Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday | Your News & Comments
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51 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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Corporate took a lot of flack last time for announcing the layoff plan too early. Now people are upset that they are waiting to make the announcement. Which philosophy is better?
ReplyDeleteJim - why not wait until July 20th or 30th to retire the blog? There's going to be a lot of fallout forthcoming.
ReplyDeleteHopkins once compared the management to a scene from "Hunt for Red October," when they stripped down a helicopter to make it a "flying gas can." In the aftermath of the dealbook article, the comparison is even more valid.
ReplyDeleteWe now know where they were flying to: to make the bond payments.
But now they are pouring the gas out to make the helicopter lighter. Will they realize you can't fly without gas?
Please find a buyer.
For all it's faults, Gannett did have some smart ideas. And perhaps could have emerged from this as the champion in journalism. It's such a shame.
It would be one thing if Corporate and local management would be honest about what they know. I figure my position is on the chopping block, but no one has the balls to say something. They want to milk the employees for all their worth before they cut their ties.
ReplyDeleteVerification: whies - Gannett White Lies :-)
Thanks; I forgot about that one!
ReplyDeleteLet's see anounce 6 months early or anounce day of ... neither sounds sensible does it?
ReplyDeleteI'd prefer at least two weeks notice. That's what they expect of us, after all.
I used to think that no matter whatever the journalism shortcomings, the one area where Gannett could not be challenged was financial competence. That Daily Deal story was a real eye-opener. How could these financial wizards not see this coming? As the story pointed out, they could have refinanced the debt without question before the econmy tanked, so why did they wait until it was too late? It is like they are deliberately steering this company towards collapse.
ReplyDeleteMy journalism career ended in December. I am sad to report that anyone above the age of 50, and who has spent his or her entire career in print journalism, isn't likely to find a new job if they have the misfortune of being laid off next month. At least not at another newspaper. And since newspapering is all I have done for three decades, I have nowhere to go now. I've tried to find work (in and out of newspapers) for seven months and haven't come close to landing an interview let alone a job. I am fairly talented with a solid resume of continuous employment at some of the best papers in the land. Still, I can't even get a sniff of a job. So I have to conclude that first of all age discrimination is alive and well. Secondly, newspapers may never hired again. Lastly, my career is over and I will have a lot of trouble surviving. A modest retirement probably isn't in the cards.
ReplyDeleteAll very disappointing, particularly when I think of all the personal sacrifices I made to be a journalist. All the holidays away from friends and family. All the unpaid extra hours I worked. All the b.s. I put up with from one or two bosses who should have been declared clinically insane. But I did it because I liked my work and thought thought newspapers were an important part of a free society. I also thought working hard and being honest would buy me job security. Hard to believe I was that naive. Gannett doesn't really care about values. And some Gannett managers continue to use layoffs to settle personal differences with employees. It's a dreadful situation all around.
Sorry for the bad news, but if you do get laid off in July, I would advise that you not even waste your time trying to get back into print journalism. In fact, any type of journalism job is going to be tough to acquire. The web sites are hiring 25-year-olds. The colleges won't consider you for a teaching job if you don't have an advanced degree. They don't seem to care whether or not you have vast experience or won a Pulitzer. They want PhDs, which is really silly because nothing beats real-life experience when it comes to journalism.
Journalism will die with newspapers. TV news isn't journalism. Web sites are a total joke run by kids who skipped the basics and went right to tech wizardry in lieu of learning lessons about libel, objectivity and so forth. They think a little 2-inch choppy video on a computer screen is freakin' Fellini!
Folks, it's over. The blog. The company as we know it. The profession. I hope you have a fallback. I made the mistake of not setting myself up for a new career. Even if you survive this round, you won't likely survived the next couple. Gannett wants older people out. They don't appreciate journalistic talents any longer. Editing and newsroom management is dismal.
But if you're in the business for the fun and games, the snazzy web tricks, the lack of accountability, the constant spinning and two-hour lunch breaks, then you'll be happy with the direction Gannett is going.
Good luck to all.
10:10, I am so sorry. I got out, but have ties to Gannett through my spouse. I am worried about our future on a personal level, but I am more sad about what this is doing to a business and a career that I loved and felt had something important to offer.
ReplyDeleteI pray you find some solid ground soon. I pray for all of us caught up in this destructive hurricane.
According to GCI-owned CareerBuilder, people who are laid off love their new lives. So enough of this negativity, laid off workers.
ReplyDelete"Despite the hardships many of these workers are facing, they are focusing on positive aspects of being in between jobs to get them through a challenging time," Career Builder says in a press release issued today.
