Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday | 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.)
WSJ: Total newspaper jobs cut said less than 2,000; Story unclear on whether USA Today to be spared
Here is the three-graph WSJ story:Gannett Co., the largest U.S. newspaper publisher by daily circulation, will cut more than 1,000 jobs in response to continuing revenue declines, according to a person familiar with the company's thinking.
The cuts will come from the U.S. Community Publishing division, which consists of Gannett's more than 80 local dailies, the person said. They won't affect the flagship publication, USA Today. It wasn't clear exactly how many jobs will be shed, although the person said it will be fewer than 2,000.
Gannett, which like most newspaper publishers is suffering from steep advertising declines, cut more than 10% of its 41,500-person work force last year and was expected to make additional cuts after a dismal first quarter.
USA Today spared -- or not?
Writer Russell Adams covers the newspaper beat, and knows it well. But read the paragraph about USAT carefully: It says the cuts will come from the community newspaper division, which does not include The Detroit Free Press or USA Today. Adams' story does not explictly say that there won't be job reductions at USAT; only that the USCP trims "won't affect the flagship.''
There was similar confusion in December on whether that month's 10% job cut would affect Detroit and USAT. In the end, I believe, Detroit was able to squeeze past through buyouts. USA Today publicly acknowledged cutting 20 newsroom jobs. I never got a count on the other jobs eliminated in circulation and other non-editorial departments.
Now, he's writing on deadline. In later versions, he may clarify this point. Please help me watch for updates.
Other coverage, links
- All Gannett stories by USA Today
- Editor & Publisher quotes Gannett's Tara Connell: "We have been doing layoffs and we will be doing layoffs. In terms of a large-scale layoff, we have no comment."
- Romenesko has The New York Times story
- Leading New York media gossip blog Gawker
- paidContent, relying on the NYT story, says: "Gannett, which is a poster child for all the challenges newspapers are facing, had a particularly dismal first quarter, with profits down 60%."
Warning: Management's trolls are out in force
[Rare brain X-ray! Trollus Corporateus]
They are now posting false information about me, on several comment strings. It's the old bullshit about my annual performance evaluations. I addressed those tired canards in a comment this morning.
I believe this is an effort to get me to resume moderating comments in advance. That would require that I stay up night (it's now 1:40 a.m. where I live.) The alternative: I would be required to stop your ability to post your own comments throughout the night and into the morning.
(Updated at 9:46 p.m.) I've figured out a compromise. I'll read comments in advance, to keep them at bay. So, there will be short delays in seeing your posts. On the plus side for yours truly: It saves me a lot of time in the morning: I won't be shoveling troll manure for hours -- something I just did, by deleting a bunch of 'em.
I won't give in. Unfortunately, that means they will trash some or all of the comment strings. I apologize for their inexcusable behavior under these terrible circumstances. But now you're seeing Corporate in all its shameful glory.
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.
Bulletin: GCI says layoffs imminent, reports say; Execs said downplaying 4,500-job cut estimate; 'News would probably come sooner than July 8'
Updated at 5:07 p.m. ET. After weeks of speculation, the Gannett Co. Inc. has confirmed it is about to launch a workforce reduction, Gannett Blog readers and The New York Times are now reporting. These moves, readers have said, could target layoffs and other cuts as high as 20% at some worksites.
From The New York Times:
The Gannett Co., owner of the nation’s largest newspaper chain, will go through another round of layoffs soon, with an announcement possible in the next few days, executives said today.
The company’s United States and British newspaper divisions eliminated more than 10,000 jobs in 2007 and 2008, including about 2,000 layoffs last fall, and Gannett executives have said repeatedly that they expect more downsizing, including layoffs. The company, which also owns a chain of television stations and Internet ventures, ended last year with 41,500 employees, including 35,800 in its newspaper divisions.
On Gannett Blog, a former Gannett editor who closely follows the company, Jim Hopkins, quotes an unnamed person in the company as saying that it will announce on July 8 that it is eliminating 4,500 United States newspaper jobs, and cutting salaries in its broadcast division.
Gannett executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, said the number of jobs affected would be significantly smaller than that, and the news would probably come sooner than July 8.
Tara Connell, the company’s chief spokeswoman, declined to comment on the matter, except to contend that numbers cited by Mr. Hopkins had often turned out to be incorrect.
Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and 84 other U.S. papers, saw newspaper advertising revenue fall 34.1 percent in the first quarter, compared with the period a year earlier. Analysts say second-quarter numbers will be similarly weak. The company has taken some drastic steps to lower expenses, including cutting home delivery of The Detroit Free Press from daily to three days a week, and stopping print publication of Tucson Citizen.
From The New York Times:
The Gannett Co., owner of the nation’s largest newspaper chain, will go through another round of layoffs soon, with an announcement possible in the next few days, executives said today.
The company’s United States and British newspaper divisions eliminated more than 10,000 jobs in 2007 and 2008, including about 2,000 layoffs last fall, and Gannett executives have said repeatedly that they expect more downsizing, including layoffs. The company, which also owns a chain of television stations and Internet ventures, ended last year with 41,500 employees, including 35,800 in its newspaper divisions.
