Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday | May 31 | Your News & Comments
Note: I will be offline until approximately noon ET Monday, while enroute to Spain. Please be patient regarding comments until then. Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday | May 30 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday | May 29 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Tweets | How to market a new venture
Consider free text-message broadcast service Twitter.
Got a marketing tip for jump-starting a career? Please reply in the comments section, below. Or write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday | May 28 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Now | The view from here
11:31 a.m., San Francisco: the Transamerica Pyramid, from the Bank of America Building. In Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, the pyramid is used as a symbol for the city's mysticism. (It's California's version of Ibiza's Es Vedra.)
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday | May 27 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
FAQs About Me | Can't you please save this blog?
Part of an occasional series about yours truly.
Q. How can you just let Gannett Blog slip away on Oct. 1?!
A. I haven't given up the notion that someone will start a blog or blogs to replace this one. The main reason I set such a long lead time was to help midwife (midhusband?) an orderly succession. I've proven the market, and the income potential. Without even really trying, I've been on schedule to pull in $15,000 in my first year. With more effort, someone could double that.
Gannett Blog has always been a project around citizen journalism. I showed that if you develop original content, and ask people to pay for it, they will! Now, the test is whether any of the thousands of readers pick up the baton.
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.
Q. How can you just let Gannett Blog slip away on Oct. 1?!
A. I haven't given up the notion that someone will start a blog or blogs to replace this one. The main reason I set such a long lead time was to help midwife (midhusband?) an orderly succession. I've proven the market, and the income potential. Without even really trying, I've been on schedule to pull in $15,000 in my first year. With more effort, someone could double that.
Gannett Blog has always been a project around citizen journalism. I showed that if you develop original content, and ask people to pay for it, they will! Now, the test is whether any of the thousands of readers pick up the baton.
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.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday | May 26 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Going fishin' | I'm now handing in my notice
Jim says: I had planned to post this on July 1, the start of the third quarter. In fairness to my more than 10,000 monthly readers, however, I'm moving up the publication date.
I've always said that Gannett Blog was planned as a short-term project: two or three years max. That was because I assumed management intended to break up the company -- something it might have accomplished, if the board of directors hadn't waited until it was too late (i.e. the real estate bust and the credit crisis that followed).
My plan did not, however, anticipate the rate at which readers would post comments: I am now anticipating at least 50,000 over the next 12 months. For both news-gathering and ethical reasons, I am committed to reading them all.
That would be OK, except the tone of comments shifted in December -- for entirely understandable reasons. Many of Gannett's 41,500 employees came to understand what was taking place in the company. They are now fear-filled, desperate, angry -- even suicidal, on occasion. Blogging can be very stressful, of course, Now, I'm finding it may be psychologically harmful, too.
This is not about Corporate winning or losing; this is about adhering to my plan.
The bottom line: I began publishing Gannett Blog on Sept. 11, 2007. On Oct. 1, 2009, I will stop active management. I intend to lock the blog in place, with all content and comments visible. No more comments will be allowed, nor removed. Basically, Gannett Blog will become a point-in-time snapshot of a Fortune 500 company in transition. I hope to find a permanent custodian for the content, in lieu of Google's Blogger division.
I am no longer soliciting or accepting donations, as I've now got my exit strategy on the calendar. I look forward to working with you, although on a more limited basis, through Sept. 30.
Earlier: My year of blogging, dangerously. Plus: Five questions
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.
[Photo: Mystical Es Vedra island, from Cala d'Hort beach Ibiza, Spain]
I've always said that Gannett Blog was planned as a short-term project: two or three years max. That was because I assumed management intended to break up the company -- something it might have accomplished, if the board of directors hadn't waited until it was too late (i.e. the real estate bust and the credit crisis that followed).
My plan did not, however, anticipate the rate at which readers would post comments: I am now anticipating at least 50,000 over the next 12 months. For both news-gathering and ethical reasons, I am committed to reading them all.That would be OK, except the tone of comments shifted in December -- for entirely understandable reasons. Many of Gannett's 41,500 employees came to understand what was taking place in the company. They are now fear-filled, desperate, angry -- even suicidal, on occasion. Blogging can be very stressful, of course, Now, I'm finding it may be psychologically harmful, too.
