Gannett launched its single-biggest layoff to date during the first week of December 2008, with the largest number of employees getting notified two years ago today. It had been building for six weeks, after U.S. newspaper division President Bob Dickey warned his employees in an Oct. 28 memo."As all of you are painfully aware," he wrote, "the fiscal crisis is deepening and the economy is getting worse. Gannett’s revenues continue to be severely impacted by this downturn, and our local operations are suffering. While we are doing our best to reduce all non staff-related expenses, I am sorry to report that we must do another round of layoffs across our division."
Corporate never gave a final layoff count, but Gannett Bloggers ultimately tallied nearly 2,200 jobs lost. Only later did Corporate say it had eliminated 4,600 jobs companywide throughout the year.
Earlier: Year-by-year job losses, since 1994
New chapter of my life began two years ago today. Gave over 10 years of my life to GCI but jumped at the buyout opportunity as I saw it for the sinking ship it was.
ReplyDeleteI was a department head -- on corporate payroll -- so I had some contacts and knowledge as to the breadth of the layoffs that were to come.
When they announced my departure two years ago today, there was plenty of sadness, but there was solace in the fact that I did it on my own terms. I had already set the wheels in motion for my escape prior to raising my hand for the buyout. Timing was such that my new job started three days after my GCI stay ended; sold the house in one day -- have lived happily ever after since -- well, sort of.
While I'm thankful to have got out of there while the gettin' was good, I'm saddened and dumbfounded by how many friends and colleagues have been ousted since my time came two years ago. Every time I would say, there's nothing left to cut, they'd cut more -- and what's particularly baffling is how the cuts are so clearly detrimental to the product, the very livelihood of this company, in every market they've short-sightedly whacked away at.
GCI did right by me in the time I spent with them, but it wasn't because I was a hard-working, loyal employee who did right by our readers and advertisers. It was because I did right by the stockholders. As soon as the stockholders weren't being served to a satisfactory level, the allegiance to me and my colleagues as employees, to the readers, and to the advertisers was an afterthought. Actually, it's not an afterthought -- it's not even thought about at all.
I get tough business decisions -- but as I've followed the GCI saga over the past two years, I really question the leadership of the company and if they truly realize the position they've put their newspapers in over the past two years. Many will simply not bounce back and the ones that do are destined to be second-class citizens in the market they serve. This is completely opposite of what the company was founded on and the philosophy that GCI be the the premier media outlet in any market they serve.
Really sad. Gannett used to be looked upon as the industry leader and example of what to do and how to be successful in this business. I see them now as a case-study of what helped lead to the precipitous fall of the newspaper industry and what shouldn't be done ever again if we value newspapers' role as a cornerstone of our democracy.
8:51 mirrors my and sentiments. I'm sure others', too.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. It's refreshing to hear someone say that they were loyal to stockholders. I personally think the courageous strikers in the UK are being equally as loyal to the stockholders by calling attention to conditions that are tanking the news.
ReplyDeleteThe Operations Director for Visalia; Tulare and Salinas was let go today! BTW he is in his late 50's!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was one of the lucky ones who went over the wall before corporate mandated cuts and kicked reporters like me to the curb. I escaped just months before the big day. Friends of mine, former co-workers I respected and trusted, were let go.
ReplyDeleteThese days, I still have contacts on "the inside," and while there are good people still there, working too damn hard, the fact of the matter is the product is suffering. Fewer people are being asked to do more things, and the quality of the daily product shows a distinct slippage.
So I mourn doubly - for those who lost their jobs and for my community that has lost/is losing its newspaper.
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ReplyDeleteTwo years ago today was a really tough day. But two years later, I'm so glad I got off the sinking ship when I did.
ReplyDelete8:51 Thanks for that post. We all once had a dream we were working for the most influential and ethical company operating in our city. The layoffs laid to rest the claim to being an ethical business as corporate corruption favored the favorites and kicked out the competent. As for most influential in our communties, that also has been radically diminished. Since we no longer cover our cities, the politicians, local bureaucrats and community leaders no longer care about us. I don't think we will ever recover the respect that we had barely two years ago because of the way these cuts were made.
ReplyDeleteWhat a really nicely written and introspective post, 8:51. Thanks for sharing.
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