On Gannett Blog, a former Gannett editor who closely follows the company, Jim Hopkins, quotes an unnamed person in the company as saying that it will announce on July 8 that it is eliminating 4,500 United States newspaper jobs, and cutting salaries in its broadcast division.
Gannett executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, said the number of jobs affected would be significantly smaller than that, and the news would probably come sooner than July 8.
Tara Connell, the company’s chief spokeswoman, declined to comment on the matter, except to contend that numbers cited by Mr. Hopkins had often turned out to be incorrect.
Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and 84 other U.S. papers, saw newspaper advertising revenue fall 34.1 percent in the first quarter, compared with the period a year earlier. Analysts say second-quarter numbers will be similarly weak. The company has taken some drastic steps to lower expenses, including cutting home delivery of The Detroit Free Press from daily to three days a week, and stopping print publication of Tucson 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.
Urgent: Gannett confirms layoffs imminent
This just moved by the New York Times:
The Gannett Company, owner of the nation’s largest newspaper chain, will go through another round of layoffs soon, with an announcement possible in the next few days, executives said Tuesday.
The company’s United States and British newspaper divisions eliminated more than 10,000 jobs in 2007 and 2008, including about 2,000 layoffs last fall, and Gannett executives have said repeatedly that they expect more downsizing, including layoffs. The company, which also owns a chain of television stations and Internet ventures, ended last year with 41,500 employees, including 35,800 in its newspaper divisions.
On Gannett Blog, a former Gannett editor who closely follows the company, Jim Hopkins, quotes an unnamed person in the company as saying that it will announce on July 8 that it is eliminating 4,500 United States newspaper jobs, and cutting salaries in its broadcast division.
Gannett executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, said the number of jobs affected would be significantly smaller than that, and the news would probably come sooner than July 8.
Tara Connell, the company’s chief spokeswoman, declined to comment on the matter, except to contend that numbers cited by Mr. Hopkins had often turned out to be incorrect.
Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and 84 other U.S. papers, saw newspaper advertising revenue fall 34.1 percent in the first quarter, compared with the period a year earlier. Analysts say second-quarter numbers will be similarly weak. The company has taken some drastic steps to lower expenses, including cutting home delivery of The Detroit Free Press from daily to three days a week, and stopping print publication of The Tucson Citizen.
The Gannett Company, owner of the nation’s largest newspaper chain, will go through another round of layoffs soon, with an announcement possible in the next few days, executives said Tuesday.
The company’s United States and British newspaper divisions eliminated more than 10,000 jobs in 2007 and 2008, including about 2,000 layoffs last fall, and Gannett executives have said repeatedly that they expect more downsizing, including layoffs. The company, which also owns a chain of television stations and Internet ventures, ended last year with 41,500 employees, including 35,800 in its newspaper divisions.
On Gannett Blog, a former Gannett editor who closely follows the company, Jim Hopkins, quotes an unnamed person in the company as saying that it will announce on July 8 that it is eliminating 4,500 United States newspaper jobs, and cutting salaries in its broadcast division.
Gannett executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, said the number of jobs affected would be significantly smaller than that, and the news would probably come sooner than July 8.
Tara Connell, the company’s chief spokeswoman, declined to comment on the matter, except to contend that numbers cited by Mr. Hopkins had often turned out to be incorrect.
Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and 84 other U.S. papers, saw newspaper advertising revenue fall 34.1 percent in the first quarter, compared with the period a year earlier. Analysts say second-quarter numbers will be similarly weak. The company has taken some drastic steps to lower expenses, including cutting home delivery of The Detroit Free Press from daily to three days a week, and stopping print publication of The Tucson Citizen.
Layoffs | To plan ahead, a Gannett Blog FAQ
Gannett Blog recorded 31,000 visits Dec. 3, the peak of the last big job reduction; click on graphic for bigger view. This fever line reflects the fact cuts occurred before and after the planned layoff date. The same could occur in one week -- if current speculation is true.
Q. When are the rumored job cuts taking place?
A. July 8 -- one week from tomorrow.
Q. But what about the recent report about July 15?
A. That is when Gannett Co. announces second-quarter financial results, and discusses the outlook for the near term. It's likely Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore will give Wall Street analysts updated figures on any layoffs that have occurred by then.
Q. Will everyone get notified on July 8?A. Very unlikely. The December layoffs were to occur on Dec. 3. But they began several days before, and lasted several days after, because some publishers were out of town, and wanted to be on-site when workers got notified. The pattern resembled a bell curve, as the Gannett Blog traffic graphic, above, reflects.
Q. How should I prepare, just in case?
A. Slow down spending. Delay all major decisions. Start looking online for jobs. (That's what I did before leaving USA Today. It's a very sobering exercise.)
A. Got any more advice about preparing for the job market?
Start collecting copies of items (e-mail, work samples, for example) you'll want when you start job-hunting. Should you get called into an office to be notified, your computer access will likely be cut immediately, and you may not be able to return to your desk unescorted. Gannett Blog readers have suggested forwarding copies of critical e-mail to a personal e-mail account. I use Gmail. But Yahoo, MSN and other such free services work just as well.
