Friday, December 24, 2010

Week Dec. 20-26 | Your News & Comments: Part 3

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76 comments:

  1. For Part 2 of this comment thread, please go here.

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  2. (don't know if anyone will see this on the other thread) Agree about Wilmington / Cherry Hill & hope this sale goes through...both are a pain in Gannett's side from many angles. CafeMom will be part of the stable at the end of the month.
    And about the DUI...unfortunately, it is almost as common as warts at this point. After the wonderful expose on FF, I would let sleeping doggies lie for now...you really could be sitting on a load of TNT with the FF information.

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  3. Based solely on my own advertising revenue trends this quarter -- especially in the past two weeks -- I'd say Google is having an exceptionally strong final three months of this year. It'll be very interesting to see GOOG's Q4 financial report next month.

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  5. I too have heard the rumors swirling about the divestiture of CP and TNJ to Philly. While it's correct to say that the Inquirer doesn't have any cash. THEY WENT BANKRUPT. The creditors who currently own it have a ton of it. Match that with a strong desire to recoup some of their initial losses, and it's easy to see how they would spend some money to reduce operating expenses in Philly.

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  6. Wilmington and Cherry Hill a pain in Gannett's side? Please, tell us more...

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  7. KPNX (Ch12) has been in the Arizona Republic building for about 10 days now and things are not exactly going according to plan. They continue to have to technical problems, especially with audio - sound drops out at the end of live shots, wrong video is getting cued up at the beginning of live shots, things like that. This morning during the early AM show, a tech walked through the set while the anchors were chatting. It was weird, like something from the Al Yankovic movie "UHF."

    On the plus side though, there's a lot more energy on the 12 side of the newsroom. They chase spot news, there's a lot of give and take. The Republic side of the newsroom is silent, you almost expect to see a "Do Not Disturb the Sleeping Journalists" sign.

    We're all waiting to see how this works out. Gannett hasn't said what their goal is (beyond the "better news product, serve our customers" blah blah blah) but it's got to be job reductions otherwise the money spent remodeling the Republic's building and moving 12 over makes no sense.

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  8. Why was Mike Jameson forced out of Tucson?

    I agree, DUIs should be reported in all instances.

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  9. From here to eternity, it's a Man's Man's Man's Man's World.

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  10. I can't see any advantage of the Philly Inquirer buying or associating with Gannett regarding the Courier-Post. All along I thought that the Inquirer would 'bury' the Courier Post, but they haven't done anything along those lines. The South Jersey edition of the Inquirer is really a sad excuse. Usually there are a couple of NJ local stories and their so-called South Jersey section is mostly news of Philadelphia. Seems to me that if they wanted to make a real impact and wipe out the Courier-Post they would make their South Jersey section and the edition itself something rather than the sad iteration it is today and always has been. So, why buy the Courier-Post? Just decide to invest in beefing up NJ local coverage, produce a real effective product and even hire away some of the few effective reporters from the Courier (not a hard thing to do, based on the morale here at the Courier-Post). Of course, there are many long-serving Courier reporters who might be sticking it out until they either retire or better yet, get fired so they can "collect" for a bit of time. Anyone got the facts on this situation??? Lots of us are very interested to say the least.

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  12. Over the past few years, quite a few employees (editorial) and some other disciplines have left to go to the Inquirer from the Courierpost. A former publisher, an advertising director and production manager went over. That publisher is now gone from the Inquirer, I believe, maybe the ad guy as well. Another former Courierpost ad director also went to Inquirer to their NJ offices but that one also went because of "connections" to the now gone former publishers. Nothing seems to have changed at the Inquirer on the NJ side of things as 9:44 says.

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  13. This is 11:19. correction: as 11:12 says

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  14. The ABC regs of allowing multiple pubs to be co-mingled for reporting purposes is reason enough to combine Philly with CP and Wilm. Big numbers. Philly is a major, major market and to have so few subscribers is shameful. It would be a cheap way to buy the market and solidify the region. It's also a clear way to solidify the preprint franchise in the region, albeit who knows how long that part of the business remains viable before the digital preprint takes off. I believe they already report Inky circ with Daily News circ. That, plus the way under-utilized manufacturing plant in Conshohoken is just one of many reasons where a marriage / consolidation makes some sense. I'm sure Gannett would practically give these properties away. Spinning off Cherry Hill from the rest of the NJ group is tantamount to giving up on an integrated strategy for a statewide powerhouse.

