In a heartbreaking story worth reading to the very last sentence, The Independent Weekly tells a harrowing tale about Gannett's stewardship of The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La. The 143-year-old daily got swept up in the $1 billion Thomson Newspapers deal in mid-2000.Writer Leslie Turk says in Chain Reaction: "Corporate newspaper giant Gannett has ransacked The Daily Advertiser, one of its most lucrative newspapers. And every penny of profit squeezed out of the daily has been wired straight to its Virginia headquarters.
"Lafayette is the poster child for this problem," the story says, "as Gannett has robbed this community to pay for its errors elsewhere. For centuries, locally owned papers had a different mission, but now the Advertiser's readers are being told they must pay for Gannett's mistakes and greed."
Publisher Leslie Hurst did not respond to the Weekly's calls or e-mail, the story says.
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Tons of readers have called and asked about the disappearance of long-time contributor Jim Bradshaw's column. But the Advertiser has yet to publicly announce the "retirement" of Bradshaw. Seems like someone who has worked there 30 or so years and is embedded into the community would deserve a proper send-off.
ReplyDeleteOf course, this is nothing new, they also forced Charlie Lennox into retirement, then threw him a half-assed "retirement" party. The next week, he was working for a rival newspaper.
Truth be told, the Advertiser has had bad management from the moment Gannett purchased the company. People who have been working for the Advertiser for 20-plus years have been summarily shown the door the last few months, and if I were one of the "old guard", I'd be watching my back.
Nothing but snakes and back-stabbers in that place. Pretty easy to recognize the snakes and backstabbers, though, they're the ones who actually want hurricanes to hit (page views!!!) and have a hard time pronouncing Atchafalaya.
Gosh, I just feel so bad for the people in Lafayette. I was there when she had her way in Huntington. She was so hard on the little people, especially in production and classified.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that she had a job to do, but the way that she did it, behind a closed door with no regard for the town, was just too much to handle. We didn't have a forum to air our concerns. Now we do.
I don't know if the Lansing to Louisiana move was a promotion, but with Denise gone, I don't think that she has a chance to move again.
I am sure that she is a reader of your blog. But the story is very sad and most likely true.
I saw the stories about her kitchen in Michigan... but no one really followed up on those comments.
I'd like to hear from other people that worked for her. She has been the publisher in at least four newspapers in the past 12 years.
Maybe it was ok in FM... but it doesn't work in other markets.
"Leslie Hurst is not engaged in the Lafayette community. ... And Hurst has made it very clear in the pages of her paper that if anyone has questions or comments about what’s happening, she doesn’t want to hear them. .... “On one of her first days in Lafayette, she told us that she would not speak to the public, would not answer e-mails, and if called would not pick up the phone. She also will not answer voice mails,” a former employee says."
ReplyDeleteEww, I got some Louisiana on me. Wash it off, WASH IT OFF!
Lafayette isn't the only community paper that has been gutted beyond critical mass. There a many more.
ReplyDeleteI work at a community paper. We made good money in 2008, yet we're "broke" and can't travel anywhere and can't buy anything and can't operate like competitors a third our size.
It's bizarre to me.
this story is the same for many many gannett papers. a small paper in the midwest ranked in the top 5 for profit in gannett in 2005 and 2006. Now it is nearly dismantled.
ReplyDelete1 year ago when consolidations started, OC was told their paper "wouldn't even exist if it weren't part of gannett". How inpiring and uplifting is that to tell OC and for what purpose I don't know? Certainly doesn't make most people want to work harder and better. soon this paper won't exist BECAUSE it is part of gannett. SO sad. So many excellent employee's lives disrupted.
thank you for telling this story it is the bottom line, sad story of gannett and the short sited, greedy top level corp. managers. they live in outer space as in my opinion.
Leslie Hurst has got to be the WORST Publisher in company. When she came to Lansing the 1st thing she did was to fire her admin assistant and hire someone with a different look, the new one wore high heels and shorty suits.
ReplyDeleteShe then instructed all department heads to inform thier employees never to come into her office when she was not there (she changed the locks)and if she was there not to talk to her directly. She has a closed door policy. Not what you would expect in a publisher.
She was so big an idiot that she let all of the 50 yardline ticket lapse and had to settle with other seat. Ticket were used as thank yous to employee and sales reps.
