One of the early fights is a familiar one for The Indianapolis Star, whether newsroom employees can be assigned advertorial work -- writing promotional material for advertisers. That was an issue two years ago, under former Publisher Barbara Henry; GCI eventually backed down. Management must always bring up advertorials in contract talks, I assume, since it would would always prefer more flexibility over its workforce.The contract would cover more than 200 Star employees. The most recent pact expired Dec. 31; this would be the third contract since Gannett bought the paper in 2000. Attorney Bill Behan represents Gannett in the talks. (Is he a contract lawyer?)
The guild says it also opposes changes that would "make the publisher the sole determiner of which employees are let go in any future layoffs, eliminating the Guild’s right to grievance or arbitration; would keep wages stagnant; would allow the outsourcing of work currently done by Guild-represented employees; would allow the manipulating of the 40-hour work week with split shifts and split days off; and would curtail the payment of overtime for some employees."
Talks are scheduled to resume on Feb. 24.
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[Image: today's front page, Newseum]
Classic Gannett. They just feel they have to have control over everything. Every aspect of worker's lives. They are micro-managing their newspapers to death!
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is the company has reporters who actually don't know they're writing advertorials, nor would they care. At least that's the way is was where I worked.
ReplyDeleteIndy... Do not cave this time around. You are being negotiated to death by Gannett. If you agree to Gannett's demands now you are sealing your fate. Stand firm on your journalistic principals!!!
ReplyDelete... and another thing!
ReplyDeleteIndy... Look how far your goodwill got you with Gannett when you OK'd the furloughs? What's Gannett doing now? The furloughs aren't going to stop... Cuts aren't going to stop... Gannett's insatiable appetite for more and more of your hard earned money, and not to mention journalistic autonomy, will never let up until you stand up to them and say, "ENOUGH!"
Is there some weak wiring in reporters' heads that will melt and short-circuit if they have to write a press release?
ReplyDeleteIf they are being asked to lie about the advertiser, I can see the objection. But to do a story that profiles a business in a neutral or only emphasizing the positive surely will not cause the magic journalism genie to take away writing powers?
And let's be forthright, how many feature stories are written about a buddy's business or a place the reporter patronizes?
I have had people "suggest" places for feature stories only to find that they had a personal connection to the establishment. Even on here we read about editors who assign stories about their spouse's pet charity.
So long as the advertorial stories are anonymous, I can't see the big objection, except that it comes from an fragile ego.
... and the other things 12:01pm?
ReplyDelete"make the publisher the sole determiner of which employees are let go in any future layoffs, eliminating the Guild’s right to grievance or arbitration; would keep wages stagnant; would allow the outsourcing of work currently done by Guild-represented employees; would allow the manipulating of the 40-hour work week with split shifts and split days off; and would curtail the payment of overtime for some employees."
I think Indy has a lot to fight for.
God help us if 12:01 is in the reporting ranks, because he may be a short step from management with that attitude -- that there is no problem with editorial staff penning advertorial content. Please tell me that thi belief is a minority. Fight on Indy.
ReplyDeleteAs a long time newspaper guy I have to chuckle when I read how the “Journalists” in Indie are going to war over having to write advertorials. It is beneath their journalistic integrity. Yeah right. These union “Journalists” have no problem defending malcontents and malingerers who view sick time as added vacation time, and expectations for decent performance as unfair labor tactics. Grow up fools. Your century was over a century ago. You work for a company that is struggling for its very life and you are going to get on your soap box and refuse to write a story for the local car dealer. Respect and dignity. Yeah right. Make sure you tell all the folks in the unemployment line how you stuck it to the company. No advertorials from you…no sir!
ReplyDelete12:01 asks a good question.
ReplyDeleteAre reporters not able to separate the concepts of advertorial and news writing? Does that mean that a reporter can never write an editorial piece because then he would never be able to write objectively again? (Not that all reporters are objective in reporting as it is.)
"You work for a company that is struggling for its very life"
ReplyDeleteIndy (CNI) was doing quite well before Gannett came along. Me thinks Indy will survive if Gannett goes under... That is, if Gannett doesn't drag everyone else down with them.
12:01 PM
ReplyDeleteIf you don't get why it's a problem, nothing will change your mind.
It's just wrong.
2:36 -- In short, you don't have a reason. Some journalism teacher or editor told you this and you accept it without question. I'm an editor who can easily tell the difference between a press release and a news story. I do publicity for local nonprofits and try to get them to be as "newsy" as possible, but I understand the difference and can write accordingly.
ReplyDelete3:25 PM
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely clueless.
If 2:36 and 3:35 are the same person, you've got ot guts. An ad hominem attack is the best you can do? Explain the reasons not to cross the line. It's one thing to be Brian Williams and not do used car commercials to maintain an image. But to pen an anonymous advertorial feature? This is typical American arrogance. When I worked in the UK, writing was writing.
ReplyDelete3:25 made points and 12:01 had examples. All you seem to have is the need to cling to a myth of elitism to make yourself feel superior. Otherwise, you would have a philosophical argument, at least, to support your position. Instead you are like a frustrated, clueless parent who just says "because I say so."
Now, as for me, I avoid doing advertorials for a simple reason-they're boring.
1:26 PM
ReplyDeleteI think reporters are perfectly capable of knowing the difference between advertorial and news. It's the readers who get confused. Having news reporters switch back and forth between news and advertorial only adds to the confusion and reduces credibility.