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Monday, November 15, 2010
USAT | A staff flow chart by Rube Goldberg
USA Today's new content distribution staff chart is like something from the Rube Goldberg School of Organizational Management. But it's worth examining, given USAT's high-profile reorganization this fall. If other publishers adopt this structure -- as they did the paper's design in the 1980s -- get ready for a roller-coaster ride. A reader slipped me the chart yesterday; read and download a copy.
4 comments:
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I count 71 bodies in that structure, which makes USAT even more top-heavy today than it was before it was rationalized and reorganized. It is a bureaucrat's dream. Some days I wonder how they get anything done, except convene the obligatory meetings and meetings to decide what they will meet about at the next meeting.
ReplyDeleteI doubt they are happy to see this published because there are a lot of community papers out there that will look at this and wonder why they have made bloody sacrifices to cut overhad while USAT just lards up.
Also of interest - the staff devoted to USCP page. I'm guessing that means the idea of USAT provided content is becoming more formalized. I realize that some (all?) papers have picked this up by now, but an editor devoted to it seems that its definitely here to stay.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare. Guess my paper is lucky we don't have enough people for this convoluted structure. We could hold newsroom staff meetings in the restroom these days.
ReplyDeleteTwo Editorial Technology editors? One under the Production Manager and another under the Mobile Platforms Manager. WTF? When they made this structure did they put all these "titles" in a hat and some idiot put two of these in, and they just said WTF, who eles do we have to fill this one?
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