She so alienated the area business that Lansing is still feeling the effect 2 years and 2 publishers later.
Hah. Now you know how Gannet's 23 TV stations feel about being gutted to serve the revenue free-fall of the 900+ newspapers.
ReplyDeleteThe pretty-reliable rumor in Lansing was that the only time employees actually saw Leslie Hurst was when she arrived at the office in the morning and left the office at night. She had no interaction with anyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame -- and a SHAM.
ReplyDeleteMy only encounter with The Advertiser was during Hurricane Katrina, when my paper parachuted me into town late the Sunday before the storm hit (actually I flew to Houston and drove to Lafayette), but the folks there were so nice and accommodating. The publisher had a couple of rooms in a local hotel reserved before the torrent of evacuees would have made it impossible for this late-arriving reporter to stay and work anywhere within 300 miles of the drowning city ... and the news staff welcomed me into their newsroom that night and the next day for my early stories before I waded into New Orleans ...
I guess it was a last vestige of real cooperation with anybody outside for that sad paper. This is such a sad, and infuriating, tale. I can only say, my sympathies.
I worked with Leslie for a long time. It took a while before I heard for sure Leslie was a she. I never found out what she looks like. I probably stood on an elevator with her a few times and didn't know it was her. And I always introduce myself to co-workers and make conversation.
ReplyDelete2:14
ReplyDeleteDon't believe everything you read. Things haven't changed since Katrina. What the article -- written by a bitter publication trying to take ad revenues from The Advetiser -- talked about was the business side. The journalism is still good and the people are the same. People who came down for Gustav and Ike last year had the same accomodations as you talked about for Katrina, even those from non-Gannett papers. The workers on the ground are still doing a bang-up job. The rest of this -- whether about where the publisher is or how often she is seen -- is just fluff that no one cares about.
So this poor paper was sold in '98 to the big T, and then flipped two years later to the big G? Wow. I feel sorry for the long-timers.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great, and tough article! I have copied and sent along to other ex-Gannett survivors.
ReplyDeleteThe ever-revolving publisher policy of Gannett has helped ruin many a good newspaper. Too many of these publishers view their assignment as just to slash and burn what is in place (they ASSUME that what is in place is BAD, and must be destroyed) at the newspapers, then in two years, move on to a bigger paper with more pay and ruin the lives of those people, as well.
Hurst is typical.
2:14, give me a break -- would that be the editor of that fine paper who wrote the 2:14 post? Oh, my bad...that's right. The editor can't write. She has everything under her name constructed by a friend out West and e-mailed in. Probably the evil managing editor or her one and only loyal minion. While Hurst is a paranoid schixo who had a handicapped parking space converted so she could be 14 feet closer to the entrance (fewer people see her the less she walks), she is not alone in her ability to care about the Lafayette community. The two top dogs in the newsroom show little evidence of giving a rat about the region. They bully loyal employees and gloat over the extreme newsroom turnover rate. The EE takes direction for the power-hungry ad director. But back to Hurst, the lady is so paranoid that someone is following her, she moves her car during the day to throw those watching her every move off guard. The only time she's visible in the building is when someone from corporate is visiting. Otherwise, she stays holed up in her office -- or she's off to Turkey without telling a single soul. She insists on her refrigerator being stocked with certain brands and flavors of yogurt -- whoever has the lucky job of making the purchase has to travel to three different stores to find all three. The woman is obsessed with realage.com -- and is constantly trying to become younger. All in all, she's as crazy as a betsy bug -- and who ever thinks she has what it takes to be a leader needs his or her head examined.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget the Perrier water, the one with a hint of lime. And Granny Smith apples.
ReplyDelete3:51 PM says, "whether about where the publisher is or how often she is seen -- is just fluff that no one cares about."
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me? When you hear the same stories from every paper this woman has worked at you have got to start wondering why she wasn't let go long ago. Corporate should be very concerned about the story that was written in the Independent Weekly. They should do some homework and find out from various people who have worked with her if these accusations are true. If they are and she's allowed to stay in a management position, shame on Corporate. Would you want your paper represented by someone who doesn't care about the community and has a closed door policy with her employees? This article is so disturbing. It's one more black eye for this company.
10 to 1 corporate DOES know about her, that's why Louisiana got her instead of Des Moines, Indy, Phoenix, Nashville or Louisville.
