Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Week Nov. 1-7 | Your Layoff Comments: Part 2
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108 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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Say, so much traffic as to start a second string so early in the week! Keep posting, all!
ReplyDeleteI can't speak to conditions in the rest of the empire, but if you work in Tysons, know that there are many other companies hiring right now. No, they're not in the news industry, and probably not in media at all. But there are jobs for people with transferable skills and a desire to try, including mid- and senior-level positions.
ReplyDeleteIf you're in ad or circulation sales, you can still write your own ticket. Ditto for IT. Finance, marketing, HR... it's tougher, but there are opportunities out there, especially if you take the time to go through the onerous federal application process. Production folks will probably have the worst time, but no one in Tysons actually runs a press, and odds are that you have talents in logistics that can be put to immediate use in another industry.
Competition is fierce, no doubt about that. But you do not have to stay in a job you hate. What's more, by doing so you are probably dragging on your coworkers more than you realize, even if you're working your ass off. The emotional exhaustion that you feel is difficult to hide, and it's contagious.
No, I am not a corporate minion, trying to get you to leave. Just someone who recently took back control of his own destiny, separate from Gannett's. And it feels awesome.
Pleased to say that the Hoosier Lottery information on the USAT site has been corrected. Sorry to say that it took so long.
ReplyDeleteGannett is sophisticated -- well, scuzzy -- enough to know how to dodge age discrimination claims in mass layoffs. As it did in the last layoffs, it sent a fair number of young workers into the gas chamber along with the old and infirmed. In my newsroom, it pretty much shocked the 20-somethings who had been conditioned to believe that they were immune to layoffs. I mean, they were tech-savvy, could relate to younger readers and were earning a pittance. But Gannett's law department knows how age discrimination cases play out in court and it couldn't let management commit such a costly blunder. You can bet that this will be a recurring theme.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find very troubling is the disrespect that is spreading through this company your co-workers. It seems the message has come down to treat employees like sh*t, and grind them into the dirt. Managers approach you with smiles, pats on the back and friendly words, but a few minutes later belittle you with your colleagues when you aren't watching, and viciously twist the knife in your back. There is a "Lord of the Flies" atmosphere, where the "biguns" seem to be scheming against the staff. The atmosphere is truly treacherous.
ReplyDeleteJim, I realize this is not as sexy a subject as the imminent firings, but you really need to check into the new benefits company Gannett has hired. It appears to be an abortion. They said the new health benefit program would be up for review on Nov. 1. . . and it was not there. A tiny apology, which was hard to find on the site, was posted. Numerous callers have said they have been put on hold for periods ranging from 30 minutes to an hour. Others have complained the responders. . . when they finally come. . . are hard to understand and appear to be foreigners. Others have said important imformation has not been transferred from Hewitt to this new cheapskate outfit. It is just another case of Gannett buying cheap, and getting cheap. More and more angst for already stressed out remaining slaves.
ReplyDeleteRegarding an Age Discrimination suit against Gannett:
ReplyDeleteI don't know about other states, but I know that in our layoffs, HR was very careful to eliminate jobs, regardless of who occupied them, rather than specific people. This resulted in people of various ages losing their jobs, and, unfortunately, the company lost a lot of solid people, simply because they were in the wrong job at the wrong time.
In my own department, the decision came down to a difference in start dates. The more recently hired person (by a small margin) is the one who lost their job.
About ADEA and complaints, the act covers discrimnation not just in firing and terminations, but in hiring, promotion and all of that.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to do over, I would have filed a complaint nearly every day, based on what I perceived to be a ridiculously ageist work place that I believe openly discriminated against people based on nothing more than age.
Just look at the Gannett promotional material. It's ageist, and that company is far from the diverse workplace it claims to be. Now they want to target "mature" readers! LOL. Boomers are too smart for that shit.
They have to target "mature" readers because the younger generation has turned us off in favor of Jon Stewart and texting. Older readers are the only ones left interested in newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI like Jon Stewart AND I read print newspapers. Don't make unwarranted assumptions, unless by "older readers" you are talking about octogenarians and older.
ReplyDeleteAmen, 3:04 pm
ReplyDeleteI can text, watch Stewart and read my beloved newspaper all at the same time. I could probably even add "pleasure myself" or "pleasure my partner" to that list. Please watch the assumptions about boomers. Remember that we're anything but homogeneous.
