Saturday, January 03, 2009
Saturday | Jan. 3 | Your News & Comments
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37 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. How's the weather where you are -- and where is that, anyway?
ReplyDeleteHey Jim - 18ยบ and slightly cloudy here in Mich.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to suggest another possible way to accept donations, although your current method seems to be working fairly well.
Check out Tipjoy:
http://tipjoy.com/
Thanks again for the great coverage of Gannett, and it's related enterprises.
In response to some posts on Friday's comments:
ReplyDeleteWow. There are some attack-first people on here, aren't there?
I only started Gannettoid.com to help organize some news items.
I didn't want to impose on this blog one bit because I don't have the time, nor skill Jim shows to replace this site. I'm not trying to replace this one. But if anyone else runs a blog that keeps an eye on a local Gannett cluster, let me know. I'll link to it.
About Cincinnati being spelled wrong: I have fixed that, but c'mon, send an e-mail and tell me to copy edit better next time and I'll thank you for the tip.
I'm not trying to say it's a great site, I'm not saying anything like that. I'm just saying when something like section cuts happen, let's compile a list that is in an easy-to-find spot.
Again, I have no intention or desire of replacing this blog. I could've put a message board up, I didn't. I could've thrown ads all around it, there isn't one. I could've tried to profit off of people donating to Jim and asked for donations, I'm not.
And if I was trying to replace this blog, do you think I'd link so prominently to it? Do you think I'd post on here in the way I do?
And if there was any negative news that was passed on to me, I'd put it up. I'm not hiding anything, but c'mon, the site has only even existed for two weeks. I have referred to the layoffs and link to non-Gannett stories.
You think I'm pro-Gannett because I don't put Jim's stories about the Foundation up? Please. I just want to highlight some basic news items, not steal any spotlight from other people's work.
And if I've only scratched the surface on section cuts, THEN PROVE IT. What have I missed?
I'm working on finding more. I know I don't have it all, but I have all that has been posted on this blog and some other ones. I also know that at least Green Bay still has similar news to come, but I haven't found anything concrete on that. It looks like they will announce section cuts Sunday, but I haven't found anything saying so for sure yet. Do you have info on this? Post it.
And about it not being for those who "loath and despise this company," WHAT?
It's meant to just put the news out there. As more negatives happen, it'll be up. Are you saying unless I start calling Dubow a loser and taking every shot I can, then I'm pledging allegiance of greatness to the Gannett flag every day? C'mon.
I used to post a few small things on this blog before, now I try to compile some links onto a Web site and I'm kissing the company's ass?
Don't worry. I'm not offended by those who say my site is no competition for this site. When I first started it, I sent Jim an e-mail and told him I was no competition for his site and wasn't trying to be.
I don't think it comes off as trying to compete with this site. Gannettoid is very similar to a list of links in my favorites that was growing as Dec. 3 neared.
Didn't anyone read the front page of my site before attacking it? Calm down.
Thanks for keeping my posts, Jim.
No problem, Gannettoid.
ReplyDeletegannettoid-
ReplyDeleteThere's more than enough bad news to go around and be reported on. But one way to tell when you are doing a good job is by how often you do get attacked. That means your writing was good enough to get a response.
Haters hate. That's what their job is.
Truth needs to be known. No matter how good, bad, indifferent, offensive, out-of-bounds, etc.
Keep up the good work.
Tara Connell is a bumbling idiot. Her "unofficial, never announced" new role as head of Content One would be the biggest mistake Dubow could ever make.
ReplyDeleteWait, we are talking about a CEO who never wrote a 3rd grade book report and now he is going to tell us how we should write our stories.
Isn't this the CEO who was a Broadcast "suit"? What does he know about journalism?
As for Ms. Connell, I hear she is out begging for help from Mr. Moon and others as she builds up her Content One team. Her requests are falling on deaf ears.
Btw, is it me or do you think Dubow is having trouble counting beyond "one". Every one of his new initiatives never goes beyond One.
