[Image: Newseum]
Monday, May 31, 2010
Salem | Saying, 'cheese' -- in a very big way
Gannett's Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., published a video today that captures an annual tradition at McKay Senior High: making a 2010 senior class photo, where students form the number of their graduation year. (Related story. See front page, below; bigger view.)
Got a video to recommend? 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.
[Image: Newseum]
[Image: Newseum]
Slow traffic ahead: Memorial Day and the Internet
In my home state of Rhode Island, Memorial Day traditionally marks the start of beach-going season. Families head for the shore, opening beach houses for another summer away from scorching city temperatures. These days, I know something else that starts this three-day weekend: Internet traffic begins falling, and remains low during much of the summer, as more people vacation and stay away from the Web.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.
[Photo: bather at Pompano Beach, Fla., by Eric Thayer of The New York Times via Gawker]
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Week May 24-30 | Your News & Comments: Part 2
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Tech 101 | Don't cry for newspapers, Argentina
[Recent screenshot of Buenos Aires blogger's homepage]
Social networking always intrigues me -- especially, in its speedy, global spread of information. Today, not long after I wrote about the Detroit newspapers doing a home delivery-180, Gonzalo Peltzer of Buenos Aires picked up my post for his Spanish-language Papers Papers blog. He asks: ¿Fin del experimento en Detroit?
Detroit | Retreating, papers resume 7-day delivery
The Detroit newspapers will resume seven-day home delivery in some neighborhoods starting in about a month, reversing a closely-watched cost-cutting move last year that reduced delivery to just three days a week, Gannett's Detroit Free Press disclosed today.
The new "premium home-delivery" service will be handled by independent carriers in limited locations in metro Detroit and will be expanded over time, Freep Editor Paul Anger said in a note to readers in this morning's edition. Anger did not say how much the service would cost.
In the new program, the Freep and MediaNews Group's Detroit News will sell Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday newspapers to independent carriers, who will be able to set the price, time of delivery and other terms of service directly with readers, Anger said. The service's availability will depend on whether an area has an independent carrier in place.
Why? Postal threat, reader demand
Looking for ways to economize in Detroit's crumbling economy, both papers ended home delivery in March 2009 on all but three advertising-rich days: Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The Freep and the News continued printing scaled-back editions the other four days, which were sold only at newsstands and other retail locations. The papers also launched new digital editions. The cutback received widespread attention in the newspaper industry, where some observers said it could prompt other publishers to take similar steps.
Today, Anger cited two factors for the turnaround. The U.S. Postal Service is considering ending Saturday mail delivery nationwide. In Detroit, that would effect about 4,500 subscribers who pay a premium rate to get same-day delivery of Saturday's paper. Adding carrier delivery would continue service for many of those subscribers. The "most important" factor, according Anger: "We want to respond to all of our customers who have told us they want seven-day home delivery -- and value it enough to pay for it."
'I knew something was screwy'
It's unclear how long the Detroit Media Partnership has been considering the move; Anger's note did not provide details. The Gannett-controlled DMP is the joint operating agency that handles circulation, advertising sales and other business functions for the two papers; the dailies's two newsrooms are separate, competitive departments that produce editorial content for the Freep and the News.
The delivery move didn't surprise Anonymous@2:17 p.m., who first reported the move to Gannett Blog today: "I knew something was screwy when the News and Free Press started running their papers closer to 30 pages than the 24-25 we'd come to expect. Of course, the Detroit News is still usually reporting more 'news' on a daily basis -- ironic, since it's a MediaNews publication."
Indeed, the News reported the delivery shift on Friday, albeit in a one-paragraph item in a briefs package.
[Image: today's Freep, Newseum]
In the new program, the Freep and MediaNews Group's Detroit News will sell Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday newspapers to independent carriers, who will be able to set the price, time of delivery and other terms of service directly with readers, Anger said. The service's availability will depend on whether an area has an independent carrier in place.
Why? Postal threat, reader demand
Looking for ways to economize in Detroit's crumbling economy, both papers ended home delivery in March 2009 on all but three advertising-rich days: Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The Freep and the News continued printing scaled-back editions the other four days, which were sold only at newsstands and other retail locations. The papers also launched new digital editions. The cutback received widespread attention in the newspaper industry, where some observers said it could prompt other publishers to take similar steps.
Today, Anger cited two factors for the turnaround. The U.S. Postal Service is considering ending Saturday mail delivery nationwide. In Detroit, that would effect about 4,500 subscribers who pay a premium rate to get same-day delivery of Saturday's paper. Adding carrier delivery would continue service for many of those subscribers. The "most important" factor, according Anger: "We want to respond to all of our customers who have told us they want seven-day home delivery -- and value it enough to pay for it."