This is not about Corporate winning or losing; this is about adhering to my plan.
The bottom line: I began publishing Gannett Blog on Sept. 11, 2007. On Oct. 1, 2009, I will stop active management. I intend to lock the blog in place, with all content and comments visible. No more comments will be allowed, nor removed. Basically, Gannett Blog will become a point-in-time snapshot of a Fortune 500 company in transition. I hope to find a permanent custodian for the content, in lieu of Google's Blogger division.
I am no longer soliciting or accepting donations, as I've now got my exit strategy on the calendar. I look forward to working with you, although on a more limited basis, through Sept. 30.
Earlier: My year of blogging, dangerously. Plus: Five questions
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.
[Photo: Mystical Es Vedra island, from Cala d'Hort beach Ibiza, Spain]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday | May 25 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Recap | Diamonds are a manager's best friend!
Gannett Blog readers wrote 774 comments last week on posts you may have missed, including these:
Dealing a fatal blow to the Tucson Citizen, a federal judge turned aside Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard's request that Gannett resume publishing the paper in print. Next, the top editor at The Detroit News confirmed recent speculation that layoffs are now in the works at the paper, plus at the Detroit Free Press, and the Detroit Media Partnership, which handles circulation and other business for the two papers. Finally, in a surprisingly strong reaction, many readers here ripped into Corporate for awarding coveted President's Rings and cash gifts to top managers across the company, despite the latest round of layoffs, furloughs and other expense reductions.
Dealing a fatal blow to the Tucson Citizen, a federal judge turned aside Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard's request that Gannett resume publishing the paper in print. Next, the top editor at The Detroit News confirmed recent speculation that layoffs are now in the works at the paper, plus at the Detroit Free Press, and the Detroit Media Partnership, which handles circulation and other business for the two papers. Finally, in a surprisingly strong reaction, many readers here ripped into Corporate for awarding coveted President's Rings and cash gifts to top managers across the company, despite the latest round of layoffs, furloughs and other expense reductions.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday | May 24 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
What I'm doing right now
7:14 p.m., San Francisco time: Heading downtown on regional light rail system BART -- and having fun!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday | May 23 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Cutlines Only | A President's Ring, with diamonds
Got bling? Send me a photo via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday | May 22 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Twitter | Now mangling Shakespeare, 24/7!
Related: William Shakespeare quotes search engine
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.
WUSA | Three stations dive into pool's deep end
In another sign that the financially pressured industry is moving to reduce its costs, WUSA-TV is joining two other stations in launching a common newsgathering operation that will share daily footage, The Washington Post says today.
McPoetry | Gannett Presidential Bling Edition
Regarding the newly-named winners of Gannett President's Rings, A good ole rebel@1:26 a.m. writes:
The corporation annually handed out some things
to "recognize good talent," called them presidential rings.
A journalist gazed at the list of ring recipients,
and when she saw some names she knew, she hissed, and spit, and winced.
Hang on one sec, how'd this IT guy get a good review?
It's obvious the president just doesn't have a clue
about the way that our IT guy fails to meet our needs
and makes us less efficient while the company still bleeds!
They gave one to an HR goon, which I find quite suspicious
since their ignorance of employment law borders on malicious!
They answer noone's questions, and what's sad is when they do,
they fail at basic English -- things we all learned in grade two!
And what about this Online wonk, who pissed upon our site,
and caused much of our quality to vanish overnight
while traffic sunk and readers bailed and advertisers, too?
For corporate to notice me, is this what I must do?!
Resolved, from this day forward, I will do as these folks did;
so that I can be promoted and afford to feed my kid.
I'll do the crappiest job I can, view cohorts with disdain,
give up my lifelong quest for truth and live for personal gain.
I'll delegate, then take a break, then ruin someone's day.
That someone can't fight back, because I'm great at CYA,
and even if they had a point, my enemies would be fools
because I'd be the boss, and that would mean I make the rules.
I'll say 'quit now' to coworkers that actually want to try
to put out a good product that someone might want to buy
I'll sell crap to the customers, because they're stupid hicks
who don't know any better than to fall for corporate tricks.
And when the readers notice and the company goes bust,
my friends and I won't worry. No! That will not bother us!
We'll live well from our savings after being overpaid.
for incompetent 'management', we reaped the highest grade.