So far we have heard about One Gannett and then we learned about Gannett One and now we have Content One. How original! It sounds like he is turning Gannett into a broadcast station.
"...live weather from the Gannett One radar" and don't miss the "ContentOne Copter bringing you real-time traffic" and "the One Gannett team will bring your local news with a twist".
This place is royally screwed. With the Tara Connell and Craig Dubow team in place we do not have a chance to survive.
PS- Have you noticed something..Dubows side kicks are typically scary, weak women, like Martore and Connell.
glassdoor.com has a list of the worst companies to work for, based on employee ratings:
ReplyDeleteNo. 36 - Gannett
It's hard to believe there could be 35 companies worse than GCI.
To the blogger Gannettoid, in your e-mail, to me sent as a reply to the one I sent you, you never did tell me who you are> If you did, then I would have kept it a secret, now WHEN, I fine out, I will tell the world?
ReplyDeleteEvery day the New Jersey group brings more and more pleasure to this blog.
ReplyDeleteToday's C-N has a "To our readers" note from the managing editor at the bottom of Page 1. There's a redundancy in the 2nd paragraph ...
Due to the economic recession, the Courier News has been forced to cut expenses ...
A recession is a period of reduced economic activity. Looks like the crack copy desk can't be bothered to consult their AP Stylebook.
Then there's a howler in the 3rd paragraph ...
In our Sunday TV Book ... we removed the individual grids for Sunday morning, afternoon and evening ...
Sunday is the biggest night for TV and you're taking the Sunday-night listings out of the paper? Swell!
Monday I canceled my subscription. It was to end Jan. 1.
ReplyDeleteI've received a paper every day since the dawn of 2009.
I expect communication? At a newspaper? I know, I ask for too much.
9:58 AM
ReplyDeleteIt took three or four months after I cancelled for them to stop delivery. Actually, I kept getting it until they sent a bill, and I sent that back with the date and time cancelled. Never heard another peep.
I suppose I could have made repeated calls to the call center, reminding them of the cancellation. Nope. Had to do that for weeks to get delivery started.
I understand that the official word from Gannett is that they ignore this blog. I think everyone reading it has recognized someone on here, including managers. Most people write the same way they speak. My question is how can they ignore their readers. The blog's on Gannett's own online newspapers are saying a lot of the same things. Are they just living in some fantasy world? Can't they see the general public is unhappy with the lower standards? I guess everyone at a Gannett location is living in a fantasy world because the people I've spoken to still think they are too valuable to the company to be let go.
ReplyDeleteHere's one to add to your list of really dumb Gannett moves:
ReplyDeleteThe Asbury Park Press has killed its weekly fishing section. Permanently. Before you say, "eh, it's just fishing," you should know a few facts: NJ has 127 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, more than 800 lakes and ponds, dozens of rivers and two major bays -- Raritan Bay to the north, which leads into the Hudson River, and Delaware Bay to the south. Fishing and fishing related industries are worth in excess of $2 billion to the state.
During the weeks the section was published, it was loaded with advertising and brought in revenues in 6-figure amounts yearly. Put out with a staff that was 90 percent freelancers, it had one of the highest readerships of any section in the paper.
Even worse, they cut loose their primary fishing columnist. He had more than 50 years with the paper and a following in the community that stretched beyond fishing. He had been retired for some time and was writing on a freelance basis, and they called him right before Christmas and said no more. Readers are angry and so are the guys who took out advertising.
If they were looking to totally destroy circulation, they have picked one of the best ways to achieve that goal.
Hey folks, this sure has been a BAD week for the Courier News in New Jersey:
ReplyDelete"Because of severe production problems Tuesday morning (12/30/09) we were unable to deliver copies of Tuesday's Courier News to 12,000 subscribers."
"Today's C-N (1/1/09) doesn't have yesterday's lottery numbers AND doesn't have a story on the local NBA team's day game from yesterday."
"For the second Friday, the real estate pull-out section is missing from my copy of CN."
"That big drop in circulation and readership at the C-N is deserved."
"No one, not even the infamous JC in Bridgewater, would write sanctimonious crap like that!"