Also, if you're a blogger, print copies of your best posts. I didn't do that, and found too late that USA Today had deep-sized my small-business blog. (Grrrrr!) If you're not a blogger, start now. Blogging is good for everyone, not just editorial, because it forces you into the online world. There are plenty of free blog publishing platforms. I use Google's Blogger. But there's Twitter, TypePad, WordPress and others. If you've got teen-agers nearby, ask for help.
Q. What about online job-hunting resources?A. Join LinkedIn and Facebook. The latter isn't just for college students anymore. I use it daily.
Q. How about medical benefits?
A. This is going to be the biggest challenge of all. My impression from the December layoffs: Hewitt Associates was overwhelmed with requests. Calls went unanswered, or did not get returned for days. You will need to be merciless in keeping on this. And that was when Corporate was "only'' cutting 2,500 or so jobs. This time, the number could hit 4,500 or more. Consider asking a family member of friend to stay by the phone 24/7 if necessary.
Q. 4,500?!
A. That's just one estimate for U.S. Community Publishing, the domestic newspaper division, which employs somewhere around 30,000 of Gannett's global workforce of 41,500 at the end of 2008. (See, inset graphic, above.)
In fact, however, I suspect Corporate is aiming at a financial target. For example, say those 4,500 each cost an average $75,000 in wages, medical and other benefits. (Remember: some worksites, such as USA Today, The Arizona Republic and The Indianapolis Star, have legacy payrolls that are much more costly than, say, the smaller community papers.) Multiply that times 4,500 and you get a savings goal of $338 million.
Q. And pension/401(k) payouts?
A. Corporate will be equally challenged here. The second you learn you've been laid off, immediately complete the paperwork Gannett gives you during your notification meeting. Your retirement assets should be tapped only as a last resort -- say, to avoid foreclosure on your home, or to keep your children in school. Some employees complained that it took months to get their rollover checks.
Frankly, I'd like to know how the pension plan can afford to pay 4,500 lump-sum payouts to roll into IRAs or other company plans. Those must be in cash, I believe. (Anyone know the answer?)
Other questions? Better answers? 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.
[Graphic: top, Google Analytics]; inset, Gannett's worldwide employment, with annual change, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Forms 10-K]
Ask Tara | Is Gannett about to cut 4,500 jobs?
It has now been 12 days since I sent the following e-mail to chief Corporate publicist Tara Connell. We've heard from Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore about ailing CEO Craig Dubow. Would one of you two please now answer these questions?
June 18, 2009
Tara Connell
Vice President
Gannett Co. Inc.
McLean, Va.
By e-mail
Tara:
In a comment, one of Gannett Blog's best sources has told us the following:
1. Principal executive and Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore has ordered layoffs across the board from U.S. Community Publishing to USA Today, Corporate and the Broadcasting division.
2. On top of layoffs, salary reductions will happen in the broadcast division: a 10% salary reduction.
3. No new furloughs for the rest of the year.
4. Layoffs are scheduled for July 8. Estimated to be 4,500 for U.S. Community Publishing.
My questions:
1. Is any of the above information incorrect?
2. If any of the above is incorrect, please provide, point-by-point, the accurate information.
I look forward to your reply.
Jim Hopkins
Editor
Gannett Blog
gannettblog.blogspot.com
Read monthly by more than 10,000 media pros
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.
June 18, 2009
Tara Connell
Vice President
Gannett Co. Inc.
McLean, Va.
By e-mail
Tara:
In a comment, one of Gannett Blog's best sources has told us the following:
1. Principal executive and Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore has ordered layoffs across the board from U.S. Community Publishing to USA Today, Corporate and the Broadcasting division.
2. On top of layoffs, salary reductions will happen in the broadcast division: a 10% salary reduction.
3. No new furloughs for the rest of the year.
4. Layoffs are scheduled for July 8. Estimated to be 4,500 for U.S. Community Publishing.
My questions:
1. Is any of the above information incorrect?
2. If any of the above is incorrect, please provide, point-by-point, the accurate information.
I look forward to your reply.
Jim Hopkins
Editor
Gannett Blog
gannettblog.blogspot.com
Read monthly by more than 10,000 media pros
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.
Tip | Editors reported in 'secret budget meetings'
Anonymous@10:34 p.m. yesterday says: "Top editors got called to DC for secret budget meetings, apparently forecast is worse than believed. Possibly another 2-3% cuts needed."
Is this because of the reportedly dismal Period 6 results? Our very authoritative source My Boss said: "Period 6 was a disaster."
Is URGENTLY need more confirmation on this -- or it gets pulled. Please post your replies ASAP 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.
Is this because of the reportedly dismal Period 6 results? Our very authoritative source My Boss said: "Period 6 was a disaster."
Is URGENTLY need more confirmation on this -- or it gets pulled. Please post your replies ASAP 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.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday | 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.)
Lougee's letter, as a template for publishers
Broadcasting division President Dave Lougee's June 23 letter to employees, announcing wage cuts, almost certainly got vetted by Gannett's Law Department, official Corporate publicist Tara Connell, and others. I imagine it will serve as a template for any similar letters that newspaper publishers may send in the week ahead. Here's the top of Lougee's letter, with my edits indicated where you see [brackets].