The survey of 1,800 laid off workers found 20 percent are spending more time with their friends and families, 15 percent are fixing up their homes, 14 percent are exercising more, 11 percent are finally taking time to relax, 8 percent are volunteering, 7 percent are going back to school, 6 percent are becoming more involved in their church community and 4 percent are taking up new hobbies.
"They are reconnecting with friends and family, getting involved in the community, taking classes and exploring new career path options that may lead to a greater return in the long run," says Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.
So those wondering if they are on the list should look at the bright side, and think of the time you will have now to spend with your family, or reconnect with your church.
10:10 am - FINALLY someone who makes real sense!
ReplyDeleteOf course the firings were age-based, revenge-based and probably gender-based. This writer sees the reality of the Gannett mentality crystal clear - too bad it came when he was fired in the Great December Baby Boomer Massacre!
Gannett does not care that those who are left are clueless kids with little talent and no context for real journalism. The public, especially in smaller towns (Indiana and Ohio especially) have long given up on their newspapers.
Once you are fired, it is over. If you are over 50, forget it. Sorry about your luck.We now see Gannett for what it really is and always has been - an elitist bunch of self-centered suck-ups who have no clue about community newspapers and their value to a town.
10:10 - You could not be more right.
10:46, that's freakin' hilarious! Wonder what the new hobbies 4 percent are now taking up? Drinking, or drinking more?
ReplyDeleteThis clamor for information about the rumored layoffs is understandable, but I don't see what difference will be made if you learn today or not. One of two things will happen July 8: you'll be laid off, or you won't. You're not going to be told in advance that you'll be laid off. That didn't happen in December. Gannett announced a 10 percent payroll reduction, not who was going to be hit, until the layoffs actually occurred.
ReplyDeleteSomebody mentioned the two-weeks notice. That's essentially what severance is. You'll get a minimum of two weeks if you're laid off (at least that's the practice up till now.)
In this day and age, everyone should be preparing as if they were going to be laid off. That's not just the newspaper biz. That's almost any job in the economy. A sad statement, I know. Even saddier is that if you get laid off from a newspaper, you're almost certainly not going to get work at another one. That again is a sad truth.
10:46 - Isn't "Career Builder" owned by Gannett? It is absurd to spin that fired (not laid-off) workers are now more happy because they get to spend more time at home with their families.....
ReplyDeleteEh? And people in a coma get lots of rest, too! Come on! We know these fired workers would rather be at THEIR jobs, doing what they do best!
Too bad Gannett doesn't care...
10:10: You are so right on. I hope someone values you somewhere.
ReplyDelete10:46: I see your point, but who will support some people financially in their quest to have more family or volunteer time? Or retrain for a new career?
10:10 - I couldn't have said it any better.
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head with that post.
I hope the age discrimination and unpaid OT lawsuits get filed, and settled, before there's nothing left, but I suspect that's the corporate plan.
Someone better be chasing the pension mess, too, because we know for a fact that Gannett is lying on its figures, especially for the folks who got the ax in December.
ReplyDelete10:10 -- Gannett sites have been hiring since the December massacre. Take one of Gannett's financially hardest hit newspapers, the Lansing State Journal for example. That newspaper fired about 11 newsroom staffers in December and then ran out and hired a young, unseasoned reporter in April to replace someone who had a clue and left for PR. Of course, there were writers booted in December but the LSJ didn't even consider offering that slot to any of them. Instead, they chose to hire someone in at probably a much lower pay grade. When I heard about that, I really came to the conclusion that in the midst of furloughs there is something fundamentally wrong with with the psychological aspect of the folks making the decisions, at least in Lansing.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the LSJ's old bloated managers out on the streets trying to find work when the day comes that they are all canned. A lot of them have burned a lot of bridges here in Lansing and it will be tough for anyone to find the sympathy to hire them.
10:46...I find it hard to believe that laid off...read fired...peopel "love" their new life. Fine I suppose if you have a great saved up nest egg and can afford to live without a paycheck for a while. Still then, what does one do when the money runs out? how many people are really in that good a position? Sure, once your gone from a streeful job, the weight lifted is a great high, but only lasts a while. It does stop. Then reality hits. How do I pay the car, the house, lights, etc. Nice try to make one feel better but you ain't right.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's true, over 50 now sucks if you're out of work, or in my case, looking for even a part time job to supplement. Like as stated here and elsewhere, good luck even finding something to send a resume to or even calling. Then, better luck still to get an interview.
All because of a business that's killing itself and blaming everything/everyone else but themselves.
I am not very familiar with Gannettoid. To access this we have to register? I am not safe with having to use my name and email address. Corp might check into the site and get names. Who is registered? Do you feel safe?
ReplyDeleteplease let JK be on the ship when APP goes down.