Something (or someone) ain't working so great at the CN!
Poughkeepsie starts printing in Westchester on Sunday. Westchester publisher sent an e-mail last week that said tuition assistance is being suspended.
ReplyDeleteCenters of Excellence have several "Mission Accomplished!" banners to hang if CD ever visits in his flight suit.....
ReplyDeleteRichard Michem,
ReplyDeleteTrue, I did not say who I am, but I did address your question.
I've chosen to remain anonymous simply because it doesn't matter. The site is a simple portal to a few links and some information. No big deal.
I'm not trying to gain anything from it, so I feel no reason to disclose my name.
I haven't attacked anyone and see no reason someone would want to disclose my name, but if you do, I'd shrug it off. That'd be OK. It's just a step I'm choosing to avoid, but not a big deal.
Thanks for the interest.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
As a note: Headed to the cineplex twice this weekend. Spurred on by wife who wanted to see Marley and Me, my desire to view Grand Torino and a ticket promotion of two movies for 6 bucks.
Neither film was true to its' storyline or location.
Marley and Me features two paper scribes. One for the Palm Beach Post and one at the Sun Sentinel in Lauderdale. Sadly, in today's world both would either be laid-off or at least without a pension. Forget the dog.
Grand Torino: Eastwood (seen sitting on his front porch paper in hand) would have no paper to read (assuming home delivery) unless the entire story occurred on a weekend. This is Detroit after all.
His advice to the neighbor "put an ad in the paper" could force the kid to wait 2-3-or 4 days.
Hollywood can no longer use papers as locations or integral parts of a plot without risking dating the storyline.
SAD
Off Topic, but somewhat related.
ReplyDeleteToday, in the mail, I received a post card notifying me that one of my favorite magazines, Cottage Living, has ceased publication.
My subscription does not run out until 2010.
They're sending me Southern Living, not quite the same but better than taking a loss. They said I should get the substitute magazine in the next "three to 11 weeks."
There's always a refund, I guess.
Gannettoid, as long as you refuse to disclose any information about yourself, you will be suspect.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is full of dummy sites designed to scoop up traffic based on similarity to bona-fide, legitimate sites. Like yours, they don't provide any meaningful information or original content, only generic links to the hard work of others. The aim presumably is to pick up easy ad-click revenue.
That seems to be what you are up to. If I'm wrong, prove it. Identify yourself, your purpose, methods and goals. Otherwise, quit wasting our bandwidth by posting here.
gannetttoid, your site does seem rather pointless. No offence, but this site is already hear and gets all the traffic. Why have to go to several sites. Just send your stuff to Jim if you have any and let it be linked here. I personally didnt see much on your site anyway.
ReplyDeleteWow, They are killing Hook, Line and Sinker in the APP. That was a very useful section. Anyone that fishes NJ knows that it is, or was, a good source of the fishing trends throughout the state. If there was a niche publication or section to keep that would be top on my list. I mean, New Jersey is a peninsula, you can only head in one direction and not hit water! (North for those that aren't familiar, and even then there's a big F'ing lake on the northern border)
ReplyDeleteThis section was included in other papers throughout the state too.
Does anyone know what Gannetts policy is on what information they give out to prospective employer checking on a former employee? Will they give reason no longer with company? Fired? Laid off? Salary? Employment dates? etc.
ReplyDeletei'm in asheville and i haven't been able to check my work email from home all day. all i get is an error message saying that although the site seems valid it can't make a connection. anybody know something i don't know? (which is highly likely since i'm continually falling out of the loop)
ReplyDeleteWow, that new EE from Cincy really is a moron, isn't he -- killing Hook, Line & Sinker and firing the locally famous John Geiser.
ReplyDeleteI hope that marketing guy who got the staff fishing editor job just because he's a sailing bud of the managing editor got the boot this time too. Word was the ME saved his butt from marketing last round of layoffs, sacrificing another of the newsroom's own.
I don't have much respect for the longtime ME either, but being a fishing buff, how is it he let Towns kill the fishing section? Is the ME on the outs now too?