Dear colleague,
While many are cautiously optimistic that the worst of this economic downturn will soon be over, the [NEWSPAPER] industry continues to feel the effects. The decline in the [INSERT: LOCAL SECTOR] alone –- once about [INSERT LOCAL FIGURE] percent of our division’s ad business -- is a major challenge for us. And that’s just one example of the changes we are seeing.
I believe it’s clear there will be a permanent reset of the American economy on the other side of the economic storm. On top of that, our industry has been impacted by the revolution in the way people consume media and the way advertisers try to reach them.
[OPTIONAL PHRASE: Even so, our (UNIT')s financial results continue to be at the top of the industry.] With your help, ideas, and some tough choices, we have made important and innovative strides in how we allocate resources to best serve our viewers, communities and advertisers, on any and all platforms.
These efforts, combined with some proactive financial decisions, will help us stay strong. In effect, we have to have our own “reset” to match the changes in the [NEWSPAPER] business. As a result, we are making the following changes . . .
Please forward any such publisher memo to me, ASAP, if you get one. Or 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.
Dear colleague,
While many are cautiously optimistic that the worst of this economic downturn will soon be over, the [NEWSPAPER] industry continues to feel the effects. The decline in the [INSERT: LOCAL SECTOR] alone –- once about [INSERT LOCAL FIGURE] percent of our division’s ad business -- is a major challenge for us. And that’s just one example of the changes we are seeing.
I believe it’s clear there will be a permanent reset of the American economy on the other side of the economic storm. On top of that, our industry has been impacted by the revolution in the way people consume media and the way advertisers try to reach them.
[OPTIONAL PHRASE: Even so, our (UNIT')s financial results continue to be at the top of the industry.] With your help, ideas, and some tough choices, we have made important and innovative strides in how we allocate resources to best serve our viewers, communities and advertisers, on any and all platforms.
These efforts, combined with some proactive financial decisions, will help us stay strong. In effect, we have to have our own “reset” to match the changes in the [NEWSPAPER] business. As a result, we are making the following changes . . .
Please forward any such publisher memo to me, ASAP, if you get one. Or 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.
Now | Dubow told to 'take his time getting better'
I'm told that Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore has just sent this note to employees, concerning Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow's medical leave of absence.
Dear colleague:
I wanted to let you know that I have spoken with Craig Dubow and he is doing fine following his back surgery. I am pleased to report that he left the hospital last Friday and continues his recuperation at home in Virginia.
Many of you have asked how he is doing and expressed your well wishes. These have been passed along to Craig and he wants you to know how very much he appreciates your concern and kind thoughts.
While his doctors have told him to take his time getting better, I know he is anxious to get back into the swing of things. We wish him a speedy recovery.
I will keep you updated as Craig’s recuperation continues.
Sincerely,
Gracia
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.
Dear colleague:
I wanted to let you know that I have spoken with Craig Dubow and he is doing fine following his back surgery. I am pleased to report that he left the hospital last Friday and continues his recuperation at home in Virginia.
Many of you have asked how he is doing and expressed your well wishes. These have been passed along to Craig and he wants you to know how very much he appreciates your concern and kind thoughts.
While his doctors have told him to take his time getting better, I know he is anxious to get back into the swing of things. We wish him a speedy recovery.
I will keep you updated as Craig’s recuperation continues.
Sincerely,
Gracia
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.
Stock | What a Wall Street media analyst told me
"I will miss reading your Gannett Blog once you discontinue it. It's one of the few blogs out there that reflect professional journalistic principles.
Its content has been a solid resource
for me as I cover this company."
-- A confidential note 12 days ago, amid rumors of pending layoffs.
Saying farewell | But when is final shutdown?
[U.K. is No. 2 source of traffic off the lower 48 states; Hawaii's No. 1]
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.
Gannett Blog closes shop for good on July 10. But that date will arrive at different time zones, depending on where you live. I have lots of readers in the United Kingdom, my No. 2 source of off-American shore traffic. (See list left.) In the U.K., Gannett's Newsquest division publishes 17 paid-dailies and hundreds of weeklies. It is five hours ahead of ET, and eight ahead of PT. Plus, July 10 arrives at midnight, and I'm not sure what I'll honor as the end point. Bottom line: Please don't delay. Post comments now, while there's still time to say goodbye to your friends here.
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.
[Graphics: Google Analytics]
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday | 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.)
Comment | 'Why the company is rotting from the bottom up, as much as it is from the top down'
Anonymous@9:40 p.m. wrote the following on my post about former Chairman and CEO Al Neuharth's guranteed $100,000-per-year-for-life contract with Gannett. Following is an edited version.
I understand it's Jim's blog and he can focus on topics like this if he so chooses. But in all this time the blog has existed, I don't think enough attention was placed on the everyday, real world problems of employees of Gannett. What Al Neuharth makes in retirement or how Craig Dubow's back might impact the company probably has meaning and some sort of indirect impact on us all. I guess we should be more outraged.