ReplyDeleteTo 10:46--What if you find out YOU'RE on the list? Are you going to hand out such rosy scenarios? You must still be employed, and I suspect, safely so. Ensconced in the management level that never seems to be touched, while all the news gatherers and copy editors get the boot. Well, good luck to you, because if you get laid off, you're going to feel true pain, and won't have the stomach to preach how much "better" it has been for those of us who lost our careers. And for people like myself, I lost my 25-year career at an age where, like earlier posters today, has made it impossible to find a job for going on 8 months.
ReplyDelete1:27 PM -- To register, go to gmail.com and make an email account. Put BS in for the answers, use this email account for gannettiod.com
ReplyDelete"NEW JERSEY ROCKS" says look out below on July 8th
ReplyDeleteTO: 10:46 AM.... Your words are very unrealistic to the average laid-off Gannett employee. In fact, what you say is cruel and unfeeling. If it makes sense to you, great! It just isn't the path most of us can take, and listening to a bag of wind like you increases the pain. You are obviously the type of person who attends funerals to INFORM the widow that everything is great and that God needed her husband more than she did. Yes, volunteering and exercising and getting involved in your church are possibilities as is dining at the country club-- as your bills pile up and you watch the entire fabric of society falling apart. All you failed to suggest is a psychiatrist at $400 an hour! Even the residual insurance will pay nothing close to that. Wake up...or shut up!
ReplyDeleteTo those commenting on job hunting issues...it may be more than your age and occupation keeping the jobs away.
ReplyDeleteGannett employees are tainted by the company reputation and culture. No one wants you.
The poor reputation the company has developed for working there will follow you. I left the company in 2004 after almost a decade working there and ran into this numerous times. Five years later with all the recent management nonsense - it's got to be even worse.
If you are a true Kool-Aid drinking Gannettoid (and every potential employer will label you as such the longer you have been there no matter what you do or say), you will not fit in anywhere. Period. Particularly in staying in the same industry or anything related. Gannett culture is unique and vastly different (for better and worse) than any other media company.
These issues can be overcome but you should know they are very real out there. Don't underestimate them.
Man, people, lighten up. Yes, CareerBuilder is Gannett-owned. I bet 10:46 put that post up to show the irony of it all. And stupidity. Get it?
ReplyDelete1:27 p.m.:
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to register to post. If you do register, you have better access on the board and can gain credibility, but anonymous posting is permitted. Enter "Guest" or something as your name.
Also, as Stinky said, you can create a different e-mail address, created without using your name, to use to register.
Any information submitted will always be kept confidential.
If you have any hesitation, keep in mind Jim knows who I am and fully endorses the site.
You can also submit news anonymously through a form box on the main page at Gannettoid.com.
Any questions? Post them here, or on the Gannettoid Forum, or send an e-mail to news@gannettoid.com.
Thanks
Yes, please Jim, why not wait until the fallout from the layoffs? Won't you stay online until at least the end of July? please?
ReplyDelete11:08: Russian Roulette.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete10:10 A.M., while I agree with about 80 percent of what you're saying, I think it's disingenuous to paint everyone under 50 with the same brush, and outright silly to say news Web sites are "a total joke." Perhaps all of Gannett's sites, which tend to be regurgitations of the print product (minus editing, because who has time?) are bad, but they hardly represent all sites.
ReplyDeleteAs to the age gap: I'm 28 with a print journalism degree, a product of a reporter father and English teacher mother. I've worked for numerous papers and been recognized in increasingly big ways for my city hall and crime reporting in two states. Not by some self-congratulatory Gannett committee, but by old-time newspaper guys with Pulitzers and decades in the business who wouldn't hesitate to tell me or anyone else if their work was crap. I also know a lot about the Web. I am, according to the "over-50" crowd, the young hack taking everyone's jobs and slopping up the great institution of journalism as I go.
And you know what? Gannett laid me off, just the same as you. I put it to you that perhaps what's happening right now isn't the fault of ANY actual journalists, most of whom love this business and want to stay in it forever.
And if we ARE going to blame a specific group of journalists, I'm not sure the guys who've only been in the industry for five years are more culpable than the old warhorses who bitched constantly and refused to change their methods over careers spanning not just decades, but multiple technological and cultural shifts they were paid to be on the leading edge of.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete4:48, you're right. I'm a corporate plant paid to sit here and badmouth Gannett as part of the new world order. I guess that makes two of us who think that obsessively trolling a blog that will be gone soon is the best use of our time.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you guy's, but I'm enjoying a nice cold beer on this beautiful day. Not trolling, but just checking out my bookmarks, wondering what the next disgruntled person has to say. I think I'll check out what those dirty bastard N. Korean's are up to now. Later
ReplyDeleteFreep dumps 22...some named...