7:57 is right. I'm another former CPer out of McLean. The job market appears to be shifting. I've been out of full-time work most of the year. Couldn't get much of any full-time interviews for first several months, but now doing two interviews a week and second interviews are common. My background is editorial too. But you must expand your reach beyond traditional editorial. Be willing to branch out to agencies and other companies that now need proven communicators. It appears the hardest decision I'll need to make is which job to take now, and whether I want to give up what's been a long and lucrative stretch of self-employment -- during which I made far, far more than I ever did with GCI.
ReplyDeleteOh, on government jobs: My experience 7:57 is that they're major waste of time. Takes forever to apply online. The process is mind-bogglingly numbing and insipid. And you never, ever hear back from an actual human being. It's the private companies, agencies, etc. out there that now are pumping up employment again, it seems. Oh, and Bloomberg too. Good luck everyone!!!!!
Morality question. You find out that of the clients whose advertising you handle is a racist. Do you a) no longer take his advertising or b) just keep saying, "It's money for the company"?
ReplyDelete4:34, what types of jobs/employers have expressed an interest in your editorial and communications skills? Enlighten us on what other things us writer/editor types would be good at.
ReplyDeleteHave any of the predicted layoffs started at any of the community papers yet?
ReplyDelete8:28 p.m.: Not that I've heard. As I've written more-or-less before, I'm keeping an eye on Thursday-Friday, however.
ReplyDeleteI checked the benefits site today and it was up and running (I checked last night too and saw it was down). Remember this is strictly a view only week. You can't actually sign up for anything until Monday. It looks like all of my stuff was transferred just fine.
ReplyDeleteI have found that my editorial skills aren't quite as in demand in other industries as they use to be. In other words, it isn't easy to transition into careers like PR or technical writing if you're coming from a newspaper background. That's partly due to the horrible job market, but is also related to everything being highly specialized nowadays. Twenty years ago I could have worked in a university communications department or written software manuals with just a few years of newspaper experience under my belt. Now, just to land a tech writer's job, one often needs a science degree, government clearance and a deep understanding of whatever field you're seeking to enter. Companies aren't as willing to train mid-career folks, nor do they see the connection between journalism and other professions as they once did. It is making it very hard for journalists to transfer their skills.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think journalists are well equipped to handle jobs related to communications, research, design, analysis, teaching, etc. I think journalists have great work ethics and a natural curiosity about many things. However, it doesn't really matter what I think if employers in other businesses aren't hiring.
It's really tough out here. I would advise younger people to diversify their skill sets and don't get locked into traditional editing, reporting, photography, etc., at newspapers. While I consider newspaper work an honorable profession, I wouldn't recommend it anymore for anyone entering college or the workplace -- at least not until publishers get their acts together. Gannett isn't likely to lead that charge.
For the discussion about finding a job in the current economy:
ReplyDeleteThis U.S. Labor Department page includes a helpful set of numbers in the far-right column, state-by-state unemployment rates, month by month, going back to January 2000.
I left USAT tonight feeling more dispirited than at any point in my career. It was one thing to work for weird editors who had an agenda for the newspaper, no matter how misguided. The current batch is no where to be seen. There is no leadership. Just a sense of hunkering down and staying out of sight. Waiting for Hunke and his band of no nothings on the business and marketing side to set the tone. Bad enough as that is, there's nothing happening. It's as if the place was in a vegetative state. Someone do something to rally the troops. We need vision. We need leadership. We need someone with motivational skills. You can just go out for runs and healthworks and hide in meetings and offices for so long.
ReplyDeleteTo 6:23 (this is 4:34):
ReplyDeleteIn greater Washington, there are simply tons and tons of trade associations, PR agencies, IT companies, government-contracting companies, etc. that are seeking proven word folks these days to edit/write internal/external content. I'm surprised at the amount of openings out there that seem to pop up every day. At the PR agencies, the push is on to hire people who can not only "hold the client's hand," but actually produce good content as well and push it out there on the usual suspects' list of multi-platform media. If you resign yourself to the fact that you no longer can tell relatives/friends, etc. that you have the most interesting, "glamorous" job in the world because you're no longer associated with the USAT/GCI thing anymore, then you've psychologically made the transition already. Life happens, y'know?
