Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday | Jan. 27 | Your News & Comments
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67 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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How many people are on furlough in your department today?
ReplyDeleteNone that I know of. Most people scheduled for March so they wouldn't take a furlough week in January only to wake up to a March layoff.
ReplyDeleteNope none today............ :)its going to be a good day!
ReplyDeleteOne, out of 4.
ReplyDeleteSo, here's a question -- if I lose my job, and Gannett pays out the $100K or so I have accrued in the "retirement" plan, under what circumstances would I be able to access that $100K to keep feeding my family, and what kind of penalties will I pay?
ReplyDeleteThis from MediaDailyNews section two, quoting a Reuters article:
ReplyDeleteCould this become a publishing trend? Lee Enterprises, publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and several small U.S. daily newspapers, is learning the public relations benefits of putting executive pay restrictions in the spotlight.
When Lee released its annual proxy filing with the U.S. government on Monday, it included this news: "For 2009, we have frozen the salaries of executive officers, including CEO Mary Junck, at 2008 levels." Not only that, Lee scotched its bonus plan for top executives (which could have been as much as 250% percent of base pay) and nixed contributions to the execs' long-term incentive plans, usually given in the form of stock.
These very public decisions may help avoid a restive employee base. Lee is in trouble if it can't negotiate new terms with its lenders -- debt could overwhelm the company and potentially break it up. It's not the time you want to be sending your top executives on junkets and boosting their pay packages.
[There's a link to more ...]
Quiet this morning, Jim.
ReplyDeleteNot much feedback from editors, other managers on the general mood in Gannett properties.
I know it's dismal and all that, but what specifically is going on in some of the smaller sites as they prepare for the furloughs, web width reduction, more page count reductions, etc.?
Just curious.
Also, any examples (good and bad) of how editors and publishers are dealing publicly with the issues. What's in their columns or blogs on these issues?
It's funny but here the talk of the town isn't the news in the newspaper, it's the news about the newspaper.
As a former ME, I find that very interesting but also troubling.
Happy New Year!
Interesting read here. Sorry about the copy and paste.
ReplyDeleteE Ink: 'E-newspapers' to Go Commercial in late 2009
"In the field of electronic paper-based electronic newspapers, a verification test will start by the end of 2008, and an actual business will start in the second half of 2009."
Ryosuke Kuwata, E Ink Corp's vice president in charge of the Asia Pacific region, who is conducting market development for the company, revealed the worldwide advancement of the electronic newspaper project that newspaper companies are pursuing.
Q: What fields is E Ink currently focusing on as new applications of electronic paper following electronic books?
Kuwata: I think newspaper is the field that we are focusing on. I mean electronic newspapers that use electronic paper. Newspaper companies have made significant moves over the past year.
In fact, we have already been in touch with most of the major newspaper companies in Japan. We are likely to focus on the application for electronic newspaper for a while, reinforcing our support and other services.
Off course, Japanese newspaper companies are not the only ones that are making moves. First of all, US newspaper companies began to address electronic newspapers earlier than Japanese counterparts, as you know.
Hearst Corp, for example, is advancing specific discussion on electronic newspapers. Although it is not well-known, Hearst is investing quite a bit in E Ink. I guess that is because Hearst is also focusing on the electronic newspaper business.
I think it's more accurate to say that such moves in the US have recently traveled to newspaper companies in Japan and Europe. In Europe, for example, companies including Le Monde of France have just began to move.
Q: When are electronic newspapers likely to emerge in the market? And what terminals and services will they be like?
Kuwata: At the current moment, the newspaper company that is furthest ahead is expected to start a verification test using several thousands of terminals by the end of 2008. After the test, the company will gradually shift to a specific business in the second half of 2009, I expect.
As for the form of terminals and services, each newspaper company is considering it in accordance with its own policy. Hearst, for example, is attempting not only to supply content but also to develop its own terminal in house.
European newspaper companies, on the other hand, seem to be considering using existing terminals or contracting them out to OEM suppliers, based on their strong intention to focus on supplying content. Attitudes vary at each company.
Heres the link anyway:
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080624/153754/
The Detroit Free Press -- and its JOA partner, the Detroit News -- will add mail delivery when they cut back home delivery. This sounds like a blast from the past, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteIn my town the local library gets the Home News Tribune via mail delivery even though the HNT is available on newsstands.