Huge workloads, territorial misbehavior
But I can't help feeling that lots of little stories were missed here. Combined, all the many smaller issues are what really makes or breaks a workplace. Employee spirits and productivity are often broken by bosses who hit the bottle a bit too much or by managers sleeping with the help. I know of one Gannett editor who was emotionally/clinically disturbed to the point where he should have been removed from his job years ago, before he inflicted so much damage on so many careers of people who worked for him. He went undetected because higher-ups refused to open their eyes to realities, a common problem at Gannett properties of all sizes:
Wouldn't this be a great time to connect the dots between top dogs like Ken Paulson leaving USA Today for greener pastures and the pending layoffs? What was all that nonsense from him about not bailing out on USAT? I guess Kinsey Wilson and Craig Moon didn't bail either? C'mon. They knew what was coming. They didn't want any part of eliminating more jobs and ruining lives of people who worked for them. Maybe Jim should pester them for an interview now (or after July 8).
Editorial is surrendering
There is so much stamped deeply into the Gannett culture that it's become a mish-mash of misdirected fools in corner offices, on front lines of various desks and at the head of committees that accomplish nothing. One department goes in one direction. Another goes in a completely opposite one.
A really fearful trend is the blending of editorial with marketing/advertising. What the public has to be educated on now is that journalists are performing business functions for their papers. This is a particular ethical problem with the online versions of those papers. Even at the large papers, editors who should be thinking like journalists are instead acting like pitchmen. They are draining resources away from editorial content in a quest to prop up the marketing machines associated with these web sites. In essence, editorial is surrendering its independence -- a vary dangerous thing in a free society. I would have liked to have seen more written about this because even the biggest Gannett papers are doing it now. It's still subtle in some places, but it's happening.
To read the full comment, please go here.
Earlier: Fear factor -- Probing Gannett's mean-boss legacy
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: She didn't know Jack, but she loved it on the rocks, right?]
I understand it's Jim's blog and he can focus on topics like this if he so chooses. But in all this time the blog has existed, I don't think enough attention was placed on the everyday, real world problems of employees of Gannett. What Al Neuharth makes in retirement or how Craig Dubow's back might impact the company probably has meaning and some sort of indirect impact on us all. I guess we should be more outraged.
Huge workloads, territorial misbehaviorBut I can't help feeling that lots of little stories were missed here. Combined, all the many smaller issues are what really makes or breaks a workplace. Employee spirits and productivity are often broken by bosses who hit the bottle a bit too much or by managers sleeping with the help. I know of one Gannett editor who was emotionally/clinically disturbed to the point where he should have been removed from his job years ago, before he inflicted so much damage on so many careers of people who worked for him. He went undetected because higher-ups refused to open their eyes to realities, a common problem at Gannett properties of all sizes:
- Staffers who have to pull double duty because of a coworker's incompetence.
- The general lack of accountability for some while others are held to impossibly high standards.
- The huge workloads and all the rework that is necessary because of territorial misbehavior.
- The inability of mid-level editors to truly lead without being either mean or over-the-top friendly (in sort of a fake way).
- The lack of respect that comes in all forms.
Wouldn't this be a great time to connect the dots between top dogs like Ken Paulson leaving USA Today for greener pastures and the pending layoffs? What was all that nonsense from him about not bailing out on USAT? I guess Kinsey Wilson and Craig Moon didn't bail either? C'mon. They knew what was coming. They didn't want any part of eliminating more jobs and ruining lives of people who worked for them. Maybe Jim should pester them for an interview now (or after July 8).
Editorial is surrendering
There is so much stamped deeply into the Gannett culture that it's become a mish-mash of misdirected fools in corner offices, on front lines of various desks and at the head of committees that accomplish nothing. One department goes in one direction. Another goes in a completely opposite one.
A really fearful trend is the blending of editorial with marketing/advertising. What the public has to be educated on now is that journalists are performing business functions for their papers. This is a particular ethical problem with the online versions of those papers. Even at the large papers, editors who should be thinking like journalists are instead acting like pitchmen. They are draining resources away from editorial content in a quest to prop up the marketing machines associated with these web sites. In essence, editorial is surrendering its independence -- a vary dangerous thing in a free society. I would have liked to have seen more written about this because even the biggest Gannett papers are doing it now. It's still subtle in some places, but it's happening.
To read the full comment, please go here.
Earlier: Fear factor -- Probing Gannett's mean-boss legacy
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: She didn't know Jack, but she loved it on the rocks, right?]
Goin' for broke | Confidential to the creditors!
As you cast about for liquid assets upon which* to lay your grubby paws, I suggest you take a peek at a 20-year-old trust account at Northern Trust Co. in Chicago. There, I expect you'll find at least $5 million, set aside for the exclusive benefit of our favorite suntanned multimillionaire retiree in Cocoa Beach, Fla. (Hi, Al!)
The Northern account secures one of two contracts requiring Gannett to pay former CEO and Chairman Al Neuharth, 85, a combined $200,000 annually for the rest of his life, public documents show. (The second contract makes Neuharth a consultant to GCI. He's been fulfilling those duties, at least in part, by writing a weekly column every Friday in USA Today, the paper he launched in 1982. USAT is now facing possible job cuts under a rumored Gannett-wide layoff that could hit next week.) This post is about the secured contract.