Oh, I'm a Kool-Aid drinker, and that's just what I am.
And for good work and quality I do not give a damn.
I hate the advertisers for questioning our ways;
Much more, I hate the reader base. I'll piss on them for days."
The corporation annually handed out some things
to "recognize good talent," called them presidential rings.
A journalist gazed at the list of ring recipients,
and when she saw some names she knew, she hissed, and spit, and winced.
Hang on one sec, how'd this IT guy get a good review?
It's obvious the president just doesn't have a clue
about the way that our IT guy fails to meet our needs
and makes us less efficient while the company still bleeds!
They gave one to an HR goon, which I find quite suspicious
since their ignorance of employment law borders on malicious!
They answer noone's questions, and what's sad is when they do,
they fail at basic English -- things we all learned in grade two!
And what about this Online wonk, who pissed upon our site,
and caused much of our quality to vanish overnight
while traffic sunk and readers bailed and advertisers, too?
For corporate to notice me, is this what I must do?!
Resolved, from this day forward, I will do as these folks did;
so that I can be promoted and afford to feed my kid.
I'll do the crappiest job I can, view cohorts with disdain,
give up my lifelong quest for truth and live for personal gain.
I'll delegate, then take a break, then ruin someone's day.
That someone can't fight back, because I'm great at CYA,
and even if they had a point, my enemies would be fools
because I'd be the boss, and that would mean I make the rules.
I'll say 'quit now' to coworkers that actually want to try
to put out a good product that someone might want to buy
I'll sell crap to the customers, because they're stupid hicks
who don't know any better than to fall for corporate tricks.
And when the readers notice and the company goes bust,
my friends and I won't worry. No! That will not bother us!
We'll live well from our savings after being overpaid.
for incompetent 'management', we reaped the highest grade.
Oh, I'm a Kool-Aid drinker, and that's just what I am.
And for good work and quality I do not give a damn.
I hate the advertisers for questioning our ways;
Much more, I hate the reader base. I'll piss on them for days."
Spring bling | How we respond to the latest insult
"Gannett's Jewelry Division is still churning
out gold and precious gems to the company's
most loyal vassals."
-- Anonymous@2:26 p.m., commenting yesterday on Corporate's stunningly insensitive display of misplaced priorities -- the annual President's Ring awards. They're given this year even as Gannett discloses layoffs in Detroit, Tucson and elsewhere. Why not go for broke, Bob Dickey -- and award brass knuckles instead?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday | May 21 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Detroit | News Editor Wolman confirms job cuts
Confirming recent speculation of more payroll trims, The Detroit News and the Gannett-owned Detroit Free Press "are looking at some budget reductions as a consequence of the [industry-wide] ad shortfall," top News Editor Jon Wolman tells Editor & Publisher. "Both papers are talking reductions."
Wolman cited a recent article in Crain's Detroit Business that put potential job cuts at 100 to 150, but said he did not know yet if they would reach those levels, E&P says. "I think it will be next week before we know the real details," he told the trade publication. "We are looking at the range of things we can do. Inevitably, there will be some hit to the payroll."
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.
Wolman cited a recent article in Crain's Detroit Business that put potential job cuts at 100 to 150, but said he did not know yet if they would reach those levels, E&P says. "I think it will be next week before we know the real details," he told the trade publication. "We are looking at the range of things we can do. Inevitably, there will be some hit to the payroll."
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.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday | May 20 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Quotable | Once more, but with feeling
"The Company Inc. does not love you,
never did, and never will."
-- Anonymous@9:11 a.m. today, following recent reports of more threatened layoffs across the company.
Mail | 'Productivity should rule over wages, age'
Regarding renewed worries about more Gannett layoffs, Anonymous@8:54 a.m. comments:
I remain employed, and I'm not a whiner. I "get it" and have enough skills to (hopefully) remain with the company. But I, along with other people in their 50s, cannot keep from worrying and looking over my shoulder constantly, given the environment management has established. The slackers and dead weight remain, and the old ways continue. Why can't someone look at who is productive and who is useful rather than salaries and age?
I remain employed, and I'm not a whiner. I "get it" and have enough skills to (hopefully) remain with the company. But I, along with other people in their 50s, cannot keep from worrying and looking over my shoulder constantly, given the environment management has established. The slackers and dead weight remain, and the old ways continue. Why can't someone look at who is productive and who is useful rather than salaries and age?