8:03 -- As I understand it, the pension plan has the same rules as a 401k, so you could ...
ReplyDelete1) Roll it into a self-directed IRA without penalty
2) Take a cash out and receive about $70k of your $100k. Twenty percent would be withheld for taxes and you would take a 10 percent penalty for the disbursement. Unless, of course, you're of retirement age.
I would still check with HR people to be sure, but that's how I understand it.
Jim Hopkins said: "How many people are on furlough in your department today?"
ReplyDeleteOne yesterday, one today. Most hourly people took one or 2 days at a time where I am. That makes for complicated scheduling, but in a sense it's easier than full weeks off.
Jim Kroeze to the rescue!!!
ReplyDelete8:03
ReplyDeleteIf you do not roll over the retirement money and take the cash you will have to pay federal income tax on the money. You will also pay a 10% penalty if you are under 59 1/2. You will also be responible to pay any state tax if required.
New York Times Co. to release 2008 earnings statement Wednesday morning. Prepare for the c-r-a-p to hit the fan at that point.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be really bad. That will spill over to everyone else in the coming days, including Gannett.
Look out, everyone.
Furlough report: In my department, at least three.
ReplyDeleteOn the 44-inch change, I haven't heard much, and we don't have many people left to redesign. Everyone is too busy just getting through the day.
Regarding NYT:
ReplyDelete"Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect, on average, net income of 27 cents per share and revenue of $768 million. In the year-ago period, the company reported income of 37 cents per share on revenue of $866 million.
Net income for the full year was expected at 60 cents a share on revenue of $2.94 billion, compared with $1.45 a share on revenue of $3.2 billion in the year-ago period."
- AP
that doesn't sound so "bad," considering the circumstances.
Jim asked:
ReplyDelete"How many people are on furlough in your department today?"
Zero - I no longer work for Gannett ;-)
In 2006 when it came to a choice of keeping my home and feeding my kids or taking a 30% hit on a substantial lump sum pension payment, I took the hit and I have never regretted it for a minute. It gave me breathing room to look for the right new job. Everything has worked out. I do not make as much on the bottom line, but no stress, no annual reviews, no weekends, fair travel reimbursements and profit sharing.
ReplyDeleteNo one off in my department today. The unemployment checks have no furloughs.
ReplyDeleteRegarding NYT: while there are several factors that lower net income per share, a 27% drop QoQ vs. an 11% drop in revenue is the clearest example of how costs are not coming down as fast as revenue is falling.
ReplyDeleteGannett is attempting to lower variable costs faster than it loses revenue. But the result is a watered down product, lower circulation, and ultimately fewer readers.
Are those four or five newly posted district manager postings for USAT contrator or staff positions, anyone know?
ReplyDeleteNote what they did with GNS employees: everyone submits a resignation letter, and they decide who stays. I have not seen that approach before.
ReplyDeleteOh the irony of it all?
ReplyDeleteCareerBuilder.com Launches New Viral Site to Help Workers Get Back at Bad Bosses.
January 27, 2009 8:00 AM ET
Company Releases Survey on Most Bizarre Boss Behaviors -
CHICAGO, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- They lie, they cry, they yell a lot. They're bad bosses and 43 percent of workers reported they have quit a job to get away from them, according to a survey of more than 8,000 workers by CareerBuilder.com, the nation's largest online job site.
Workers who are dealing with problem supervisors will be happy to hear that help is on the way. CareerBuilder.com just launched a new online Anonymous Tip Giver tool that enables you to provide "constructive" criticism or fun advice for bosses or co-workers without revealing your identity.
By logging onto www.anonymoustipgiver.com, users can select from one of four outlandish characters and choose a unique voice to deliver a tip for the recipient. You can write up your own advice or select from a list of pre-made tips such as "One out of 10 people think your barking dog ring tone is funny, that one person is you." You can even record your message over the phone. Without revealing your identity, in an instant the fully animated tip is delivered right to the recipient's e-mail box. Voila! Bad boss problem solved. Annoying co-worker situation addressed.
"Anonymous Tip Giver is part of CareerBuilder.com's new national marketing campaign, which is officially launching at the Super Bowl," said Richard Castellini, Chief Marketing Officer at CareerBuilder.com. "The campaign is a lot of fun and is chock-full of tips to help workers 'start building' better work experiences."