ReplyDeletehttp://mije.org/richardprince/detroits-freep-trims-22-newsroom
Believe 4:46, I work with him and was laid off at the same time and I am 37 years old. I was rehired by Gannett at another paper and now worry again that I will be axed for the second time in less than a year from the same company. That will be the end of my newspaper career but not my world. I plan to make the best out of it and do something that will be more rewarding and pays better. Hope you are well 4:46.
ReplyDeleteWe are wondering if they are going to start the layoffs early, maybe this week? We all know they are coming, just wondering when.
ReplyDelete6:56 Looks like they are coming now in dribs and drabs. No big bang, but stretched out over the next two weeks. Broadcasters and Freep heard from, more coming.
ReplyDelete5:03: You must be one of those LSJ managers that I spoke of. If not, you must have been there in the past and were able to get out. At any rate, you don't have a clue about the dynamics that are in play in mid-Michigan. I do. When you run a company into the ground, people tend to notice.
ReplyDeleteSomeone PLEASE tell me why did dumbow and the others like himn get huge bonuses? Bonuses are given for a job well done, I see no job done at all!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know about any layoffs at The News-Press in Ft. Myers? Estimate number & depts affected?
ReplyDeleteI too left in Dec. My life is less stressful & I'm finally starting to go on interviews. I don't think anyone is glad to be out of work, but they may be glad to be out of a terrible situation that Gannett put us in.
ReplyDeleteIt's just sad to see a company that I spent most of life working for implode. Where did they get these people that are running this company into the ground?
Thankfully I had many years working for good people who cared about their employees. Our paper was one big happy family. Those days are gone & so is the newspaper industry as we knew it.
Luckily I wasn't in Editorial, I was in sales. To those Journalists who are out of work I wish you "Good Luck". It's just sad to see this happening to so many good people.
Remeber: There is Life after Gannett!
Sorry to see the blog go!
This is what it's come to at our site. Note the third graf in this excerpted e-mail sent earlier today. This kind of attitude -- use any kind of gimmick to drive Web traffic at all costs -- is appalling.
ReplyDeleteSubject: Help w/MMX gallery?
Can we get a Metromix gallery built early today of Reality TV breakups to go with this story:
It has the names of the couples we'd want and all that. As many photos as we can find and use would be great.
I know it's wrong, but if it's wrong, I don't wanna be right. We need traffic :)
Thanks!
NJ group is going to be hit hard. The classified is not bringing in money so look for tons of layoffs in that area. It is going to be a sad day across the Garden State.
ReplyDelete2:49pm,
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous State Unemployment offices out there who are well aware of how rotten GCI has become over the last couple of years. GCI's reputation is now well known for keeping the worst employees and letting go the best employees.
I find Gannettoid uneasy on the eye and difficult to maneuver through. Format and style must change please, if you want comments and readers.
ReplyDelete3:40 -
ReplyDeleteoh, yes, please Jim, save us! Please stay around a little while longer so if/when the big bad wolf comes on July 8th you can tally up the bodies and pretend you're the one with the inside info and get a bigger swelled head!
Maybe you should hire another bodyguard to follow you around all the time - or better still! the bodyguard could wear a t-shirt that says "my name is Jim Hopkins" so that you can read it anytime you forget what your name is and not have to go around asking various and sundry people the burning question you asked at the stockholders meeting!
Of course, this entry will more than likely never see the light of day - like my others, it will be deleted - or, hey! maybe you'll print it just to make everyone feel bad for poor little Jim, getting picked on while he does this great service for humanity.
To 2:49: You are absolutely right about the taint left on a resume. When I left my Gannett site the first time four years ago, it had taken me three years to find the PR job I left it for.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I returned, and was rewarded by a layoff in December. Almost eight months later I'm still unemployed, and I am convinced it's because I have this newspaper on my resume. Nobody in this community wants to touch somebody who worked at our rag of a paper. I'm tempted to take it off my resume, but it's five years of my work history.
I look forward to the day I complete another degree in a different field so I can take newspapers off my resume altogether.
I fear that every journalist is tainted because the industry as a whole is perceived as having very little value. What employer would value newspaper experience anyway?
1:42 -- Look, I'm not GCI fanboy, but the idea that you'll never find another job because you worked for Gannett is, well, silly.
ReplyDeleteGannett is the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. If you count people who have worked for Gannett and gone on to other chains, the GCI ranks are huge.
There may be some folks who would refuse to hire someone solely because they worked for GCI, but not many. They wouldn't have that many experienced people to choose from.
Plus, any employer who looks solely at an employees resume, without taking the work into account is pretty foolish.
Like I said, I'm not Gannett fan, but the contacts I've made while working for the company are more valuable than detrimental. No question.