ReplyDeleteTruth is, there's an up escalator and a down escalator on the publisher and director career track. If you get stuck at a crappy property you can either turn it around and wow your boss, or you can hide it out until purgatory ends and move on to a different situation.
If your new publisher brings in her old team, she's a hot shot, and a producer - directors follow winners. If no one wants to follow her, that's a message too - either she sucks or your property REALLY sucks.
Here's Leslie's "trail of tears" since 1999 (all in Gannett) ...
ReplyDeletePublisher in Hattiesburg, MS
Publisher in Huntington, WV
Publisher in Boise, ID
Publisher in Lansing, MI
Publisher in Lafayette, LA
Note: Huntington and Boise are no longer Gannett properties, but were owned by GCI when Leslie was publisher.
The demise of the Advertiser and every other newspaper Gannett has bought points directly at bozos, blowhards and backstabbers like Doug McCorkindale, Phil Currie and Craig Dubow, not to mention the company directors who drink the sleeping pill-laced Kool-Aid before board meetings. How many hundreds of millions of dollars has Gannett squandered buying back its own stock at artificially pumped-up prices based on the suicidal strategy of buying papers and disemboweling them of their value?
ReplyDelete3:42 AM, Believe me, Louisiana is one of the best kept secrets in Gannett. It is a great place to live and work. Our paper in Louisiana is doing very well and our publisher is one of the best around. You can keep Des Moines, Indy, Phoenix, Nashville or Louisville. I'll stay here, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe Independent's piece was extremely well-written and cut to the heart of the issues on both national and local scales. Lafayette is a beautifully unique community and Hurst's bizarre idiosyncrasies really have had a profound effect on area non-profits, for example, who have had the dubious "treat" of actually speaking to her.
ReplyDeletePeople in Lafayette once looked to the publication (or publications in general) as something of a public service. All that's history now. Save, of course, for stories like this from publications who actually remain lucid (The Ind, The Advocate).
These are indeed hard times for the industry — it'd be nice to have a publisher who at least tried to do something about it. Hell, it'd be nice to have one who openly strives for "acceptable."
I hate to harp on one woman, but the fact that all this absurdity goes unchecked (or unacknowledged publicly, at least) says loads more about Gannett.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI'm reposting the following comment (minus a word I don't allow) from Anonymous, who said...
ReplyDeleteHurst has been [ ] since she left her Boise job and came to Michigan. I would like to hear from someone who worked with her in Boise. Was she always like that. If I ever had a chance to talk to her I would tell her what everyone in the company thinks of her. Why will not anyone say anything to her about her mannerism, or lack therof.
Rag on Gannett and The Advertiser all you want, but the people who are still there are good, hard-working, intelligent folks who need our support. And the reporting, like one blogger said, is well done when the reporters are given enough breathing room to work. After all, the ones left are doing the jobs of many.
ReplyDeleteI applaud the Independent for its story, but I was dismayed to see that they "had one layoff in the past year and in recent months instituted a single digit, company-wide salary cut...to prepare for what might hit locally in light of falling oil and natural gas prices."
Gas prices have dropped, from an inflated incredible high to what it was three years ago, so why the drastic measures? If they had stated bad ad sales I would have respected them more.
According to their story, “Newspapers and newspaper companies and Wall Street have gotten hooked on a large cash flow and huge profits because newspapers were monopolies.” Is this true with The Independent as well?
I think all newspapers need to step back and remind themselves that people are the bottom line. If newspapers are going to have less cash flow (and they will!), then let the pain be felt elsewhere besides human resources.
Of course, with Gannett, humans were never their first priority.
Hey, there's a bright side to everything. At least one of Lafayette's managers no longer has to wash Hurst's car once a week.
ReplyDeleteThe person who did that was laid off right before Christmas.
Although The Independent got it right in this story, this former Daily employee wonders why the alt weekly wastes so many inches picking on The Daily Advertiser and The Times of Acadiana. It happens so frequently it really comes off as sour grapes -- and it's been going on for years. At least now the attacks aren't focused on The Daily's employees, but, instead, on the corporate "giant."
Those not familiar with The Independent should know that this publication has a history of mocking/shaming journalists at other local publications, especially The Times and Daily. They really seem to enjoy punching their competitors in the gut. This cover story may seem to have a sympathetic angle when refering to Gannett employees, but a couple of years ago, they were making fun of these same employees' typos. Though The Daily has done some very bad things, I, at least, respect them from never sinking to that level of pettiness.