Now, keep in mind that even though there are plenty of openings in this region, the competition for these jobs is still fierce. But it's not nearly as bad as it was earlier this year. If you're a CPer in McLean, you at least have the attention-grabbing resume conversation-starter to get you in the door. The rest is up to you.
Best of luck to you and everyone else here on the blog -- and hope ALL hard workers in GCI land on their feet and even find something BETTER!
I agree with 11:04. The place is like a funeral parlor. I don't know what happened, or what Hunke has told them, but the powers seem to believe that if they stick their heads out of their offices, they will get shot.
ReplyDelete11:04 PM couldn't be more on target. What a ghost town. And, no matter how he tries to spin it, the buck stops with Hunke, who doesn't seem to understand that you can delegate authority, but you always retain responsibility.
ReplyDeleteCase in point: Last spring, Hunke held a directors-and-up meeting, where he told us that if we had morale problems among our staff, it was our problem, not his. Well, gee... Thanks, Dave! I always thought that the guy in command bore ultimate responsibility for everything that occurred on his watch, but I guess that's changed.
Through two decades in the industry and six publishers, I can honestly say that Hunke is THE WORST by an immeasurable margin. He doesn't manage; he doesn't lead; he doesn't coach; he doesn't inspire. He's rarely seen in McLean, yet we never hear of anything substantive that he's done on the road. You could put a turnip behind his desk and no one would know the difference.
He does nothing, and he does it with a smile. No wonder he's a corporate officer.
There are an incredible number of jobs opening in Washington. Frankly, I have never seen anything quite like it, and there's a shortage of qualified people to fill them. Many are paying over $70,000 plus great bennies:
ReplyDelete1. Politico is launching a government site that will take on CQ's insider Washington operation. They are talking of hiring 100 reporters.
2. National Journal is expanding its operations and hiring. It just took on USAT's Kathy Kiely as political editor and is hiring others.
3. There is a huge fight erupting between Patch, the Washington Post and TBD.com over local Washington news, which will involve expanding staffs at all three groups.
4. New Web sites funded by non-profits like FiscalTimes.com are looking to staff their operations.
5. The Washington Times is reestablishing its sports and local news staff after resolving a leadership power-struggle.
Those are ones I know about, and there are p.r. jobs and others on the perifery of the news business I haven't mentioned paying $160,000 plus.
Per: "Older readers are the only ones left interested in newspapers.
ReplyDelete11/02/2010 12:29 PM"
Obviously you don't get out much. Ever delivered a paper to a store? Go to a rack after getting out an hour or two late? There are plenty of 20 somethings buying newspapers. There would be more if they weren't told how to think, how to live, and actually got a paper worth the money they're spending. I see it forst hand so go ahead....debate me!
11:04 and 7:49 hit the nail on the head about Hunke. It is the same thing he did in Detroit... he's obviously using the same playbook... AND THAT DIDN'T WORK! I can't believe the guy pulls a paycheck! Anyway, I remember in the midst of all the uncertainty in Detroit, someone asked Dave in a management meeting about a rumor that he was leaving for USAT and he said absolutely not - that he was committed to Detroit. Well, not long after that he was gone. So maybe he's planning his escape... you know he can only fling his bs so long before everyone finally realizes he's an empty suit.
ReplyDeleteMy paper further contributed to its own irrelevance with today's edition by rigidly clinging to usual deadlines on election night. Who cares whether our readers know definitively that the GOP took control of the House or that Harry Reid held onto his Senate seat? Still have to make that pre-midnight deadline so we can be sure the production crew can go home and that some spreadsheet can reflect that all the trucks got out "on time."
ReplyDeleteAccording to World Press Trends, only 31 percent of those 18-to-24 read newspapers, a decline of 2 percent from the previous year. Perhaps they are all at your news stand, but if you don't believe me or the surveys about the younger generation not reading newspapers, just go to any local college cafeteria and count those with their noses in newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI live in an apartment complex with college kids, and none take a paper. This is a large complex of almost 1,000 apartments and there are five papers left at the mailbox each morning. They text or surf the Internet on their Ipods or smartphones, but they are not interested in the dead tree product.
In an e-mail I received about 30 minutes ago, a reader tells me:
ReplyDeleteI just got laid off from my . . . job in Cincinnati. . . . There are more coming. Please give your readers a heads-up. Thanks for the work you do. I can't say this took me by surprise!