The board of directors must have been scratching their heads back in 1989, when Neuharth's far-sighted attorneys insisted Gannett set aside that money as security, to guarantee GCI keeps paying his $100,000-a-year-for-life payments, under his platinum-plus retirement package. "Our company? Unable to pay the light bill? How much Pouilly-Fuissé have you been huffing, Mr. Chairman?!"
And yet! I'm reminded of that long-forgotten bootie by a recent Deal magazine article that floated the once unthinkable: Gannett's facing the business end of a Chapter 11 filing, should that trade publication's scary forecast prove accurate. Interestingly, of course, someone in Gannett thought to include a caution in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, disclosing the terms of that $5 million treasure chest. It says: "General creditors of the company may reach the trust's assets if the company becomes bankrupt or insolvent."
And, no: Thank you, for helping drive Gannett closer to extinction. We couldn't have done it without you!
* Related: All about dangling participles.
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: Another chilled Pouilly-Fuissé? Why not; it's on the employees, and those sucke -- err, shareholders!]
The Northern account secures one of two contracts requiring Gannett to pay former CEO and Chairman Al Neuharth, 85, a combined $200,000 annually for the rest of his life, public documents show. (The second contract makes Neuharth a consultant to GCI. He's been fulfilling those duties, at least in part, by writing a weekly column every Friday in USA Today, the paper he launched in 1982. USAT is now facing possible job cuts under a rumored Gannett-wide layoff that could hit next week.) This post is about the secured contract.
The board of directors must have been scratching their heads back in 1989, when Neuharth's far-sighted attorneys insisted Gannett set aside that money as security, to guarantee GCI keeps paying his $100,000-a-year-for-life payments, under his platinum-plus retirement package. "Our company? Unable to pay the light bill? How much Pouilly-Fuissé have you been huffing, Mr. Chairman?!"And yet! I'm reminded of that long-forgotten bootie by a recent Deal magazine article that floated the once unthinkable: Gannett's facing the business end of a Chapter 11 filing, should that trade publication's scary forecast prove accurate. Interestingly, of course, someone in Gannett thought to include a caution in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, disclosing the terms of that $5 million treasure chest. It says: "General creditors of the company may reach the trust's assets if the company becomes bankrupt or insolvent."
And, no: Thank you, for helping drive Gannett closer to extinction. We couldn't have done it without you!
* Related: All about dangling participles.
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: Another chilled Pouilly-Fuissé? Why not; it's on the employees, and those sucke -- err, shareholders!]
$$$ | Did Period 6 end on Friday?
In other words, is Gannett now done with its fiscal second quarter? That's a milestone I need to record.
Music | Now, in the player: 'Stayin' Alive'
Michael Jackson has me listening to lots of old music, and that's got the Bee Gees coming up on my iPod playlist. So, I've just loaded Stayin' Alive (1977) in the music player, green rail, to your right. Cue: John Travolta, and that ridiculous white suit -- and platform shoes!What's on your playlist? 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.
Tech | Please help my Google search test
Google the following phrase, then please tell me where my other blog ranks in results. (Don't visit that site from work; it's NSFW!)
croissant playa ibiza
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.
croissant playa ibiza
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.
Saying goodbye | Please post now!
Gannett Blog closes July 10: No new comments will be allowed after that Friday. You now have only 12 days left to post, and to say goodbye to each other here!
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. Or write to gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com].
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday | 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.)
Oh, zarks! | Condoms, Christ, Yakov -- and more!
[Bonus points: former Miss America Anita Bryant, below!]
What do you get when you combine Gannett's newspaper in Springfield, Mo., with a giant statue of Jesus Christ in the Ozarks; Branson, Mo., comedian Yakov Smirnoff -- and thousands of unsolicited condoms mailed to college students by a Gannett "affiliate" in Florida? A very interesting post that ends with a crucial question unanswered!
Now, follow me, as I try to unravel what we'd call a big frittata in my home state of Rhode Island.
Key players
In no particular order:
- Don Wyatt, executive editor of the News-Leader Media Group, publisher of the News-Leader in Springfield.
- Irwin Parker, Robert Parker, and Jennifer Irwin -- who may or may not still be Gannett employees.
- Student Welcome Pack Inc., a direct-mailing company in Tallahassee that's at least a Gannett "affiliate."
- Missouri State University, also in Springfield.
- Many pissed-off, socially conservative parents of said MSU students.
- A no-doubt growing band of lawsuit-happy lawyers.
Word-for-word from a story in today's News-Leader:
Missouri State University is considering a lawsuit against the News-Leader's parent company after a Gannett Co. Inc. affiliate mailed thousands of welcome packets to area college-age students.
According to MSU attorney Clifton Smart, the packets -- which contained advertisements for local businesses -- might have amounted to trademark infringement, since they mentioned the school.
"If you use the name Missouri State University in such a way to convey that Missouri State University sent out that packet, that's trademark infringement," Smart said. "Dozens of parents thought that we sent them out that packet."
He said some advertisers who participated in the mailing believed MSU had sanctioned them, though he would not give names.
Chief among the university's concerns, Smart said, was an ad for Planned Parenthood with a condom attached. In bold type at the top of the insert are the words: "Welcome to MSU!"