How ignorant is this writer? She states that their (Gannett) stock is down...and so is 95% of all publicly traded stock. I've been a loyal reader of The Advertiser for years (yeah, it isnt the best paper, but it OUR local paper). But what she fails to mention is all the good things that The Advertiser does for the community. Its time for The Independent to get over themselves.
ReplyDeleteTis true. The folks at The Independent thrive on taking cheap shots at anybody they choose. They've done a number on a number of TDA employees over the years -- seemingly enjoying picking on people who were working their fingers to the bone trying to put out a decent news product. During those times, the arrogant, self-righteous editorial people at The Independent never mentioned Gannett, only specific individuals. And even on the same page of mocking others, The Ind never owned up to their own mishaps -- like mixing up Republicans and Democrats or misspelling other words. Basically, they're bullies-- even though they're the little guy when it comes to media.
ReplyDeleteOne of the owners of The Independent says, "Employees are like a can of beer. You use 'em up and crush them." Perhaps he used to work for Gannett.
Never fear, 6:10 p.m., Hurst is not the type to let a little thing like lay-offs stop her weekly or daily if she so chooses car washings. Her Cadillac is whisked away still for regular washings -- with strict instructions to always park in a different spot about 20 yards away. You know, one of the basic rules of throwing off stalkers is to mix up the routine. No doubt, those different parking spaces do the trick for that.
ReplyDeleteI used to work for The Badvertiser. I wouldn't call what The Independent does "sour grapes" or "pettiness." At least The Independent has the courage to speak up about Gannett's and The Advertiser's hell-on-Earth. If The Independent is so wrong and bullying, let The Advertiser stick up for themselves rather than their "ignore them and they'll go away" attitude. Look at all these comments, only a couple of them stick up for Hurst and The Advertiser. A lot of them are obviously by former or current employees. Is that not enough of a wake-up call as to what's wrong over there?
ReplyDeleteOh, and by the way, name ONE good thing for the community that The Advertiser has done. Better yet, name one good thing since Hurst began her reign of terror. At least former publisher Ted Power wasn't a paranoid hermit.
@2:27 p.m.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of unrealistic to ask the Advertiser to report on its own corporate inefficiencies. I seriously doubt that between prayers for continued employment the remaining writers wonder "How can I accurately report on the limitations I'm currently facing?" and "How can I really stick it to the people who pay my check?"
I'm happy another news source is taking the reins. You can bet everyone in that building was grinning ear to ear as they read The Independent's story.
I'd like to see more reporting on the timecard issue. Regardless of the paper's skeletal nature, I can assure you that people are working hours upon hours of overtime — much of which goes unreported because they are only allowed so many hours. Its editors know this, but as long as nobody speaks up, who cares? Illegal much?
This is kind of off topic, but I agree that The Independent has had its share of silliness with regard to jabbing at The Advertiser and direct competitor The Times of Acadiana back in the (former publisher) Ted Power days. The ones I recall reading were mostly based in fact (grammar errors, mistakes that were prominently corrected a day later by the Advertiser, etc.), but there were a few clear reaches directed at individual writers who were already facing limitations.
I remember once The Independent reported on its blog that the Advertiser published a classified ad looking for copy editors "Responsible for editing stories for publication while ensuring that spelling, grammer, syntax, and quotes are accurate and correct."
Good for ironic chuckles, sure, but clearly that's something that was put in by someone in advertising. (At least, the inclusion of the oxford comma would lead me to believe so.)
There's no way The Independent could have known who was in their 12th overtime hour when they made a syntax error in a feel-good piece. The few opinion-based "The Advertiser is so dumb / The Times is clueless" editorials directed at fellow journalists could arguably be considered in poor taste but, hey, it grabs readers. Nowadays, the Gannett publications are so lacking that nothing needs to be pointed out anymore.
Word on the street is that Hurst is crawling out of her cave to meet with some -- wait for it -- local advertisers. That means HRH plans to have conversations with real people from Louisiana. No doubt she'll have someone else drive her as to thwart those pesky stalkers obsessed with her every move.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the public move dealings in direct response to The Independent's piece? Or perhaps she just wonders what the common people are doing tonight.