8 casualties in Nashville. Mostly in advertising and marketing.
ReplyDeleteThe 10:56 AM post about Cincinnati is true...more layoffs are coming. And if it's happening in Nashville as well, then it sounds like more will be coming company-wide.
ReplyDelete5 in Muncie so far, heard it was 6.
ReplyDeleteThe posts here about Hunke are right on the mark. How he got the job is a profound mystery. How he keeps it beyond stupidity.
ReplyDelete"A ragged house long bereft of Lordship."
I agree there are lots of advertised jobs in the D.C. area, but here's what I have found:
ReplyDelete1. Many of them don't really exists. Jobs open and close (without being filled) very quickly as budgets get cut.
2. The competition is fierce as this is one of the most educated cities in the country. Many jobs are advertised only because it's company or government policy. Internal candidates often have the inside track.
3. More and more people are moving to the area because of job opportunities, but the ratio between number of people looking and number of jobs that exists isn't that much better than other places.
4. A large percentage of these advertised writing/editing jobs require a high clearance level because of connections to sensitive government work. Top clearance isn't easy to achieve and requires a lot of time and often sponsorships.
5. Many advertised jobs in D.C. involve intense expertise in various subject matter. For instance, you might be a good writer or generalist type of editor, but if you don't have extensive experience in say alternative energy fields or the construction biz in the Middle East, you're out of luck. There are lots of associations but they require a unique skill set and sometimes ethnic/racial background.
I can go on, but don't want to discourage people too much. My main point is that you can't judge a job market or the likelihood of finding employment just on the number of help wanted ads. D.C. has lots of associations and such, which other cities don't, but it also has some pretty big obstacles in landing jobs within those firms.
8 people in Wilmington just got fired and several folks in Des Moines. More coming the next week. Apparently, there was a very rough budget meeting the other day and Gracia demanded that Dickey start "firing people immediately".
ReplyDeleteI know what will cure the malaise at USAT: Create a new position called Director of Employee Engagement! Gosh, I feel more engaged and good about my job already! Never mind that we have no idea what is going on, who is running things or how to proceed with fewer people, greater demands and no leadership.
ReplyDeleteDave Hunke is completely tone-deaf. What kind of person bestows a ridiculous job title on his secretary after laying off 9% of the company and putting people through the horror of reapplying for their jobs?
I'll argue with 9:41. Which would he rather have; a newspaper at his house printed at midnight and readable at 6:00 AM, that has less information than a newspaper printed at 2:00 AM...or a newspaper with the information available at 2:00 AM that he can not read until he gets home at 6:00 PM because it can't be delivered to his house before he leaves for work?
ReplyDeleteOne of the disadvantages of newspapers is that we have to work in certain time frames. We have to give all the information that can be delivered on time, or we give information that can not be used until other sources of information have been available for 12 extra hours.
I think that we put out the best information that can be delivered on time, not necessarily the best information.
Several casualties from nashville, hearing 11. Includes 1 from news. 1 HR. 2 marketing. 3 advertising. 1 in operations.
ReplyDeleteheard the managing editor in Shreveport just got laid off
ReplyDeleteHighschoolsports......not making any friends.
ReplyDeletetheir new and improved "major release" has been pushed back a week. there should be word sent to the field later today.
Heard about a good soul tossed today. Also have credible info that says numbers may go past 145 cut.
ReplyDelete7 were laid off in Louisville.
ReplyDelete1:21, do you know what department the 7 layoffs came from in Louisville?
ReplyDeleteOf course, "firing people immediately" means wait until after Election Day.
ReplyDeleteAny word from Lansing? Thanks.
ReplyDelete2:56, meeting later today
ReplyDeleteI continue to hear:
ReplyDelete1. Many of job cuts will be disclosed tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 4).
2. Another round of unpaid furloughs is expected during the first quarter of next year. That would be approximately the three months starting Jan. 1.)
By "disclosed" do you mean they're actually going to announce who was cut or that they're cutting more tomorrow?
ReplyDelete2:00pm in L'ville, 1 was a building maint utility worker. None in production. That's all I have.
ReplyDeleteI do know all in HR had to re-apply.
More details will be disclosed tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAre we to read into this that the newspapers where the layoffs/firings are going on are the financially troubled and struggling newspapers?