The setting
The Bermuda Triangle of wholesome midwestern entertainment for bus tours by blue-haired ladies and their dozing hubbies. 1. Oklahoma Indian reservation casinos. 2. Eureka Springs, Ark., near where they still perform a passion play (!) in the shadow of the famous Christ of the Ozarks statue. 3. Branson, Mo., home to a collection of dinner theater shows by entertainers like Smirnoff.
Bonus points! If the former Miss America hadn't filed for bankruptcy, tourists might stop by the Anita Bryant Museum, where the one-time Florida orange juice huckster retreated with her crown and scepter, plus retired astronaut husband, after her anti-gay campaign in Florida's Dade County. (Now you know why I loved being a journalist in Arkansas during 1985-91. The Clintons! Whitewater! Sam Walton! But I digress.)
The documents
Robert Parker and Irwin were the principal officers of Student Welcome Pack as recently as 2006, when they filed their last annual report with the Florida Secretary of State's office, according to public documents I obtained today. (See, below.) They also owned FSView and Florida Flambeau, the bi-weekly campus newspaper serving Tallahassee's Florida State University. Gannett bought the newspaper in August 2006 for an undisclosed sum.
The Parkers were Gannett employees when Campus Progress wrote about what was Gannett's first foray into the college newspaper market, the publication reported in September 2006. Irwin was to be publisher of the papers after the acquisition, the story said.
Now, here's the question that I can't answer: Did Gannett's purchase of FSView and Florida Flambau include Student Welcome Pack Inc.? I suspect it did, and that the deal included the Parkers and Irwin staying on as employees or consultants to aid in the transition of the newspaper.
But I can't find anything in Gannett's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to reflect that. And, apparently, Irwin is no longer publisher of the paper, according to the publication's website contact list.
Student Welcome Pack's annual report; click image for bigger view:
"If you use the name Missouri State University in such a way to convey that Missouri State University sent out that packet, that's trademark infringement," Smart said. "Dozens of parents thought that we sent them out that packet."
He said some advertisers who participated in the mailing believed MSU had sanctioned them, though he would not give names.
Chief among the university's concerns, Smart said, was an ad for Planned Parenthood with a condom attached. In bold type at the top of the insert are the words: "Welcome to MSU!"
The setting
The Bermuda Triangle of wholesome midwestern entertainment for bus tours by blue-haired ladies and their dozing hubbies. 1. Oklahoma Indian reservation casinos. 2. Eureka Springs, Ark., near where they still perform a passion play (!) in the shadow of the famous Christ of the Ozarks statue. 3. Branson, Mo., home to a collection of dinner theater shows by entertainers like Smirnoff.
Bonus points! If the former Miss America hadn't filed for bankruptcy, tourists might stop by the Anita Bryant Museum, where the one-time Florida orange juice huckster retreated with her crown and scepter, plus retired astronaut husband, after her anti-gay campaign in Florida's Dade County. (Now you know why I loved being a journalist in Arkansas during 1985-91. The Clintons! Whitewater! Sam Walton! But I digress.)
The documents
Robert Parker and Irwin were the principal officers of Student Welcome Pack as recently as 2006, when they filed their last annual report with the Florida Secretary of State's office, according to public documents I obtained today. (See, below.) They also owned FSView and Florida Flambeau, the bi-weekly campus newspaper serving Tallahassee's Florida State University. Gannett bought the newspaper in August 2006 for an undisclosed sum.
The Parkers were Gannett employees when Campus Progress wrote about what was Gannett's first foray into the college newspaper market, the publication reported in September 2006. Irwin was to be publisher of the papers after the acquisition, the story said.
Now, here's the question that I can't answer: Did Gannett's purchase of FSView and Florida Flambau include Student Welcome Pack Inc.? I suspect it did, and that the deal included the Parkers and Irwin staying on as employees or consultants to aid in the transition of the newspaper.
But I can't find anything in Gannett's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to reflect that. And, apparently, Irwin is no longer publisher of the paper, according to the publication's website contact list.
Student Welcome Pack's annual report; click image for bigger view:
Over to you, chief Gannett publicist Tara Connell!
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.
Jackson | How to edit for maximum rack sales
The British tabloids make New York's Post and the Daily News look like The Wall Street Journal (before Fleet Streeter Rupert Murdoch moved in for the thrill, of course). Today's editions:
Got a rack sales report for Friday's editions? How are website hits? 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.
Got a rack sales report for Friday's editions? How are website hits? 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.
Springfield, condoms -- and that very choice word
"Affiliated?" Oh, come on. What's the real deal, here, Tallahassee? (See the string in Real Time Comments, above.) Short iPhone post; more later.
Saying farewell | Post now! Post now!
Gannett Blog closes July 10: No new comments will be allowed after that Friday. You now have just 13 days left to post, and to say goodbye to each other!Please post your replies in the comments section, below. Or write to gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com].
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday | 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.)
Jackson | Death Inc. Pop Quiz Edition!