Tucson | Star is 'now free to feast on the carcass'
Regarding yesterday's federal ruling, affirming Gannett's right to effectively close the Tucson Citizen, Santa Monica Media CEO Steve Hadland writes the following. The final bidder in the sale, Hadland had asked Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard to intervene.
Gannett lawyers had months to prepare their case, while the Arizona Attorney General's Office had only a weekend. Given a chance and the time to correctly prepare the case, I believe the Attorney General would have prevailed. Instead of using one newspaper’s profits to help the other newspaper, as was intended by the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970, the Arizona Star is now free to feast on the carcass of the Tucson Citizen. This is a sad day for newspapers.
Gannett lawyers had months to prepare their case, while the Arizona Attorney General's Office had only a weekend. Given a chance and the time to correctly prepare the case, I believe the Attorney General would have prevailed. Instead of using one newspaper’s profits to help the other newspaper, as was intended by the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970, the Arizona Star is now free to feast on the carcass of the Tucson Citizen. This is a sad day for newspapers.
Cutlines Only | French sweets, to eat
[La Boulange: today on San Francisco's Union Street]
Cutlines Only showcases website art by Gannett and yours truly. E-mail suggestions to gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday | May 19 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Monroe | When a newspaper is like a Big Mac
A Gannett Blogger says the following memo was sent this afternoon to employees of the The News-Star of Monroe, La.
From: XXXX, XXXX
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3:03 PM
To: XXX
Cc: XXX
Subject: Papers
It has been brought to my attention that we have some staff members taking papers out of the building at the end of the shift. This is strictly prohibited. No-one is to leave the building with a paper. We offer the paper at half price to all of The News Star employees. As Supervisors, you must insure this is not happening.
This would be the same as someone from McDonald's taking home a Big Mac at the end of the shift.
Someone from Lowe's taking home a hammer.
Someone from Belk taking home a piece of Jewelry.
Someone from Cracker Barrel taking home a pack of smokes.
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.
Earlier: In St. George, Utah, new cost saver -- delivered to employees
From: XXXX, XXXX
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3:03 PM
To: XXX
Cc: XXX
Subject: Papers
It has been brought to my attention that we have some staff members taking papers out of the building at the end of the shift. This is strictly prohibited. No-one is to leave the building with a paper. We offer the paper at half price to all of The News Star employees. As Supervisors, you must insure this is not happening.This would be the same as someone from McDonald's taking home a Big Mac at the end of the shift.
Someone from Lowe's taking home a hammer.
Someone from Belk taking home a piece of Jewelry.
Someone from Cracker Barrel taking home a pack of smokes.
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.
Earlier: In St. George, Utah, new cost saver -- delivered to employees
KSDK | Anheuser-Busch hits back 'AIG' beer story
Rarely have we seen beer-making king Anheuser-Busch hit back so hard against a news piece, says the St. Louis Dispatch on its Lager Heads blog:"We wonder . . . is this part of the company’s stated commitment to "communicate in a thorough and timely manner"? If so, reporters might want to gird up their loins for battle. Or at least for criticism."
More from the post: "The crux of the issue, so far as we can tell, is a trip by 14 Anheuser-Busch managers to meetings and training events at company property at Lake of the Ozarks. The trips, it seems, are cast in the KSDK-TV piece as an example of especially ill-timed corporate greed. A-B strongly objects to that characterization."
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.
Urgent: Federal judge denies emergency order that would keep Tucson Citizen publishing in print
From a new story on the Citizen's website:
In order to convince the U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to grant the restraining order, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard had to show that there would be irreparable harm caused by the continued cessation of the printed Citizen, and that the state had a reasonable chance of succeeding on the merits of its case -- that Gannett and joint operating agency partner Lee Enterprises were acting in an anticompetitive way.
Collins said in his ruling:
"The Court finds at this point the plaintiff has failed to show the likelihood of success at trial that the defendant committed an antitrust violation that caused irreparable harm by closing the Tucson Citizen. While regrettable that the Citizen's illustrious legacy must come to end, it can not be said at this time, the decision to close the Citizen involves an anti-trust violation. The Court can not say at this point in time that there is a violation of the Newspaper Preservation Act. While, it is true the closing of the Citizen is an irreparable harm, the plaintiff has failed to show the balance of hardships weighs in their favor.