ReplyDeleteI know that you will not list all the weeklies
ReplyDeletethat might be effected.However, there are
a huge number of those that may or may not
be attached to the large community papers,
there must be a trickle down effect to these
smaller papers as well. Or,will those just be closed,as their revenue production is so small
in comparison,to the over-all picture that they are not even worth worrying about and will just
closed if they are not profitable to begin with.
Hey, someone asked to name jobs that were open, and I provided a partial list. Then someone posted with quibbles with difficulties. I am sorry you find the competition is fierce (I really don't think it is). But if you have the qualifiations, what do you have to lose by making an application?
ReplyDelete4:22: If a weekly is profitable, even by a small margin, what purpose would it serve to close it? Where I work, the weeklies are attached to the larger daily. I have heard on several occasions that the page count of the weeklies is greater than the daily count, and that they really make more money than the daily. So I suppose it depends on the location.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTwo in Rochester today: an assistant photo editor and a production editor.
ReplyDeleteThe Gannett weekly paper here also prints a shopper,which produces most of the revenue,and that shopper is not a shadow of what is was a year ago.The revenue must be down 50% or more.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if this will be a situation as described above ,and it will be closed.
Three gone in Lansing.
ReplyDeleteThe weekly has been heralded as the savior of Westchester's operation. Nothing better to the Gannettoids than flimsy content sprayed around some ads.
ReplyDeleteSo, we are talking about profitable weeklies.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the weeklies that are huge on the expense side and down on revenue side and those that are below 50% of revenue projections from 2009 and 2010 .Is there going to be slack given,even when the cash cows are not producing at those high expectation levels for more than a year or more?
Will they be given the opportunity to right the
ship even though there is no potential for an
upturn?
Is there any fact checking on these layoffs? 12:12 said 8 in wilmington. No one was laid off today. Unless these are predictions I think someone is having a little fun wih us.
ReplyDeleteOn another note the above could all change tomorrow. The entire Wilmington site has a meeting at 10:00am. Conventional wisdom is that it will be the vehicle that Curtis Riddle uses to announce his retirement. Instead it could be him telling us 8 people will be laid off.
If that's the case 12:12 is in the know at senior levels of management. As it hasn't been announced to the rest of us.
All of these figures are subject to challenge by readers such as yourself. That is why I prefer to see publishers' memos, and, further, label my totals as estimates.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, Gannett has not disclosed site-by-site totals, and generally only confirms job reductions are underway only when asked by major media. GCI does not want this information out in the open.
Re: Lansing: Any names or departments? Thanks.
ReplyDeletePlease don't ID people by name; it's an invasion of privacy at a terrible time.
ReplyDeleteNo written communication has gone out at our location and yet we had layoffs. That was by design from corporate.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know how many layoffs will be at the Indy Star?
ReplyDeleteAre these layoffs or positions being eliminated? There's a big difference.
ReplyDelete32 people were axed in Indy.
ReplyDeleteI got laid off today. I was told: "your position is being eliminated." Has nothing to do with job performance as I just received a positive review.
ReplyDeleteLayoffs in Gannettspeak = job eliminations. You ain't coming back.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Westchester and other New York sites? Any cuts on the way?
Right on 4:29. If you essentially have a cover/resume template that only needs to be tweaked with every application, you can respond to a job ad in five to 10 minutes. (Five if there's a direct email send. 10 if you have to use an infernal company online application.) So what do you have to lose?
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that if you only get a 5 percent return on actually getting an interview, you'd get an interview a week if you do 20 a week. 20 means four a day. In greater Washington, a laid-off CPer can easily find four acceptable positions to apply for a day. We're talking, maybe, an hour's effort to do so once you get the hang of it. Is an hour so bad if your unemployed or underemployed?
Yes, just like when times are good, all job openings subject to promotion from within, hiring buddies, discrimination on both sides of the fence, etc. That's not going to change now.
But there are greater DC managers out there in trade pubs, actual newsrooms, PR agencies, trade associations, private companies, etc. looking for legit talent, and if you've worked in the CP, my hunch is you got some talent to sell. Don't slump into interviews with a 'woe is me ... I worked SO, SO hard for Gannett/USAT for XX years and the cruel bosses laid me off!" Go in with your head high, your chest out and dare the manager to come up with one good reason not to hire you. You get jobs by selling yourself, not looking for sympathy.