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  15. Tucson TV station reports TNI "brand" to be phased out.

    http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=13733186&utm_source=KGUN9.com&utm_medium=twitter

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  16. Someone tell me why I shouldn't just quit the company now, even if I don't have another job?

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  18. According to most recent circulation from abc, courier post is at 48,000 daily average. I agree that if Philadelphia inquirer would get their heads out of their butts they could increase the new jersey circulation almost as much as spending lots to buy the courier post.

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  19. Why would the Inky buy the CP? They are obviously already winning and have the CP on the ropes with circulation under 50,000. Eventually it will become so uneconomical that corporate will give up and fold it and the Inky will win without paying a dime.

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  21. Wow. There are some very short sighted comments regarding the CP, and the rest are dismissive of Wilmington. Some people are just so myopic....

    It has little to with some lame circ turf war. And EVERYthing to do with market domination, logistics synergy, and cost savings.

    Basically the combined media group would BE the Philadelphia DMA print giant. There's money in power.

    The cost savings are so simple. The Inky shuts down it's Broad street location. All papers are then printed from Cherry Hill and Wilmington and shipped into PA. That alone would save a boat load of cash. Not to mention the cash generated by selling off downtown property. They'll also probably move all back office and design operations to one or both sites. (I favor Wilmington on this).

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  22. Guys like 9:58 are so smart. They know everything. Why aren't these guys ever actually in charge? Hmmmm. Maybe it's easier to observe than actually do. Love ya. Xmas Troll!

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  23. HAPPY HOLIDAYS to ALL my Gannett
    co workers

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  24. I was stunned to learn, from this blog, that Mark Lundahl had died. We were young reporters together in San Bernardino, and I remember when he took over the cop beat (after spending time in features writing music reviews, etc.) with great enthusiasm.
    He was almost always headed to a live music concert on the weekends. Billy and the Beaters, Elvis Costello, you name it, he was ahead of the curve.
    A fine man. A fine journalist. Rest in peace.
    Rest in peace.

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  25. J how can you allow a post like 6:54? Geez you remove posts that are far less offensive yet you allow an anonymous poster to call someone a drunk? Maybe you should clarify your standards, that is if you have any.

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  26. To 6:54 if your going throw out bombs like that don't hide, identify yourself. Of course you won't because you are a sneaky weasel. Shame on you.

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  27. 11:31 and 11:35. I screwed up. I had that comment on my list to remove, but did not do so until just now. Thank you for drawing this lapse to my attention.

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  29. The New York Times Company will launch Your Guide to Better Living, a free quarterly magazine and Web site intended to help baby boomers and their families as they consider transitions in lifestyle. The premiere issue will be published on March 1, 2011, and the companion Web site, www.BetterLiving.com will go live on the same date.

    Your Guide to Better Living will focus on Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte Counties and will be delivered directly to consumers in their homes through the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Your Guide to Better Living will also be available at Publix supermarkets, Walgreens and CVS drug stores, medical clinics, hospitals, doctor's offices, social service agencies and assisted living centers.

    http://www.editorandpublisher.com/Headlines/the-new-york-times-company-to-launch-your-guide-to-better-living-magazine-and-website-63532-.aspx

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  30. For years I've always had a scanned copy of an Arizona Republic Job Application to forward to people in need of employment. I have referred many people to work at this once "family-run" company. Today in that folder on my computer I've added a blank grievance form used when, according to the company agreement, needs to be used, It appears that the employees will be needing quite a few in the future. I wish it were the days when I would was proud to forward job applications to people again instead.
    Merry Christmas

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  31. Never, ever think a human resources person in Gannett (or any company, for that matters), has your best interests at heart:

    http://asne.org/article_view/articleid/1728/default.aspx

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  32. 10:36- Thanks for the info, but anyone who has been in the work force for any amount of time already know that "inhumane resourcefulness" was never our friend. Sure. They tried that whole PR campaign in the '90s to make us think so. It only took a couple of years of getting screwed over to negate all the warm fuzzies they through our way.

    They are there for one reason. To protect management and thus the coporation itself. This is true at any company. Not just Gannett.

    Do not. Under any circumstances EVER trust HR. You will get screwed.

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  33. 12/23 10:41
    Speculation about Jameson has been on the grapevine in Tucson for over a year. And it was certainly overdue. Without a second pub there was no real reason to have the outdated structure in place. It just created conflict. And Jameson didn't have the publishing experience for the size paper the star is to do both jobs.