CareerBuilder.com's survey found women (48 percent) are more likely to quit because of a bad boss than men (39 percent). Age also plays a role in who stays and who goes. Approximately 48 percent of workers ages 35-44 left their jobs because of a bad boss, while 40 percent of younger workers, ages 18 to 24, and 41 percent of older workers, ages 45 to 54, said they quit.
Some survey respondents shared real life examples of bad boss behavior that borders on the bizarre, including:
Hid in weird places in order to spy on employeesTook a bite of someone's doughnut while they were away from their deskHeld a meeting while locked inside the bathroomBrought a gun to work and cleaned it in an area behind employeesTap danced on employee's deskShowed everyone a kidney stone he had passedBroke down and cried during a meeting, "Why don't you like me?"Kept his lunch in a freezer intended for human organ storageUsed a taser gun on a subordinateDeclared "Talk like a pirate day"Rode a child's scooter through the office
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 8,038 U.S. employees (employed full-time; not self-employed; non government) ages 18 and over between November 12 and December 1, 2008 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset U.S. employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 8,038, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.09 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.
About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job site with more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.6 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. GCI, Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company MNI and Microsoft Corp. MSFT, the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. Careerbuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 1,600 partners, including 140 newspapers and leading portals such as AOL and MSN. More than 300,000 employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 28 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. CareerBuilder.com and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com.
CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact: Jennifer Grasz
773-527-1164
jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
SOURCE CareerBuilder.com
"CareerBuilder.com's survey found women (48 percent) are more likely to quit because of a bad boss than men (39 percent)."
ReplyDeleteThat's because at my site, you need a penis to get ahead. The old boys' network thrives there.
"Note what they did with GNS employees: everyone submits a resignation letter, and they decide who stays. I have not seen that approach before."
ReplyDeleteInteresting - so when they lay you off, they have this resignation letter on file which will pretty much prevent you from getting unemployment insurance, a portion of which is paid for by Gannett.
I heard on the news this morning that states are running out of unemployment funds and (I believe it was) the feds are requiring more funds to come directly from the employers.
My department? One. My site, total? At least five, maybe six.
ReplyDeleteI'm exhausted already.
What's the matter with everyone?
ReplyDeleteSo, no matter what shit Gannett doles out, people will just be greatful they have a job and accept it?
DO NOT hand over a resignation letter. 1:24 p.m. is correct--this will be used as proof that you quit voluntarily and your unemployment claim will be denied. When you can't find a job a few months down the line that unemployment check could be your firewall for hanging on to your house or paying the rent. Before you do anything in writing involving a buyout or layoff, you should consult a lawyer. This is a basic. Really, people in HR laugh at those of us in journalism, we are such idiots when it comes to standing up for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIBM has sent layoff notices to more than 2,800 people. An “Employee Information Package” sent to affected workers telling them they have been picked to "participate" in this mass lay off.
ReplyDelete1:03 You are wrong. NOBODY was asked to submit a resignation letter. Just another example of deliberate misinformation often spotted in this space.
ReplyDelete---
1:23 I would let you use mine if you need one urgently. It has only been lovingly used.
ReplyDeleteStillllllll no word on finance depts nationwide???????? Someone has to know something!!!!! Come on give it up!!
ReplyDelete2:44, thanks for the laugh! i don't miss my workload now that i'm in layoff land, but i miss my colleagues' humor -- gallows and otherwise.
ReplyDeletestill, there's some humor to be found in my i.d. word:
winomout
sounds like the grape-alcohol version of meth mouth.
One year ago, I posted about Donovan and how he was a lickspittle corporate lackey and I was roundly booed.
ReplyDeleteNow I've been in meetings with Hollis Towns and can tell you this about the man: He is more afraid of losing battles on a personal level than he is of losing the overall war.
From what I have seen it is always "his way or the highway." It's not "what's good for the company" or "that's a good idea."
If I had to guess, I would say that he was brought up the ladder too quickly and without proper seasoning by a mentor who didn't want to have a "smart" person threatening their position.
It's the trouble with so many people left here at the APP. VPs who think looking the part actually makes them the part.
The change to InDesign should have started years ago. And I mean back when Quark, PageMaker and PhotoShop were showing their potential. Instead we had people whose entire encyclopedia of knowledge ran from Aa to Ab (if that) and they had to protect their jobs by keeping obsolete programs in place.
