplyDeleteI think the issue isn't really whether one average Joe has it worse to be switched to night hours than the average Joe who works a split.
ReplyDeleteProbably any of us in the newspaper business is accustomed to teamwork and doing whatever is needed to get out an honorable product -- and have given lots in unusual circumstances and will again.
But Gannett is not poor. It's not bleeding red, and didn't it give record high dividend percentages this year?
Jim's focus on the waste and abuse of the upper crust is right on target, to keep us focused not to become pitted against each other and instead stand up for our rights, at least until we see Craig and Gracia working at our side for the same $29k/year some of us earn. Then we can talk seriously about giving one for the Gipper.
for the people who got lay off , what are you doing with your 401K and pension money. i got my packet from Gannett in the mail today. I know one think Im not leaving in , im taken it out
ReplyDeleteIf you take out your 401k you have just locked in your losses. Let it stay until the market comes back. If you take it out and don't roll it over into an IRA you have created a taxable event on those losses. As for the pension feel free to roll it over into an IRA unless you need the money at this time.
ReplyDeleteThe reason for even considering disqualifying bariatric surgery from the health plans probably originates in the NJ Group where time lost for this type of surgery could actually could actually cause more of an employee shortfall than the layoffs did! Sorry to say that there isn't one stinking Gannett problem which isn't magnified in Central NJ.
ReplyDeleteOk, I have to be stupid and ask. Is NJ really what bad?
ReplyDeleteRE: shopping divas
ReplyDeleteLouisville has a shopping diva to whom they have turned over most of the formerly interesting and readable Saturday magazine, which now is basically a restaurant review and a few music reviews surrounding by pages of advertorial. In addition, aforesaid shopping diva also produces a couple of ad-laden glossy advertorial magazines which apparently are big money-makers and which (diversity irony alert!!!) are distributed only to those areas in which the readership is sufficiently affluent to be presumed to give a flying fuck. When another local publication sicced a former C-J reporter on this to explore the nature of the dividing line between news and advertising, upper management at the C-J bunkered down and basically refused to address the issue. And don't get me started on the collection of insipid "lifestyle" columnists they have accumulated in recent years....
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThe question is...will Gannett continue to consolidate ad production????? Gannett has consolidated photo/image scanning, circulation customer service, circulation marketing, credit/finance...they will consolidate/regionalize anywhere that they can save $$$$. Gannett is all about business, revnue and costs. Gannett is in a downward spiral and the only thing that this going to stop in is to get rid of Dubow...he just grasping at straws constantly.
ReplyDelete9:20. If I could I would delete your comment. I'm sure Jim will when he sees it. Nothing like high school bathroom humor to add to a discussion.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you about to be laid off, set your google search to "frugal living" or "frugal blog" and you'll find a wealth of practical information.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is much broader than the "shopping" blogs we've seen on some newspaper sites.
Specific sites to look up
Frugal Village
Festival of Frugality
Thanks, 10:40 pm, for encouraging me to remove that comment.
ReplyDelete9:20 I am sure you will attack me for saying this but I think its mean to point out someone by name and degrade them. Maybe if they are a CEO its fair game but just a small time local person is kinda cruel. 8:54 seemed to take the high road and leave out the name and still get his/her point across. Sometimes people hide behind a keyboard and mouse and just get mean.
ReplyDelete6:26 Warning: if you touch any of that 401K money, the IRS could and probably will come after you for taxes due on all of it. It is a real easy case for the tax people to determine if you put it into a qualified plan, or a regular bank account. Doing this wrong could really throw you in a new higher tax bracket, and really screw up your life. If you don't like the stock exchange, then put it into a money market IRA. The interest rate is really lousy right now. The money market accounts are currently guaranteed to #250,000. Make sure the account you pick is federally insured. I think $250,000 would mean everyone here.
ReplyDelete3:35 December ads should be a little better than November because of Christmas. Take a look at your paper and you see Xmas ads. But they probably will be off from last year by 18 to 20 percent, according to what I am seeing. This is going to be very bad news for Q4, and am sure the people in the Crystal Palace are already devising some water torture for us on this in the next quarter. There has to be a broad economic recovery before this looks any better, and that is not in sight. So take heed, save your money, and be prepared for the worse becuause I am pretty damn sure we are going to see that before this is all over.
ReplyDeleteMILKLOVER...you were an idiot. Glad Jim deleted your asinine comment.
ReplyDelete4:16 and 9:59 p.m., re ad consolidation. It is coming to Wisconsin early next year; all the eastern sites will be done in the mecca of Green Bay. That's only a commute of one-plus hours each way for many folks.
ReplyDeleteHey, now...here in NJ, I can think of only 2 or 3 persons out of 3 of the smaller newspapers that would even come close to qualifying for the surgery. That's not to say that there aren't many who could afford to drop a couple of pounds. But who knows, what with all the angst that continues to be a part of all of our Gannett lives, these pounds may just drop off through worrying! By the way, folks on welfare in PA can get the state to pay for their bariatric surgery and even get the loose skin taken off once a weight goal has been achieved. Now that's service!
ReplyDelete