Does it mean you'll get the job? Not necessarily. But you'll make the impression you need to make and, with practice, something is going to happen eventually.
Again, I have not landed that job yet. But the overall vibe out there is clearly improving and now I honestly see it as simply a matter of time. (I'm going in for two "round two" interviews next week and another "round one." That's much more than in spring/summer. I honestly feel like things are turning around. And, yes, even for those with editorial backgrounds.)
Meanwhile, if you don't have the fulltime job, get contractual work. Walk away from unemployment checks because the best way to get a fulltime job is to demonstrate that you are, indeed, working and staying active. There are tons of contractual jobs. Real, paying contractual jobs. No benefits, but the pay is good and sometimes great. When I take a fulltime job, in fact, I know I'm going to take a significant paycut now. But that only helps me during job interviews because the managers know I'm hardly desperate to take something.
When I was finally shown the door at the CP, I couldn't wait to leave. That glittering building had become a Bleak House. No joy. No thrill of producing great work. Just fear and dread of what's surely up ahead and, meanwhile, a frantic sense of anxiety about how exactly you're going to put out the products with virtually no real staff to do it. GCI did me no favors, for sure, with the inane reorganization. But then again, I didn't look to GCI to do me any "favors." I was ready to take care of myself.
I do not care how they call it. At the end of the day, I lost my job because Gannett is greedy and trying to bring the stock price up so the execs can get a better price from the options that they received over the years. WTG big G for putting me on the street. My family and I appreciate all of your hard work to fire me today.
ReplyDeleteHow many Gannett sites had people "reapply" for their jobs in the past few weeks? That alone should tell people where cuts will be coming if that haven't heard about them already.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrated "Payroll Action Day" today. I can't tell you what that is, because we've been forbidden to communicate about it in writing. !
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAt least 3 in Jackson, MS.
ReplyDelete1. Gracia Martore and Craig Dubow have been hosting a series of budget meetings with all the divisional heads. Apparently, Ms. Martore is not satisfied with the numbers being presented and she has demanded that all business units reduce their expense line by at least 10%. All managers are working on 2011 staff reduction plans that will significantly reduce staff.
ReplyDelete2. It has been rumored that the Point roll leadership was a no show for the budget meeting and other leaders are upset that Point roll has been receiving preferential treatment.
3. USAT will have another big miss in Q4 and will continue to reduce staff through next year. Furthermore, Hunke has been working with Reuters and CNN to "buy" news and long form stories from these wire services.
4. Confirmed furloughs for Q1 2011, potentially two weeks.
5. Broadcast had a strong October and November, but has seen a drop in advertisements through the remainder of Q4. Also, broadcast division is looking to sell Captivate.
"12:12 said 8 in wilmington. No one was laid off today. Unless these are predictions I think someone is having a little fun wih us."
ReplyDeleteIn Lansing, we were told at a meeting after the fact. The layoffs had already happened (or at least that's what it sounded like). Publisher said that he was unable to say what departments and positions at this time, which also makes me wonder if some people who were not on site today, don't know that they are unemployed.
So, if you don't know, let out 1/2 a sigh of relief. Not a full one, the other shoe still may drop.
"Are these layoffs or positions being eliminated? There's a big difference."
ReplyDeleteYou haven't been with Gannett long, have you?
THANK YOU My Boss! I heard exactly the same details from my manager after the budget review session. I also heard that the furloughs were going to be one week, but in addition to the furlough, there will be a mandated one week reduction in pay during Q1 2011.
ReplyDelete7:52- good point. there was no one laid off during the day. That doens't mean there weren't during the evening production or editorial staff.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that. If that is the case my presumption about the original source being high up stands confirmed.
They had previous notification.
xxx Furthermore, Hunke has been working with Reuters and CNN to "buy" news and long form stories from these wire services.xxx
ReplyDeleteWow. This signals the end of staff production of news at USAT. Why do they need reporters when they can just run CNN reports between all those ads that USAT is getting?
Jim - Is there a way to search for "My Boss said" postings? It would be great to score the accuracy of his/her predictions.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the Blogger software search tool doesn't search comments; it only searches the text of my posts.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you can always try Googling "Gannett Blog" plus a search term. Sometimes that pulls up comments.
I tried a search of My Boss postings using the search function and it sort of works. Unfortunately, it brings up all references in postings to my boss, and I couldn't get it to work only with My Boss. The record is impressive, including today's announcements.