"Evidence at this time does not show a ready and willing buyer to pay the fair and reasonable liquidation value of the Tucson Citizen assets.
"If the Court were to apply the failing company test, the Citizen would qualify."
Related: Judge Collins's order in .pdf via the Citizen
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.
In order to convince the U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to grant the restraining order, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard had to show that there would be irreparable harm caused by the continued cessation of the printed Citizen, and that the state had a reasonable chance of succeeding on the merits of its case -- that Gannett and joint operating agency partner Lee Enterprises were acting in an anticompetitive way.Collins said in his ruling:
"The Court finds at this point the plaintiff has failed to show the likelihood of success at trial that the defendant committed an antitrust violation that caused irreparable harm by closing the Tucson Citizen. While regrettable that the Citizen's illustrious legacy must come to end, it can not be said at this time, the decision to close the Citizen involves an anti-trust violation. The Court can not say at this point in time that there is a violation of the Newspaper Preservation Act. While, it is true the closing of the Citizen is an irreparable harm, the plaintiff has failed to show the balance of hardships weighs in their favor.
"Evidence at this time does not show a ready and willing buyer to pay the fair and reasonable liquidation value of the Tucson Citizen assets.
"If the Court were to apply the failing company test, the Citizen would qualify."
Related: Judge Collins's order in .pdf via the Citizen
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.
What I'm doing right now
2:41 p.m., San Francisco time: Listening to Back (Presents Sphaera) from Armada At Ibiza: Summer 2008 (mixed and compiled by Markus Schulz)
Honolulu | Advertiser said laying off 11 on press
The Honolulu Advertiser will lay off as many as 15 union members in three weeks, according to notices sent to their respective unions, the rival Honolulu Star-Bulletin says: "Eleven pressmen, members of the Hawaii Printing and Graphic Communications Union Local 413-N, will be laid off, said Terrence Derby Jr., union vice president."
What I'm doing right now
9:18 a.m., San Francisco time: Taking a stop-and-go taxicab ride for a pre-Ibiza dental examination.
Tucson | Judge to rule today on suit forcing print
A federal judge is expected to rule today in a lawsuit filed by Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, seeking to to force Gannett Co. Inc. to continue publishing a printed newspaper in Tucson, or sell the Tucson Citizen to a company that will. The anticipated move by U.S. District Court Judge Raner C. Collins follows a hearing Monday in federal court at Tucson.
Gannett announced Friday it would no longer publish a print version of the Tucson Citizen but would continue a modified Web site of daily commentary and opinion with a weekly insert of editorial content appearing in the Arizona Daily Star. Goddard filed the suit late Friday, claiming Gannett, publisher of the Tucson Citizen, and Lee Enterprises, publisher of the Arizona Daily Star, were attempting to silence a news voice in a community in violation of the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970. The Citizen's near-shuttering resulted in about 65 layoffs of Gannett staffers, all in editorial.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com].
Gannett announced Friday it would no longer publish a print version of the Tucson Citizen but would continue a modified Web site of daily commentary and opinion with a weekly insert of editorial content appearing in the Arizona Daily Star. Goddard filed the suit late Friday, claiming Gannett, publisher of the Tucson Citizen, and Lee Enterprises, publisher of the Arizona Daily Star, were attempting to silence a news voice in a community in violation of the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970. The Citizen's near-shuttering resulted in about 65 layoffs of Gannett staffers, all in editorial.Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com].
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday | May 18 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Mail | Ad fragmentation hurts papers most of all
Regarding Publisher Arnold Garson's op-ed article yesterday, "The Courier-Journal is 'alive and well,'' Anonymous@12:41 p.m. writes:
I know that it's been widely reported here, but the fragmentation of the advertiser base is what is hurting newspapers the most. The dirty little secret in the newspaper business was that you could charge for an ad as if every single subscriber actually saw it. Newspapers raised rates yearly and without cause. Declining circulation was no reason to lower the ad rate... just send out a letter that states that newsprint prices were increasing.
Now, there are real-time metrics which help advertisers determine the effectiveness of the ad spend. These tools are improving every day. TV, radio and print don't offer that.