    And to top it off he was unwilling to make changes with the ad vp that he hired who is clearly underperforming and out of control. Rumor is that she doesn't have a single ally in the building.

    To the issue of brand-there is only one newspaper left so it only makes sense to dump Tucson Newspapers and rally behind the star.

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  34. 1. Robin Pence, the VP of Corporate Marketing, and her team have two people monitoring the GannettBlog everyday (actually every minute). Furthermore, they also "post" to the blog to "inform and educate" blog readers. this has been going on for the past year when Ms. pence first started at Gannett.

    2. Corporate Marketing has spent over one million dollars on a consultant to help them "rebrand" Gannett and a consumer-based media company. In the words of Ms. Martore, "if Twitter is worth billions, then Gannett should be worth trillions". Gannett wants to build the brand to be bigger than USA Today.

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  35. My Boss- can I get a clarification? Rebrand a, or rebrand "to" a?

    Does this mean a merger of some sorts is in the works, or is she trying to "redifine" Gannett?

    BTW. #1 is a real shocker isn't it?

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  36. What does My Boss know about the Philadelphia thing? Here in Jersey we're biting nails. Could it be true?

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  37. If only Gannett's wise leaders would start selling their newspapers before they lose their value entirely. I notice that Dillard's barely advertises in the paper anymore. What I see more and more of are large cheesy ads for cheesy products and services, like miracle drugs, commemorative coins and gold and silver buying. These aren't the kinds of ads that attract readers who buy the paper for its ads. With more ad money going into the Web than in newspapers now, one of these days Macy's is going to be a goner, which would be a huge hit to the revenue pool. Gannett should at least seek out offers for its papers. If it waits too long, it might only get what Washington Post Co. got for Newsweek -- $1.

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  38. Replying to My Boss' remark about Corporate monitoring this blog.

    Tara Connell & Co. did the same thing, and I welcomed their input, too. There have been more than a few occasions, including quite recently, when they alerted me to stuff that I should have paid more attention to. This usually involved the safety and well being of both rank and file employees and of senior management.

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  39. Plus, for Pence's rebranding campaign, I'll cut Corporate a major long-term contract for my top leaderboard ad position. Call now! Operators are waiting here at the Gannett Blog Center of Excellence!

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  40. My Boss works on the Digital side.

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  43. I'm fairly certain the only person who really knows where My Boss works is My Boss him/herself.

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  44. No you don't understand it's not a guess. He works on the Digital side. He works for someone that has a very big mouth and likes to brag about what they know. More to come.

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  45. That would explain why my boss seems to only know corporate wide or digital specific info.

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  46. 5:46 C'mon; e-mail means the entire company is interconnected.

    And I'll add this: Gannett claims to be a company that guards the First Amendment, and the right to free speech. Anyone here trying to out a confidential source betrays that mission.

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  48. That's just dumb, Jim. The credibility of a source is important.

    How were you a reporter? You often seem unaware of some basic things.

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  49. @5:25, I think I know where you're going with this.

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  52. Why are the posts at 2:59 and 6:53 still here? Nice administration, Jim.

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  53. 5:46 here. We all have email. that's true. But it doesn't interconnect us. I know next to nothing about gannett digital. I still can't figure out exactly what ripple6 is. But I know quite a bit of "gossip" on the USCP side. Not that I'd share it. I don't wanna get busted.

    The only thing that connects this overgrown weed garden of a company is this blog.

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  55. That was so lame. It doens't even come close to being offensive. It made me chuckle at first. Just because i though it was funny that someone would actually think that was clever. Then i got bored.

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  56. Anonymous@6:54 p.m. wrote: "That's just dumb, Jim. The credibility of a source is important. How were you a reporter? You often seem unaware of some basic things."

    Newspapers and other media rely on sources they don't always identify to the reader. Why is this any different?

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  57. All: Readers say they don't like me to hold comments until I've approved them, because it creates a slower, disjointed discussion. The downside is the occasional comment that shouldn't have appeared in the first place. There are always tradeoffs.

    I try to keep an eye on comments as they appear throughout the day. But I do take breaks; I can't sit in front of a computer or smartphone 24/7.

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  58. Sources: Yes, unidentified sources have always been around. And the reporter and the main editor ALWAYS knew who they were. Giving myboss a ton of credibility without a cautious eye is negligent.