ReplyDeleteIdeas on the Wilmington layoffs referencing departments and numbers per?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous@6:22 p.m. wrote: "32 people were axed in Indy."
ReplyDeleteCan anyone confirm that?
I truly feel hopeless, another low point of despair for this company, my paper, my paper is truly turned into a shameless piece of trash. Gannett corporation turning coworkers into people no longer recognizable, demoralized and impotent to establish positive change. Processes corrupted, stained and tarnished reputations. I can take no more!
ReplyDeleteCurious: Is anyone hearing about pay cuts? I've heard that one paper in our region has everyone taking cuts. (I can't disclose yet because I don't know for certain that they know.) If your paper is doing pay cuts, please share.
ReplyDeleteNot here, but my wife said she heard the Richmond, Indiana paper had a 5% pay cut - entire staff. Guess they couldn't have layoffs - no one to cut.
ReplyDeleteOK. I know posting names are bad, but would like titles at the different sites. We are down to the bone where I am, and seeing the titles would give us some idea of the strategy and possibly help us know about some acquaintances we might be able to help.
ReplyDeleteMy overall impression is that the regime change a few years back left us with little consideration of the institutional work to build diversity and build a powerful team, now cutting people based on salary and relationships with the new regime versus potential to help.
Yes men rule. Critical thinkers or people explaining pitfalls are not welcome. We do make a good profit, but the almighty Wall Street pressures rule. No harm, no foul living to the bottomline, but we've lost sight of what is important.
I've become very disappointed in the lack of attention to diversity in the reductions, given work done by many executives now gone to help Gannett move in the right direction.
Oh sure, the Currie and Watson era had its downsides, but they did have a mind to a an ideal of diversity that could be seen. They accepted some failings of individuals they shouldn't have but they did lead in a way that had several publishers and editors proactively work on diversity. Much of that work is being dismantled, it seems.
Am I wrong?
Who in Jackson, Ms?
ReplyDeleteRumor is a leading editor in Jackson may find out something soon.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who works at Indy who said six off there, not the 30-something mentioned. Mostly in advertising.
ReplyDelete7 laid off at couier journal,it is posted at couierjournal.com Garson said it is rising newsprint prices need to cut more to make more
ReplyDeleteAround 9 layoffs in Nashville today. I was one...Having to apply for unemployment benefits in order to get severance is the pitts.....
ReplyDeleteTo all who are getting this news -- my heart goes out to you. I may be next, who knows? But I hate it that ANYONE is treated this way, especially if those obscene bonuses continue....
ReplyDeleteI just read the notice in the courier-journal. What a bunch of BS!
ReplyDeleteThe paper can't ride out a newsprint increase? I repeat, what BS!
can someone post the link for the courier-journal notice. The site sucks so bad, you can't navigate.
ReplyDeleteA 20 year employee in Indy had their job eliminated today. Even after 20 years their salary was less than $55K but their experience was priceless. I hope things workout for you, good luck.
ReplyDeleteComes as no surprise that corporate nixed layoff memos. No memo, nothing to post on this blog. It's that whole mushroom thing, feed 'em you-know-what and keep 'em in the dark.
ReplyDeleteNo memos also means that when outside media ask Robin about what is going on, she can say she's "seen nothing on that" coming out of corporate, and recall Gracia's statement that layoffs are not being considered at this time.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to all Gannettoids.
ReplyDeleteI went throught this crap last year and am no longer having to deal with it.
But last year was hell on me ,so I know what you are all going through.
The stress of not knowing is terrible and then if it is you ,what next?
Damn Gannett sucks is there a worst corporaation to work for?an they possibly treat people any worst ? Bastards haven't learned anything in 2 years of layoffs!!!
For Part 3 of this comment thread, please go here.
ReplyDeleteTo 11/04/2010 7:11 AM, one reason that NJ may have escaped is because some lucky workers have escaped...to better jobs. Two APP newsroom workers gave notice that they are leaving for better jobs, one at a newspaper (Bergen Record) and one to AOL Patch (the AOL local news site). While I can't speak for other parts of the country, Patch is hiring like made in NJ. Management has said they won't be replaced, meaning they've saved the jobs of two people.
ReplyDeleteGreenville has 7 reductions - 2 being offered job elsewhere so could be only 5 down.
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