If the economy does improve, newspapers aren't going to start hiring more people to report the news because the ad spending isn't coming back.
Ever.
Garson failed to address the ignorance of newspaper managers who ignored the threat of Craigslist, jobs.com and realtor.com. These channels provided tremendous revenue streams for newspapers because advertisers didn't have many cost-effective options.
Today, they do.
And that, Arnie, is a huge [elephant-sized] problem.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com].
I know that it's been widely reported here, but the fragmentation of the advertiser base is what is hurting newspapers the most. The dirty little secret in the newspaper business was that you could charge for an ad as if every single subscriber actually saw it. Newspapers raised rates yearly and without cause. Declining circulation was no reason to lower the ad rate... just send out a letter that states that newsprint prices were increasing.Now, there are real-time metrics which help advertisers determine the effectiveness of the ad spend. These tools are improving every day. TV, radio and print don't offer that.
If the economy does improve, newspapers aren't going to start hiring more people to report the news because the ad spending isn't coming back.
Ever.
Garson failed to address the ignorance of newspaper managers who ignored the threat of Craigslist, jobs.com and realtor.com. These channels provided tremendous revenue streams for newspapers because advertisers didn't have many cost-effective options.
Today, they do.
And that, Arnie, is a huge [elephant-sized] problem.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com].
Port Clinton | Newspaper offers to sell its building
News Herald building in Ohio's Port Clinton is now too big for the number of employees working there, and too expensive to operate, Publisher Cindy George-Bealer told the newspaper; she also is chief executive of its sister paper, The News-Messenger in Fremont. "When the building sells, the plan is to search for another local site for newspaper staff employees," she said.
Mail | Broadcasting's HR employees said let go
Regarding the broadcasting division replacing all local webmasters with a smaller number of regional staffers, a reader says in an e-mail
Corporate has decided the television station employees don't need a HR person on site. Instead, they're supposed to call Corporate or one of the two regional HR folks who were retained. I realize some of your viewers have a negative perception of HR but on the broadcast side we were there to help employees and most of us took this very seriously. We were told last Tuesday that Friday would be our last day. It’s just another sign of how desperate Gannett.
Corporate has decided the television station employees don't need a HR person on site. Instead, they're supposed to call Corporate or one of the two regional HR folks who were retained. I realize some of your viewers have a negative perception of HR but on the broadcast side we were there to help employees and most of us took this very seriously. We were told last Tuesday that Friday would be our last day. It’s just another sign of how desperate Gannett.
Louisville | How your newspaper will see you dead
"I offer this as a promise, not a threat:
The Courier-Journal will publish
my obituary and yours, but not its own."
-- Publisher Arnold Garson in a 3,400-word (!) op-ed yesterday, "The Courier-Journal is 'alive and well.'" How it appears as a tag cloud:
adults audience business certain circulation closed company decline digital economic expense general going hear home industry information internet local market mass month news number operating penetration people percent point pressure print product provide public reaches really recession revenue site society subscriber super today turn tv web week work years young
created at TagCrowd.com
Recap | The TV division is getting Gannettoided!
Gannett Blog readers wrote 910 comments last week on posts you may have missed, including these:
The Obama Administration denied Corporate's request to completely shutter Arizona's Tucson Citizen. But a settlement announced Friday allows Corporate to strip the afternoon paper of virtually all its editorial employees, replacing them with an online-only publication that appears to be little more than a fig leaf. Gannett and partner Lee Enterprises will continue splitting the roughly $10 million in annual profit produced by their joint operating agreement. Arizona's attorney general intervened, filing a suit to block Gannett, but it's unclear where the case is headed next. Next, in Minnesota, the St. Cloud Times confirmed that it's closing its press, shifting production to a Gannett Offset factory near Minneapolis. Finally, seeking to trim costs once more, the broadcasting division reportedly replaced all its local webmasters with a smaller number of regional employees.