I would just like to THANK GANNETT AND IT'S BOSSES AND NJ GROUP. Thank you bosses for lying and throughing people under the bus,and not caring how you hurt your fellow workers.
ReplyDeleteOn a personel level,I would like to thank you guys for letting me lose my job by following your rules. For the loss of my home,because I can no longer work (ingery on job} can not collect un imployment because I'mm hurt.For the loss of my children (single parent)because of the loss of my home.Thank you for my 401K witch I used up keeping me and my kids aflote for the past two years.For the loss of my car,and for the loss of my self respect.
Glad to see you guys still can play golf and take your jets and can still treat people the same way I'm shure you would have them treat you.Someday maby I can do for you ,the same that you did for me and mine LOL
Jeez 4:08
ReplyDeleteI think that you should invest in a spell check program
1:23
ReplyDeleteDoes it have to work to qualify??
Um...he was typing in his native Jersiez. I think he was an editor for the group.
ReplyDeleteFrom TechFlash.com:
ReplyDeleteCozi, the family calendar and scheduling service, is the latest Seattle area startup to cut staff amid the deepening economic recession. On Monday, the company laid off five of its 41 employees. Cozi has raised about $16 million from angel investors and newspaper giant Gannett.
4:08
ReplyDeleteI can sympathize, but it may be a little early in the day to be drinking.
Your pain is understandable, your "solution" is not.
Jim, what do you think about the future of all the Mom sites? How many are there?
ReplyDeleteFrom 4:08 Nice to see that some of you can make fun of my spelling.I was not a reporter! If the work was black and stright I did my job thankyou.I now have cancer and nerve damage and it is quite hard too type,and to 6:04 I could only guess that you are still work for Gannett (YOU MUST BE A SUPPERVISER)real company guy good luck to you.(THANK YOU 5:20)you must be one of the good guys.GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOURS) I hope you dont have to think about getting your afaires in order. Not yet anyway yours truly ONLY FIFTY SOMTHING AND SCARED
ReplyDeleteMcClatchy suspends quarterly dividend indefinitely:
ReplyDeleteMcClatchy to pay 1Q dividend but suspend quarterly dividend after that to conserve cash
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090127/mcclatchy_dividend.html?.v=1
Wonder if we'll hear something like this come ConCall time on the 30th?
I'm amazed to hear these people talk about how lucky they are to still have a job. I'm glad you feel "lucky" going to work everyday knowing the people you work for have no integrity. I know what it's like working in a nice atmosphere working with team players. There is opportunity out there and you won't find it working for Gannett.
ReplyDeleteIf you lost everything, how is it you can afford a computer,and the highspeed internet to connect with?
ReplyDeletewhat happened with GNS? what are the buyout terms?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteIf you lost everything, how is it you can afford a computer,and the highspeed internet to connect with?
1/27/2009 8:13 PM
I'm not the OP, but did you ever hear of a freaking Library?
What a putz.
Did anyone see the Non Sequitur comic today?
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty funny:
http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/#
The writer at 4:08 and 6:45 has given us something to think of besides ourselves! Those who criticized him should take just one moment to apologize and another to slap yourselves upside your freakin' heads!
ReplyDeleteSo then how you getting to the library with no car or money for a cab/bus? Are you living outback somewhere?
ReplyDelete8:13: have you ever heard of a computer at a library? Or a laptop on a free wifi?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThe question about how many people in my department are on furlough is hard to answer. Several, including the Ad Services Mgr. have not moved for several days. If one is dead and propped up at a computer terminal, does that count as furlough or dead time? HR cannot answer the question because the door is closed and all we hear is oinking from that room.
ReplyDeleteBridgewater was a much easier place to hide out and pretend "furlough." In Somerville
it may become necessary to poke some of the unresponsive bodies to tell if they are just dummies or real dead people.
6:32 pm wrote: "Jim, what do you think about the future of all the Mom sites? How many are there?"
ReplyDeleteAs a commercial venture with some interesting journalism possibilities tacked on, I actually like the MomsLikeMe franchise.
Obviously, Gannett will need to tread very carefully as it works with Procter & Gamble and other marketers, looking to tap the Moms chain to sell more Crest toothpaste. I'm talking about prominent disclosure of the Ripple6 and other consumer surveillance software that I gather is being woven into the Moms sites. Ditto for Metromix, as a commercial venture.