Spotted moments ago on Amazon's homepage, this is a . . .- Thoughtful public-service advisory
- Touching memorial to an entertainment legend
- Shameless grab for bucks
Got more examples? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. Or write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Now | SEC says Gannett just filed a Form 11-K
I've never worked with one of these. The Securities and Exchange Commission defines such filings this way: "Form 11-K is for annual reports of employee stock purchase, savings and similar plans." Is that the 401(k) retirement savings plan?
In any case, I can't download it because the SE's records suggest it's a paper document, which I find hard to believe. But it's true; the following just popped up on the company's Investor Relations page: "This document was generated as part of a paper submission. Please reference the Document Control Number 09011853 for access to the original document."
Someone in the D.C. area needs to get their mitts on this; I can't.
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 any case, I can't download it because the SE's records suggest it's a paper document, which I find hard to believe. But it's true; the following just popped up on the company's Investor Relations page: "This document was generated as part of a paper submission. Please reference the Document Control Number 09011853 for access to the original document."
Someone in the D.C. area needs to get their mitts on this; I can't.
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.
Jackson | Foreign press, online and in print
Ibiza is six hours ahead of New York City, and nine hours ahead of Los Angeles, where Michael Jackson died last night. Plus, Ibiza is an island, so I doubt we got the latest editions. A rotating selection. This is from the U.K.'s Sun, a tabloid:
In print, editors squeezed in an item above the fold:
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In print, editors squeezed in an item above the fold:
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.
Jackson | Kurtz: 'generational split' in reaction
From his White Glove Journalism, in The Washington Post:
There is a generational split in the reaction to MJ's untimely death. Those who came of age during the era of the Jackson Five, Thriller, the moonwalk, are devastated because they have lost a piece of their childhood. Somewhat older folks were less enthralled by those early years and more likely to dwell on how he frittered away his success and his fortune.
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.
There is a generational split in the reaction to MJ's untimely death. Those who came of age during the era of the Jackson Five, Thriller, the moonwalk, are devastated because they have lost a piece of their childhood. Somewhat older folks were less enthralled by those early years and more likely to dwell on how he frittered away his success and his fortune.
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.
Jackson | How I use Facebook to share news
[Page One, from the Newseum's database]
From a post on my Facebook page, earlier today:
The folks in the trenches at USA Today are wonderful people. Like their colleagues all across Gannett, they struggle more than ever to do a good job, against increasingly long odds. The problem is at the tippy top: Craig Dubow, Gracia Martore, the board of directors, and the owners: Wall Street's heartless investors. More on that later.
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Jackson | In just four words
"The world is weeping."
-- Anonymous@6:41 a.m., commenting on press coverage of singer Michael Jackson's death yesterday. Starting below, A rotating selection of Gannett front pages, now at the Newseum:
Got a front page to recommend? Please go to the Newseum's database of front pages, find a link, then post it in the comments section, below. Or write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Jackson | Foreign press: online and in print
Ibiza is six hours ahead of New York City, and nine hours ahead of Los Angeles, where Michael Jackson died last night. Plus, Ibiza is an island, so I doubt we got the latest editions. A rotating selection. This is from German broadsheet Bild's English-language site.
In print, I saw Farrah Fawcett's death on Page One, but not Jackson's:
Earlier: Spain's El Mundo
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In print, I saw Farrah Fawcett's death on Page One, but not Jackson's:
Earlier: Spain's El MundoPlease 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.
Jackson | What the competition is peddling
Online classified websites are major competitors for newspapers and other traditional media. Items related to Michael Jackson now being offered on:- eBay's main auction site
- Craigslist Los Angeles
Jackson | Foreign press: online and in print
Ibiza is six hours ahead of New York City, and nine hours ahead of Los Angeles, where Michael Jackson died last night. Plus, Ibiza is an island, so I doubt we got the latest editions. A rotating selection, starting with one of Spain's major dailies, El Mundo.
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.
Jackson | Real-time citizen photojournalism
A slideshow by Flickr member Brad Fidler. See all the most recent photos tagged Michael Jackson.
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Jackson | How furloughs hurt GCI's biggest brand
"This is a big furlough week at USAT -- last week of quarter and last chance for everyone required
to take a second furlough for quarter.
And big news breaks."
-- Anonymous@10:04 p.m., on my initial criticism of USA Today's coverage of Michael Jackson's death.
Jackson | Day 2: Comparing online front pages
Click on images for bigger views; where available, I've circled the time given for updates. I'll return soon with a review of coverage. Briefly: In a comparison, USA Today's excelled; mine sucked.
Main story -- Michael Jackson's artistic legacy spans the decades
Main story -- Michael Jackson, Pop Icon, Is Dead at 50
Main story -- Michael Jackson's life was infused with fantasy and tragedy
Main story -- Pop icon Michael Jackson has died at 50
Main story. L.A. Times now says he's dead
Main story (website is for adults!) -- Bulletin: Jackson is dead, L.A. Times says
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.
Main story -- Michael Jackson's artistic legacy spans the decades
Main story -- Michael Jackson, Pop Icon, Is Dead at 50
Main story -- Michael Jackson's life was infused with fantasy and tragedy
Main story -- Pop icon Michael Jackson has died at 50
Main story. L.A. Times now says he's dead
Main story (website is for adults!) -- Bulletin: Jackson is dead, L.A. Times saysPlease 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.
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