Publisher Brad Robertson "bristles" at a reporter's suggestion that The Burlington Free Press is diminishing its product, Seven Days says."As much as you might look at it and think, 'Oh, my God, the thing's falling apart,' I look at it and say, 'Actually there's more local news in these newspapers now than there used to be," he says.
[Illustration: Marc Nadel, Seven Days]
Talk about a waste of oxygen. When it comes to ass kissing Brad Robertson has made it an art form. He would try to sell the proverbial glass of water to a drowning man if that is what his bosses told him was the plan for the day. Have not seen hyperactivity like his since covering the methadone clinic.
ReplyDeleteIf you want a tool and a douchebag as your mouthpiece, here's your guy.
Just another "clueless is as clueless does" corporate mouthpiece and hatchet man.
ReplyDeleteMore local news... HA! I say HA!
Read the piece... the story is a little too positive for my liking.
ReplyDeleteApparently the writer of the story seems to like Robertson. At least it reads that way.
Disappointing for an alternative weekly that should be slamming the Gannett paper with all barrels!
3:26pm Wow are you bitter! Someone needs to take a chill pill. Looks like you are the hyperactive one with the potty mouth.
ReplyDeleteGotta appreciate he is trying. Not to many times do you see a positive story about a newspaper publisher.
ReplyDelete3:26 - you are angry
ReplyDeletehey 3:26pm - who uses the term douchebag anymore?
ReplyDeleteI have to say, Brad has been a breath of fresh air to the BFP. He has a positive attitude and is always available to employees. He has been given a difficult load to bear in his first assignment as a publisher, he has to rebuild or atleast help salvage a paper that was run into the ground by a napoleonic (sp) disciple of Collins, who brow beat staff and expense cut the paper to the bone prior to any of the corporate cuts and layoffs. Brad inherited a seasoned management team that could have helped right the ship during the current storm until corporate laid off the two people who would have been the most help to him (Controller and Production Manager)he is now left with an oc that is new to the paper and the market. With all of this, he has earned the respect of the remaining staff and hopefully will lead the BFP into better times. Cut the man some slack.
ReplyDeleteI find it funny that Brad is willing to publicly state his views but when it comes to slaming him everyone hides behind the anonymous.
ReplyDelete10:11 writ: "help salvage a paper that was run into the ground by a napoleonic (sp) disciple of Collins"
ReplyDeleteI think what you're failing to recognize is despite the former publishers' shorcomings in regards to inter-personal skills, he was a true "news man" having come up through the ranks from delivery boy, to retail sales and publisher (of course, I'm skipping several steps here). Point is: he understood virtually every aspect of the newpaper business in his own backyard having worked in the industry for years.
You may have not liked his style, attitude, or the way he treated people, but he GM'd a very successful local news presence in Burlington for quite some time. The paper and website have been modularized, pasteurized, and Gennettized to death at the end of the previous publisher's, and now continuing through the beginning of the current publisher's watch.
Ok, so Brad's a nice guy and you can talk with him while good people are getting their pink slips. Could it be this new publisher lacks the experience necessary to get burlington's only real newspaper back in the saddle? Could it be he's doing anything to reach the bottom line dictated by Gannett?
Open your eyes!
To blame the current situation on either publisher is absolutely ludicrous, but you need folks with real-life experience at the helm right now. This is not a time for trail and error by relative newbies (doesn't matter how nice they are).
"Brad inherited a seasoned management team that could have helped right the ship during the current storm until corporate laid off the two people..."
ReplyDeleteThat's incorrect.
The publisher is the one who sends the targeted list of employees to corporate for final approval. Therefore, it was Bradley who dismissed his "seasoned management team", thereby (by your own assertions) shooting himself squarely in the foot.
10:11 may be partially right. Sounds to me like Robertson may have been brought in to do what the former Publisher was unwilling to do (the dirty work).
Brad Robertson is a terrific human being and an asset to the Burlington Free Press.
ReplyDeleteI'm not posting anonymously, and I dare anyone with an ounce of integrity to do the same.
One of the better pieces of advice Brad ever gave me was, "Be the first to give credit, and the last to offer criticism."
The Burlington community as a whole is very fond of him as well, both for his hard work in the office and efforts supporting our local community.
5:11 Many of us post anonymously so we dont end up targeted in future layoffs for doing something other than towing the corporate line.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Joe has to worry about losing his job as the Internet Marketing Specialist at the Burlington Free Press.
ReplyDeleteCathy Resmer said...
ReplyDeleteI don't think Joe has to worry about losing his job as the Internet Marketing Specialist at the Burlington Free Press.
LOL. Yeah, right.
Looks like he's also the chairman of the local Brad Robertson Fan Club:
http://www.firstcollegenowwhat.com/2009/02/cool-person-you-should-know-brad-robertson/
If Brad hadn't laid me off, I never would have found my dream job that has incredible benefits, and a salary of $10k more than what I was making at the Freepress.
ReplyDeleteI've got nothing but good things to say about him.
Thanks again Brad!