    And I have thought for some time that myboss was digital. Tell me again how one of those digital properties is carrying the company.

    Myboss has outed a bunch of news that could affect the bottom line. And that's ok? But it wouldn't be ok for someone with a different point of view to try to out that source, who some could view as hurting the company? Come on.

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  59. The ability to post anonymously has been a cornerstone of this blog's success; it's not perfect, but it has worked fairly well. If Gannett wouldn't punish people for using their real names, anonymity wouldn't be necessary. But that's not the case.

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  60. It's also a good excuse to allow a lot of unsourced gossip to be posted here.

    Very lazy, Jim.

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  61. Any company would punish people. Someone leaks that they are nogotiating to buy another company for $$$,$$$,$$$? You think this is about 5th grade rumors about the nice girls? Get a grip. If myboss gets caught, he/she is toast. And perhaps even in legal trouble. What, you think the company ought to REWARD people for spewing confidential info?

    Hey Sparky, can you anonymously post on here how what the financial arrangements are that make this blog possible? Because I've never understood the financials. Thanks. Not to worry, there will be no repurcussions.

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  62. He works in digital and uses an IPad. I am sure Jim won't let me out My Boss but I can give hints until he removes me.

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  63. Jim please name someone who was punished. One example will do we don't need a whole list. And no you don't count.

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  66. "Newspapers and other media rely on sources they don't always identify to the reader. Why is this any different?"

    Well, for one thing, you don't know who the sources are or if they know anything. You just let them post. If a newspaper ran something from an anonymous source, and it turned out to be false, and no one knew who the source was, someone would be in serious trouble.

    The other problem is much of the information is either unconfirmed gossip or a slam on an individual who happens to be a manager.

    You don't care because you want people to sling mud at Gannett.

    Is any of this sinking in? You seem awfully dense about some things that you should have picked up when you were still working for the company.

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  67. As I've said for awhile now, IF 'My Boss' has any credibility then he should and could be easily outed.

    His remarks are so narrow and precise that:

    1) He's taking guesses, so who cares who he is?

    2) Or he's repeating what someone else is saying and that should be easily traceable. I suspect the latter, that he's merely parroting idle corporate gossip -- some true, some just talk.

    Yet we all hang onto his every word. Rubbish.

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  68. 10:28 You sound skeptical that Gannett would punish employees for posting comments here under their real names.

    If that's the case, why did you post anonymously?

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  69. 11:06 wrote:

    1. Well, for one thing, you don't know who the sources are or if they know anything. You just let them post. If a newspaper ran something from an anonymous source, and it turned out to be false, and no one knew who the source was, someone would be in serious trouble.

    2. The other problem is much of the information is either unconfirmed gossip or a slam on an individual who happens to be a manager.

    3. You don't care because you want people to sling mud at Gannett.

    1. and 2. are both true. But 3. is false.

    I try to appeal to the broadest audience possible, and to make everyone feel welcome here. But someone's got to have the final say, and that's my job.

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  70. For Part 4 of this comment thread, please go here.

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  71. My Boss works for Resnik. There is no doubt about that among anyone who works at the CP. Josh loves to talk about what Craig, Gracia, or any of the division presidents have to say. He did the same when Saridakis was around.

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  72. 3:01 is getting close, very close.

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  73. Jim, your 2:05 comment is more of the ignorance you display too willingly.

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  74. In support of Jim, this is a blog, not an online newspaper. Jim is a moderator, not a reporter (though he once was). There's nothing wrong with people wanting to be anonymous, or not trusting they won't be punished if they use their real names.

    Quite frankly, there are more people on here who are just whiny little babies than anything else. Occasionally there's some good information that pops up, but you have to sift through the crying to find it. Give it a break, grow up.

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  75. 10:28 here. No you can't turn it around on me. You made a definitive statement you can't prove. By doing so you expose yourself as a bashed not a moderator. You can delete this now but at least you and I know the truth.

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  76. Is there any validity to the comment below? As far as I have seen, Wilmington has been very profitable. Their circulation numbers for Sunday are in the top three of all Gannett papers. Is this just someone spreading rumors?:

    Philadelphia Media Network in talks with Gannett for a JOA with Cherry Hill and Wilmington or an outright sale of both sites to the Inquirer. Deal expected to close before the end of Q1.

    It's the begining of the end for the USCP.

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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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