Sunday, March 22, 2009
12 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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I'm moving this thread to this string, from the Real Time Comments forum. This is really good material for the New Jersey Group; it's just a little too local-local for general discussion.
ReplyDeleteAs always, however: Jersey is A-OK in my book. You're always, always welcome in all comment threads on topics of a more general nature. Carry on, Jersey!
chuckyinjersey said...
New Jersey pharmacy chain Drug Fair collapsed this week ... and Gannett New Jersey got its ass kicked. Dates are for when stories appeared. 3/16: Drug Fair closes 2 stores without notice. Front-page story in the Courier News plays up anguished cries from local mayor -- "What about the senior citizens who can't drive?" Buried midway through is important stuff: Company is being sued in state court by an independent pharmacy from whom Drug Fair acquired prescription records. Plus, two vendors have filed separate suits against Drug Fair for nonpayment. 3/17: Four more Drug Fair stores are closed and 50 employees fired at corporate HQ in Franklin Twp. Star-Ledger has this on first page of state news section. C-N (which circulates in Franklin Twp.) has nothing. 3/19: Drug Fair files Chapter 11 and announces it's selling to Walgreens. Star-Ledger has a Page 1 story with reference to Drug Fair's owners (a Wall Street hedge fund) and unsecured creditors (among them the independent pharmacy). C-N reports the sale to Walgreens on Page 1 yet omits the Chapter 11 filing. 3/20: C-N finally reports the Chapter 11 filing as front-page lead. Came off as a Chamber-of-Commerce sob story -- "this was a nice place to work", "what about the senior citizens?" Conveniently omitted was what the Star-Ledger reported on 3/19: The hedge fund also owned Mervyn's (West Coast dept. stores) and Rag Shop (artsy-craftsy store), both of which have gone out of business. Drug Fair cut employees' pay and eliminated the 401(k) match as well.
3/21/2009 1:28 PM
plainfieldfunnyguy said...
chuckyinjersey, if andrea thorne's claim that c-n sells 20,000 papers a day in Franklin Twp. is true, then they REALLY dropped the ball on this story.
3/21/2009 3:09 PM
APP was all over this story. Too bad the CN didn't grab those stories.
ReplyDeleteIf c-n is SELLING 20,000 papers a day...make them a salad and I'll start eating them.
ReplyDeleteNow...GIVING them away through creative circ deals..THAT'S more believable.
If the circulation of the Courier News is 31,370 copies, how is it Andrea Thorne can claim that 20,000 papers a day go to Franklin Twp.? Is she saying that Franklin Twp. alone accounts for 2/3 of the CN's total circulation? Incredible! And Skip lets her get away with this?
ReplyDelete5:52PM
ReplyDeleteIt's a case of Dumb and Dumber fudging the circulation numbers. The only difference is that one has half a personality. The CN has been reduced to such an ugly advertising venture that no one in the community looks for news anyway. Thank goodness for the obituaries!!! And-- of course, DEAR ABBY!
20,000 in Franklin Township? Did the CN ever have 20,000 distribution in Franklin? I doubt it, considering that even in the 80s, its circ was only about 60,000.
ReplyDelete"Came off as a Chamber-of-Commerce sob story -- "this was a nice place to work", "what about the senior citizens?"
ReplyDeleteThat's what the CN was and now these people run the HNT too! WTF is wrong with you, Skip?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, 2:53 pm. Sorry about that! I just removed your comment. Based on my guidelines, here's why:
ReplyDeleteI scrutinize every comment that includes names, job titles or other information that could identify individuals where they live or work.
I'm more likely to remove comments about individuals who aren't "public" -- that is, better-known people like your publisher, group president, and on up the line to CEO Craig Dubow and the board of directors.
This isn't a new rule, or one just for Jersey Confidential posters. Now and then, I try to explain why I edit comments, so everyone can better understand my decisions. This is one of those times. Thanks for your patience.
2:53 here. All of the names are public people with leadership positions within Gannett or the community, who have all had their pictures in the paper many times. And that whole story appeared in a non-Gannett newspaper. Let me add that written complaints were sent by community members to Gannett HQ in Virginia.
ReplyDeleteSigned,
Glad I no longer work for Gannett.
plainfieldfunnyguy,
ReplyDeleteI think Ms. Thorne has her numbers wrong. In 2007, the C-N's TMC ad wrapper had 18,000 copies going into Franklin Township. C-N sells around 900 [nine hundred] copies a day in that entire town of 60,000 people.
She was obviously claiming the TMC figure as the "paid for" figure.
OMG-- and the advertising people are supposed to be the salvation of Gannett in NJ! This is so incredible. The sweet, sweet retail ad manager at the CN should take over the entire job and we'll see results!
ReplyDelete