Meanwhile, Reuters, citing David Kaplan of paidContent, says: Gannett’s stock has lost about 10% of its value, since Monday alone, when Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow disclosed plans for a medical leave of absence. In the meantime, Jim Hopkins’ Gannett Blog cited an unnamed source as saying that newly named principal executive and Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore will order the elimination of 4,500 jobs across the board on July 8. A Gannett spokesperson did not return calls for comment."
Kaplan's post continues: "Hopkins also hears that the broadcast division will be asked to take a 10% wage cut, in addition to absorbing layoffs. On the plus side, Gannett does not expect to issue any further calls for furloughs for the rest of the year. In January, Gannett first commanded its 40,000-person workforce to take a week off without pay. In October, Gannett said it was laying off about 3,000 staffers at its 80 local papers across the country; two months before that, the publisher said it was cutting 1,000 positions, with 600 staffers being let go."Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
All right, Jim! See - how can you leave us when orgs like these are CITING YOU!?!? Sniff!
ReplyDeleteI read this. Great coverage! Now lets watch them eat their words! “ We have not made any decisions at this time”.
ReplyDeleteYes and we are from the wonderful world of Oz! How stupid do they truly think their employees are.
Once again, you will leave this blog as a shining star.
Great work Jim
Looks like the swirling rumors are true. I know that many still employed at Gannett are really nervous and more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above posts. You rock, Jim! Would you reconsider leaving? Por favor?
ReplyDeleteUSA TODAY must take a bigger hit this time. The place is bloated as hell, with less than stellar talent everywhere you look. Problem is, all the incompetents cover for each other. Someone is going to have to cut through the b.s. and really identify the loafers and the people who are simply in over their heads. This is not a time for protecting people based on popularity, ethnicity, race or gender. Potential is nice to cultivate, but we need workers who know what they are doing NOW! We need to keep smart/productive people of any color or age. We need to make sure we know the difference between competent and pleasant. I am tired of losing people because they rubbed someone wrong or were driven out because of some false perception by some petty managers. Many of those people were the backbone of the operation. It's a sin that they had their careers cut short, "voluntarily" or involuntarily. If we lose anymore people like the folks who built the brand, it's going to be very hard to put out a decent product.
ReplyDelete9:32 pm: Gracias! But I can't ask Sparky to sacrifice anymore. This blog was threatening to eat us alive. I can do one more layoff -- but no more. It's time to say goodbye, dear readers.
ReplyDeleteYou've done great work, Jim, but I fail to see how repeating rumors, without adding anything, can be seen as "advancing" the story. They're just repeating what appeared here.
ReplyDelete10:38 p.m. it's not rumors. I'm a manager and I heard it from a publisher's confidante that the layoffs will be July 8.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this so hard to comprehend?
Thank you Jim, for your excellent reporting and research and for many months putting your safety and home life above the good of Gannett workers. We all applaud you for that. I hope your future endeavor works out for you and that you and Sparky have many years free of Gannett and the issues involving it.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck by online friend.
9:32 pm: Gracias! But I can't ask Sparky to sacrifice anymore. This blog was threatening to eat us alive. I can do one more layoff -- but no more. It's time to say goodbye, dear readers.
6/18/2009 10:17 PM
Advance this: Layoffs are coming and like the last times they will keep around the ass-kissers and buddies while destroying the lives of the (formerly) loyal and hardworking people.
ReplyDeleteThat was shown by what they did to that loyal editor at the TV Station today. Google Gannett and the article will come up. Very heart wrenching.
ReplyDeleteAdvance this: Layoffs are coming and like the last times they will keep around the ass-kissers and buddies while destroying the lives of the (formerly) loyal and hardworking people
9:51 Dump every former dme who is still on the payroll doing lesser work or cut their wages to average salary level of reporters or AES. Dump the high paid former AEs in News managing no one. Assess the rationale for two dmes in every section. Eliminate 1A desk. Reassign senior assignment editors to fill AE slots. Cut back copy desks. Seriously consider losing a number of columinists and reporters, especially those in the paper less than 1x every couple of weeks. Everyone must start doing more heavy lifting and get their hands dirty. And you get to 50 to 75 eliminatable slots pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteJIMMMM!! You're leaving while it's still November in Stalingrad.
ReplyDeleteRock out, Jim. I would call this akin to a victory lap, but all the pain that is coming from this round of firings does take the wind from its sails. You've done the tough work, pushed the right buttons, and uncovered the TRUTH. I commend you.
ReplyDeleteYou've done the tough work, pushed the right buttons, and uncovered the TRUTH. I commend you.
ReplyDelete6/19/2009 3:36 AM
Hah! Nothing has been uncovered and the only work done has been on Ibiza.
This exageration of layoffs is incredible. Truth? Far from it. Speculation that feeds the fears of the simple-minded is more like it.
Jim, love you. Are you saying in your 951 post, that you and Sparky are back together? I sure hope so. But if not, then.. um, you're better off w/o him. :) We'll miss you, friend.
ReplyDeleteHow sweet of you! Sparky and I fuss at each other no and then; we've been together 10 years! And he definitely put his foot down when I said I was starting another blog. So, the choice was simple: Sparky or Gannett Blog.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteIt's not about how many homeruns you hit, it's about when you hit them.
And this blog was a bottom of the ninth walk-off shot.
What is Gracie's background? Has she even written an obit? Or is she a life-long bean counter?
ReplyDeleteGracia HAS written an obit...Gannett's!
ReplyDeleteI get more honest straight forward information from this blog than I've EVER received from the management drones! I hate to see the blog go....
ReplyDeleteGannett WISHES they had a blog as successful as this one!
As far as the 8th of July... All indications are more changes coming down the pipe that week! I've been completely ostracized from management communications unless it's to give them information about MY job....think I might be on the list this round. YEAH!!!
I've been in this industry for 30 years, only with Gannett for a few of those. Thank heavens! The management philosophy is absolutely the worst in the industry!!! If you were crazy enough to hold onto ANY stock-SELL NOW-SELL NOW!!!!!!!
nice information. hope this will be useful for other people.
ReplyDelete