The Gannett newspaper in our mid-sized market -- mine -- does not issue smartphones to its reporters and editors, even though they are doing the same work as the folks at the TV station.
Has Gannett equipped you with an iPhone (above) or some other type of smartphone? What is the size of your worksite? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
I'd be happy if the friggin' dumb phone on my desk would consistently pick up the other lines in the department when I punch the button.
ReplyDeleteNo, instead we get to buy our own phones and the company gives us a stipend of $30 per month.
ReplyDeleteAt USA Today, I was assigned to the technology news team.
ReplyDeleteI once got contacted by a budget manager back at HQ in McLean, Va., who told me that I should not check e-mail from my company-issued cellphone, because it didn't have a data plan. This was after I had read exactly one e-mail.
I remember wondering how much time she spent, and at what hourly rate, reading monthly cellphone bills in order to see the charge for that single e-mail.
I never did check e-mail after that. And perhaps that resulted in significant savings over time -- enough to cover the time the manager spent reviewing my charges. Or, not. It struck me now and then that there were more than a few people back East who stamped paperwork, and checked boxes, and signed off on forms -- all, in order to justify their continued employment.
... and without the ditch diggers there would be no ditches. If only we all could live in a world where nobody had to do the tasks to keep the books balanced. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteAt Des Moines, all the VPs get the new stylish phones. Mojos and sales reps, get leftovers and allowances for paying their own plans.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine this in Westchester where they took back cell phones and pagers to save money quite some time ago.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the VPs were still gassing for free at the company pump while all this was going on. Something about it being a perk.
Seeing that there's only one VP left, the news guy, I wonder what he gets?
3:06, you get a stipend? We get nothing in Wisconsin at my site. No smart phone. No cell phone. Just the phone at our desk.
ReplyDeleteHow can Gannett talk about preparing for the future but not give employees the proper tools. Tough to be a "Mobile Journalist" when all you're armed with is a pen and paper. Oh, and we've been short on notebooks lately too.
Gannett does not like spending money on the product period. Gannett is not interested in what would help the troops produce a better product.
ReplyDeleteGannett is interested in what can bring more money into the exec's compensation plans.
Be careful what you wish for:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/2bdu2xg
Big brother is watching!!
They won't even buy a couple of cheap point-and shoot cameras at my site. When news breaks, there are no photographers around and reporters can't just grab a camera and go.
ReplyDeleteWe do get a cell phone stipend. They tried to take that away from us, until we raised hell and pointed out that we had been ordered by the company to get cell phones.
No smart phones issued, or dumb ones either. There's some simple cells and some notebooks available to check out. No stipend. Small community paper.
ReplyDeleteI work in my newspaper's web group. The paper doesn't provide phones, other than the one on my desk. I don't know what our paper's cell phone policy is. No one has ever brought it up.
ReplyDeleteThe suits have smart phones to email each other, but those of us on the lower ranks have nothing but a old-fashioned desk phone. The way this outfit has been cutting expenses, I think this smartphone distribution is for TV only, not newspapers.
ReplyDeleteSome of our reporters bought smartphones on their own initiative and began using them for photos, video, Twitter, fast Web updates.
ReplyDeleteRecently the company has begun reimbursing those people for using their personal phones. It's not a lot, but it helps.
Our photographers have not been issued camera phones. And they haven't taken the initiative to get their own.
Anyone who buys equipment that the company should provide is foolish.
ReplyDeleteThat only reinforces the company's policies of cut, cut and cut some more.
If the company doesn't care, why should the employee spend his/her money?
Remember that this is the same company that gave substantial bonuses to the top execs while slashing personnel, people like the person sitting next to you who happily uses his/her own cell phone, camera, etc. for company business while enduring pay freezes and insurance premium increases.
Wake up for Crissakes!
For the most part only Directors and their spouces have company issued smart phones at our paper.
ReplyDeleteGannett has company wide discounts with most of the national providers. I believe it ranges from 17%-21% of entire (not including tax) bill. Individuals can get the discounts by showing proof of employment.
ReplyDeleteI save 23% on my personal bill even though my Gannett TV stations provides smartphones to all news employees.
Sorry to rain on this bitchfest, but I bought a smartphone for the same reason most people do -- It's the 21st Century -- and in the same way most people do -- I paid for it myself.
ReplyDeleteWhen it became apparent that I also was using it for company business, Gannett started kicking in $30 a month.
If you want to fold your arms and whine about not being "issued" a smartphone, that's your call. But history is passing you by.
It's not a matter of ignoring new technology. It's a matter of not using my new tools for company business. If the comapany wants me to shoot photos, file blogs, etc etc, it can pay for them.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, I'm not about to work like a madman because the company now expects to cover two or three jobs with one person.
Remember, "the company" isn't going to reward you. It's only going to use you if you let yourself be used.