I also think the Moms and Metromix chains could be used to do more conventional journalism. ("The wonder drug was discovered in of all places, Gannett's MomsLikeMe chain, where the three women initally met . . . ")
I got this message today from a coworker who's just returning from a furlough week and is seeing the operation with fresh eyes:
ReplyDelete"It's a testament to the human spirit that you don't go completely apesh-t every single day," he said.
1/27/2009 4:04 PM
ReplyDeleteWhen Donavan first started out, he was a young guy and was a descent person. I agree, he wasn't properly mentored and everyone was amazed that he moved up so quickly. It's ashame that he has become the person you describe. He used to hang out with the average worker, which he was himself, and have a few drinks and laughs. What happened to the Tom who started in center city Wilmington who hung out with Jim O'Donnel?
No I do not have a computer anymore,it went with my other things when I lost my house thank you,I'm staying with my brother and his wife wile I'm getting treatment,it makes me quite sick and they help me.It is my sisterinlaws comp.I wish I could go to a library cant stand or sit for too long
ReplyDelete4:04,
ReplyDeleteTowns is such a joke of a manager that we routinely suppressed laughter in between upbraidings. His style is to point blame and throw orders and let you know that you can leave anytime you don't like what he has to say. He doesn't even bother faking collegiality. He is insulting and, worst of all, lacking in intelligence and news judgment. His decision to print the names of jurors in a Cincinnati murder trial, for no good reason, set a bad precedent. Then he ducked responsibility for it when the heat came down. His reputation will precede him as long as he stays in journalism.
I'm sorry that I got on to this site,I don't use a pc much guess it shows.Anyway just thought I could say somthing too,but I should have known that anything with Gannett attached would suck You wont have to read my comments again so GOOD LUCK TO MOST OF YOU goodby
ReplyDeleteWe have had modest trouble with the moms site.
ReplyDeleteThe user interface is clunky. The original sites were decent.
-Do local coordinators think the new sites have the personality?
-Anyone know how the national advertising on the site is doing?
-Are they reaching goals at the corporate level.
-Are the resources dedicated getting a return?
9:47 p.m. - I also have heard nothing good about PC-hire Towns. In Cincy, he just followed the tradition of idiots.
ReplyDeleteNothing new there. Callahan is an incompetent idiot with his "shrimp party" crap.
And to 4:08 ... thank you so much for the kind words I had in response to your comments. I could feel the heart and soul of your anguish about this pathetic, miseable company. I did not know you were ill, and wish you a return to health ASAP!
Remember that ultimately, all that matters is that you are a better person than they ...
I am one of those forced to take a full week off for furlough. While I miss the pay, I am enjoying my week. I guess I'm old school - I felt bad about taking more than a day here and there for vacation, and ended losing weeks of vacation each year. Not having to ANY contact with the office has its advantages -- until I go back next week and try to play catch-up.
ReplyDeleteAt least I HOPE I have a job to go back to - who knows with Gannett!
To 1/27/2009 8:51 PM:
ReplyDeleteYou are so right on about K.A. at Neptune. Phony!!!!! Pee Uuuu! She could care less. When I was out on family leave to care for my terminal mom and came back about two weeks after her death. I was called and told I was being paid my vacation time from the day of her death till I came back. That is when my mom died, my family leave was over. Okay, but her funeral was not till the third day of bereavement. And we had took take care of her estate, finances and her house on the following Monday. I could not believe I was told I had to use my vacation time pay! It was no vacation. (It was, I later figured out to be saved from being canned; my superior saved me.) But here's the deal, when I asked K.A. to call me and discuss this shortly after the fact, she never did. I was ignored. Human Resources, my a**! No humanity what so ever!
Can one of you wonderfully sardonic sarcastic newsroom types please put in laymans terms exactly what this ContentOne and other assorted Gannett Web news attempts means for "Joe Circulation". Some of us actually work at Gannett papers where Circ is up!
ReplyDeleteI had one furlough day today. in my department there are 3-8 people off each day
ReplyDelete"Note what they did with GNS employees: everyone submits a resignation letter, and they decide who stays. I have not seen that approach before."
ReplyDeleteNot quite. Only the people that want to take the buyout submit the form saying they accept the terms. Then, the powers that be decide if they really need you OR if they have gotten more 'volunteers' than they need they can pick and choose who stays or who goes.
Re: Towns.
ReplyDeleteLawsuit waiting to happen.