The Obama Administration denied Corporate's request to completely shutter Arizona's Tucson Citizen. But a settlement announced Friday allows Corporate to strip the afternoon paper of virtually all its editorial employees, replacing them with an online-only publication that appears to be little more than a fig leaf. Gannett and partner Lee Enterprises will continue splitting the roughly $10 million in annual profit produced by their joint operating agreement. Arizona's attorney general intervened, filing a suit to block Gannett, but it's unclear where the case is headed next. Next, in Minnesota, the St. Cloud Times confirmed that it's closing its press, shifting production to a Gannett Offset factory near Minneapolis. Finally, seeking to trim costs once more, the broadcasting division reportedly replaced all its local webmasters with a smaller number of regional employees.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday | May 17 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Passages | How we'd like to introduce ourselves
Imagine you're asked, "What do you do for work?" Forget the Mojo Model, ca. 2005. A year from now, a 21st century digital journalist might reply, "I'm one of the iPhone's fastest-growing news apps!"
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.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday | May 16 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
WFMY | Two station anchors on the way out
[Bates, Kerr]
Evening anchor Kent Bates is leaving the CBS affiliate in Greensboro, N.C., after six years, says Erik Huey at Triadmediawatch blog, citing a Greensboro News and Record report earlier yesterday. Also out: Sports Director Greg Kerr.
We always need more news from our friends in the broadcasting division! 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.
What I'm doing right now
9:59 a.m. PT: Drinking coffee while listening to Sunrise in Ibiza (Edit) from Markus Schulz Amsterdam 08. I'm off to a late start. Plus, I've been deleting an unusually large number of off-topic comments, a lot of them wallpapered.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday | May 15 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Bulletin | Tucson Citizen to live as online-only pub; In dramatic reversal, Gannett fails to close paper; Case was first big test of Obama JOA support
With big potential implications for joint operating agreements in Detroit and elsewhere, the following just moved across BusinessWire:
MCLEAN, Va., May. 15, 2009 -- Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) today said it will cease print publication of the Tucson Citizen. The Citizen will continue operating its web site, www.tucsoncitizen.com. The last print edition of the Citizen will be published on Saturday, May 16.
"Dramatic changes in our industry combined with the difficult economy – particularly in this region – mean it is no longer viable to produce two daily printed newspapers in Tucson," said Bob Dickey, president of the U.S. Community Publishing division of Gannett. "We are pleased that the Citizen’s web site will continue its role as a place for a separate community conversation. Its staff will focus on stimulating public engagement in local affairs. We look forward to moving in this exciting direction." Dickey said that the parties' partnership with Lee Enterprises, Inc. in Tucson, TNI Partners, will print a Tucson Citizen editorial in the Arizona Daily Star weekly to expand the reach of the Citizen’s voice. Lee publishes the Arizona Daily Star.
Dickey added, "We applaud the hard work of our employees at the newspaper. Their dedication to journalism and to the community of Tucson deserves the highest praise."
Gannett has owned the Tucson Citizen since 1976. The Citizen was founded in 1859, and it is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Arizona. The Citizen has reported on some of Arizona’s biggest stories, including the 1881 gunfight at the OK Corral and the 1934 arrest of bank robber John Dillinger.
Gannett’s joint operating arrangement with Lee under the Newspaper Preservation Act will also terminate on May 16. Gannett and Lee will continue to be equal partners in TNI Partners.
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.
MCLEAN, Va., May. 15, 2009 -- Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) today said it will cease print publication of the Tucson Citizen. The Citizen will continue operating its web site, www.tucsoncitizen.com. The last print edition of the Citizen will be published on Saturday, May 16.
"Dramatic changes in our industry combined with the difficult economy – particularly in this region – mean it is no longer viable to produce two daily printed newspapers in Tucson," said Bob Dickey, president of the U.S. Community Publishing division of Gannett. "We are pleased that the Citizen’s web site will continue its role as a place for a separate community conversation. Its staff will focus on stimulating public engagement in local affairs. We look forward to moving in this exciting direction." Dickey said that the parties' partnership with Lee Enterprises, Inc. in Tucson, TNI Partners, will print a Tucson Citizen editorial in the Arizona Daily Star weekly to expand the reach of the Citizen’s voice. Lee publishes the Arizona Daily Star.Dickey added, "We applaud the hard work of our employees at the newspaper. Their dedication to journalism and to the community of Tucson deserves the highest praise."
Gannett has owned the Tucson Citizen since 1976. The Citizen was founded in 1859, and it is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Arizona. The Citizen has reported on some of Arizona’s biggest stories, including the 1881 gunfight at the OK Corral and the 1934 arrest of bank robber John Dillinger.
