From a new post, on Nieman Journalism Lab's blog:When Jim Hopkins got started with it, Gannett Blog was a useful compendium of news, gossip, tips and analysis about the country’s largest newspaper publishing company, and occasionally he would uncover something nobody else had noticed, like CEO Craig Dubow's self-serving direction of $40,000 in Gannett Foundation money to an endowed scholarship, in his and his wife’s names, at Western Carolina University.
But lately the site has degenerated into a rather odd mix of self promotion, beefcake, travelogue from Ibiza, more beefcake, and a countdown toward oblivion, which is slated for Friday. Time’s running out! You have just two days left to comment!
Hopkins is redirecting his traffic to Gannettoid, which started up in December. Gannettoid is not a blog; its content lacks clear dates, so it’s not clear that it will be as useful to Gannettoids as Gannett Blog was, at least before it succumbed to self-admiration and hype. Until recently it lacked commenting, as well, but it has recently added a forum for discussion. Maybe it will get around to RSS, also.
Not every major newspaper group is favored with a meta-site where employees and others can get the latest news, leaks, gossip and analysis on their favorite company.
Where are the rest of the watchblogs? Among the top groups, Tribune, News Corp., New York Times Co., Hearst, Scripps and CNHI all lack Gannett Blog equivalents, as far as I can tell (but clue me in, if I’m missing something).
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.
Tribune used to have TellZell.com, but the "inkstained wretch" at the LAT went underground or got laid off, or maybe even bought off. The site expired for awhile, but is back up now, with links updated but no new post since September 19, 2008.
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ReplyDeleteIt would seem journalists would flock to starting blogs like this. They are perfectly suited to take on the watchdog role, present informed opinions and do some original reporting from the inside. It's easy to do from a technical standpoint, too, which is why it's so surprising that Gannettoid.com is so miserably difficult to navigate. If the format doesn't change, Gannettoid will not see much traffic. Why it hasn't changed already is beyond me. This transition period would have been the perfect time to revamp the site.
ReplyDeleteAgain, starting a blog is easy and free. I am considering doing one just on USA Today and won't pull any punches. There has been a lot that has gone on there in the last 20 years that would probably be of interest to a fair number of people. Behaviors and decisions in the last couple years have been particularly distressing for a brand that likes to consider itself top shelf and a major player in media.
I do think Jim got distracted in recent weeks. I don't think his appearance in McLean was as bad as some have made it out to be. But he does seem to have his pet issues and causes which have gotten redundant. A little humanization of the site is good. But to keep my interest, a blog has to remain fairly on point. There is a lot going on in Gannett that neither Jim or the participants here spent much time on. Some pretty bad stuff. Wrongful firings. Various cases of abuse and harassment. Age discrimination. Even dangerous employees retained for very disturbing reasons.
Overall, I give Jim a solid B-plus for a job well done and thank him for his efforts. Hopefully, more blogs will follow from informed newsroom folks who still might be interested in upholding and sharing the truth.
4:39 -- so go to it, tough guy. We'd love to see some discussion of the issues you mention.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can succeed where Jim failed miserably. He has set the bar awfully low, so there shouldn't be much pressure on you.
4:44, Jim didn't fail miserably, you boil-infested rodent scrotum. Look at where you're reading and posting comments today. That's success.
ReplyDelete5:12, I'm posting comments at a dying blog.
ReplyDeleteDoes that answer your question?
5:19, you've spent more time on this blog today than you did with a daily Gannett newspaper or a Gannett Web site.
ReplyDeleteThat's the truth, and you know it.
6:47: I bought one Gannett paper today.
ReplyDeleteI gave $0 money to this site today.
Now -- stop trying to be clever. You're losing.
It's been more buttdumplings than beefcake here for a while.
ReplyDeleteIf I had any doubts that I've made the right decision about ending this blog -- and I really didn't -- this Nieman post would have been the final straw.
ReplyDeleteThe poster doesn't bother to ask why I'm closing this site for good on Friday, but instead takes a bunch of cheap shots -- shots made during a time when, again, I'm sleep-deprived, while trying to cover this layoff.
Then, he moves next to take shots at Gannettoid, another site that a publisher is struggling to launch as I prepare to close this one.
Finally, he doesn't even have the courtesy to send me a link to his post; I discover it on Romenesko.
One thing's for sure, as he bemoans why there aren't many blogs about media, well, maybe it's because we have to take abuse like this, while getting paid absolutely nothing.
Here's what Nieman & Co. will contribute toward the next Gannett blog. Not. One. Thing.
Great leadership, there.