6:04:
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you guys to figure out Towns is a moron?
4:53
ReplyDeleteas a former Gannett mangler, I was always told I could verify that the individual was employed and when, nothing more.
Of course, my feelings about the individual came through in my tone of voice.
According to official Gannett policy -- developed to prevent any legal problems -- all we are supposed to do when we get a reference call is to confirm that yes, he or she worked here during certain dates.
ReplyDeleteWe are not supposed to discuss the circumstances of leaving.
Whether that is followed in all cases seems doubtful but in my experience I very much doubt bosses would denigrate an employee who left under the recent economic circumstances.
10:18 AM
ReplyDeleteSure, they ignore the blog. The way a politician "ignores" a scandal.
They both hope it will just go away.
Towns wasn't much in Cincy, I am told. Apparently he is not "into" good ol' boy fishin' and huntin' and gruntin' stuff.
ReplyDeletePerhaps his sneer of contempt for the "regular guy" out there who likes the hunt and fish is the result of Cincy's distain for the regular reader, who there was always viewed as morons and illiterates.
Sad - but Towns in there as long as he wants, or until he ruins this paper and is then sent on to another unsuspecting town by Gannett.
It's a new year. The 4Q numbers are in and year-over-year numbers are coming. How will Gannett, Dean Singleton, McClatchey, the Washington Post Co., the New York Times Co. do? Forget about the Tribune Co. Sam Zell should have stuck to real estate. A friend told me the other day the once lovely Baltimore Sun, the paper of H.L. Mencken for God's sake, is now nothing but ads (good for corporate, bad for readers) and the newsprint is so thin she can't separate the pages to even try to read anything.
ReplyDeleteSo what's going to happen to the world of print journalism this year? Will the big bloated companies lay off more people to hit their dividends? Will they slaughter content to hit their margins?
I concoct scenarios: The NYT Magazine gets rid of its crossword puzzle because Will Shortz wants a raise. Or because he's too old. The Upper East and West Sides of NYC will riot if that happens.
How about this one? The Washington Post stops covering the White House because it can get all its information from...bloggers? And Gannett? From what I read on this blog, an ill wind is swirling down at the HQ in VA.
It's the new year. How many more rookies will graduate from J school this spring with starry-eyed notions of being the next Woodward and Bernstein? How many J school professors are urging their students to go forth and prosper? Lies, lies all of it.
Oh hell, those kids are going to get and/or keep jobs at the expense of old codgers who cost too much, but at least those codgers could write a decent sentence without 4 editors having to fix it before it gets to the desk.
I'm glad my unceremonious exit in December is over and done with, and I can stop worrying about all of the above and get on with my new life as an unemployed American. Thanks, Jim, for giving me and the others such a great opportunity to do what we do best: think and write. Well, most of us, anyway...
11:07 & 4:40,
ReplyDeleteMaybe it wasn't the topic of the fishing pages but the bungled, unprofessional air it took on.
Misspellings, poor grammar, inexact and confusing captions. Stories barely good enough to go into a weekly shopper.
This decision was inevitable from the first story the new guy ran about his "epiphany in the bathtub," which was embarassing more tha endearing.
But the paper probably got rid of the veteran and kept the "editor."
Re:Content One...
ReplyDeleteFirst notice that it existed started with an "As you know..." note.
Don't even really know what it is and neither do our editors. Can we get the real scoop?
To 5:13 p.m.: Try https://webmail.gannett.com/
ReplyDeleteThe word "east" used to appear somewhere in the link, but that's been discontinued. I tried the above link just now (9 p.m. EST) and it worked fine.
5:13
ReplyDeleteDo you not know how to contact your local IT support staff? Or because you can't connect you automatically assume Gannett is shutting down? I don't see the point of why you would post that here?
At 11 p.m. the presses started for the last time at the Poughkeepsie Journal.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow they will print in Westchester.
It's the end of an era.
Getting rid of John Geiser is an absolute travesty.
ReplyDelete