Gannett’s joint operating arrangement with Lee under the Newspaper Preservation Act will also terminate on May 16. Gannett and Lee will continue to be equal partners in TNI Partners.
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.
Y - a - h - o - o - o! Tucson ain't dead yet!!!
Apparently alive and well -- if not totally traumatized by the roller-coaster deal, the staff has put out the following story. Go, Citizen!
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.
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.
Louisville | A coach, a paper -- and urgent whispers
From Kentucky Sports Radio's coverage of hot-potato events swirling former Boston Celtics basketball coach Rick Pitino (left) -- including news of a Courier-Journal photo of a protester's sign, a picture that got cropped in a way blogger Matt Jones finds curious today:The bigger issue to me is the media’s continued reluctance to report the story. Over the past month, the Kentucky media has allowed Rick Pitino to have a statement released publicly in full and allowed Karen Sypher's husband to spout allegations about his wife in every outlet. However, Karen Sypher's story has yet to be told and all media outlets remain silent about the core issue that is at the center of this extortion case. Sypher's son's sign was a potential view into what Sypher may be alleging (why else would it have been taken down), but ultimately those that know for certain (the media) aren't saying and continue their policy of ignoring the devil at the center of this entire story.
Related: the controversial photo accompanies this story
Hot potatoes? Sacred cows you can never cover? Tell us more! 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.
Context | How to understand press shutdowns
That's now the new proportion of Gannett's 85 U.S. newspapers that have given up their presses in the past 18 months, following the recent announcement, by the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota.
Just In | St. Cloud confirms; 12th to close press
(Updated at 12:17 p.m.) The number of Gannett presses headed for the junkyard now totals 12, a sharp-eyed reader says, pointing to a site I'd missed in my previous tally: The News Leader of Staunton, Va.From an earlier version of this post: Confirming speculation, St. Cloud Times Publisher Bill Albrecht sought to reassure the Minnesota community that only production is shifting to Gannett Offset, 51 miles away in suburban Minneapolis.
"I want make (to) sure everyone understands that Times Media and the St. Cloud Times are not moving to Maple Grove,'' the paper quotes Albrecht saying, in a new story online. "Our printed products are going to be produced at a Gannett location in Maple Grove. We will maintain our operation in St. Cloud with roughly 170 employees.”
St. Cloud becomes the 12th site to shutter its press in the past 18 months. The others: Asheville, N.C.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Clarksville, Tenn.; Fort Collins, Colo., Hattiesburg, Miss.; Iowa City, Iowa; Mountain Home, Ark.; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Richmond, Ind.; Staunton, Va., and Stevens Point, Wis.
What am I missing? Post your replies in the comments section, below. E-mail confidentially to gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
[Today's front page, Newseum]
Tweet | How to launch a second journalism career
Try marketing for free via ibizaconfidant on Twitter. Join me there!Got a marketing tip for jumpstarting a career? Please reply in the comments section, below. Or write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday | May 14 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Reviews | You say that like it's a bad thing!
'A sun-soaked, ab-decked ode to a
boozy life in a fabulous locale'
-- Anonymous@3:16 p.m., commenting on my new, still-under-development Ibiza Confidential blog, which I disclosed today. It's locked down now; I hope to launch by July 1.
Ibiza '09 | Rock star villas, Balinese chill space
This explains why I'm running the new survey, green rail, right.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday | May 13 | Your News & Comments
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
As TV loses local webmasters, are papers next?
In a surprise move yesterday, Gannett shifted technical control of the 23-station broadcasting division's websites, Gannett Blog readers say, creating a new team of regional webmasters to replace those at the local level. All the local webmasters were laid off, readers say; I don't have hard numbers. I've got plenty of questions:
- Where are the regional webmasters to be based? How many will there be?
- Is broadcasting now establishing the same hub structure that the newspaper division is rolling out in Central New York, New Jersey, the Indianapolis area and elsewhere?
- Are these web folks moving to Gannett Digital under Chris Saridakis, the chief digital officer and senior vice president?
- If the TV stations no longer need local webmasters, is Corporate planning the same for the community dailies? Or have those jobs already been eliminated?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