'I knew something was screwy'
It's unclear how long the Detroit Media Partnership has been considering the move; Anger's note did not provide details. The Gannett-controlled DMP is the joint operating agency that handles circulation, advertising sales and other business functions for the two papers; the dailies's two newsrooms are separate, competitive departments that produce editorial content for the Freep and the News.
The delivery move didn't surprise Anonymous@2:17 p.m., who first reported the move to Gannett Blog today: "I knew something was screwy when the News and Free Press started running their papers closer to 30 pages than the 24-25 we'd come to expect. Of course, the Detroit News is still usually reporting more 'news' on a daily basis -- ironic, since it's a MediaNews publication."
Indeed, the News reported the delivery shift on Friday, albeit in a one-paragraph item in a briefs package.
[Image: today's Freep, Newseum]
Friday, May 28, 2010
As summer interns start, Gannett vs. Foot Locker
"Unpaid internships have been around for decades in all kinds of industries,'' Anonymous@10:01 p.m. says in a comment. "I would say the value of what you can learn -- if you wind up working for good people who view you as more than a lackey -- is well worth the effort, and much better than spending your summer working at Foot Locker."
Still, employers face more scrutiny from federal and state regulators this summer. The New York Times reported early last month that the U.S. Labor Department is cracking down on firms that fail to pay interns properly. Investigators found many employers "failed to pay, even though their internships did not comply with the six federal legal criteria that must be satisfied for internships to be unpaid," the NYT said.
The story continues: "Among those criteria are that the internship should be similar to the training given in a vocational school or academic institution, that the intern does not displace regular paid workers and that the employer 'derives no immediate advantage' from the intern’s activities -- in other words, it’s largely a benevolent contribution to the intern."
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.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Mommy wars, Martore, ethics -- and a USAT story
A comment posted today by Anonymous@12:44 p.m. leads to an interesting ethical question: When is it appropriate to include a Gannett-owned business in a story produced by one of the company's newspapers, TV stations or magazines?
The case in point: A USA Today story yesterday, "Why do mothers judge one another and their parenting?"
I first saw the article in USAT's Facebook feed, and immediately wondered whether the story included Gannett's Moms Like Me subsidiary, which targets female consumers who have kids. (USAT apparently posted it via Facebook because the newspaper doesn't produce its own version of Moms Like Me. That's a subject for another day, however.)
In fact, the story doesn't mention Moms Like Me. It does, however, link to several other websites, including blogs written by women quoted in the story. One of them is a March of Dimes blog called News Moms Need: What moms and moms-to-be need to know. The other is Seattle Mamma Doc. And the story includes links to three other USA Today stories. All of that seems entirely appropriate.
But @12:44 p.m. claims the story didn't sit well with the 11th Floor: "Gracia Martore has ripped David Hunke a new ass because USAT did not mention Moms Like Me."
I don't know whether Gannett's president is really pissed at USA Today's publisher. Certainly, however, the "mommy wars" are a staple on Moms Like Me sites. A recent post on The Arizona Republic's included a debate over how a mother should have responded when, uninvited, another woman questioned her parenting skills in public.
I don't know whether the USAT reporter checked the discussion forums on Moms Like Me, or any of its rival websites. Still, it seems to me that USAT's story stood perfectly on its own.
Ethics vs. product placement
Now, I surely know the newsroom pressures to include Gannett businesses in stories -- whether the references are warranted or not. It's a form of product placement. Virtually all companies like to encourage synergies among their business units, to maximize revenue and profit.
But newspapers and TV stations have a special obligation to be fair and impartial. Deliberately favoring Gannett companies over rivals, just for the sake of boosting GCI's fortunes, would be unethical, and risk undermining reader trust. And that, in the long run, would do more harm to Gannett's bottom line.
Earlier: And, now, the 'Hot Dad' envelope, please . . .
Have you felt pressure to favor a Gannett business in a news story? 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 first saw the article in USAT's Facebook feed, and immediately wondered whether the story included Gannett's Moms Like Me subsidiary, which targets female consumers who have kids. (USAT apparently posted it via Facebook because the newspaper doesn't produce its own version of Moms Like Me. That's a subject for another day, however.)
In fact, the story doesn't mention Moms Like Me. It does, however, link to several other websites, including blogs written by women quoted in the story. One of them is a March of Dimes blog called News Moms Need: What moms and moms-to-be need to know. The other is Seattle Mamma Doc. And the story includes links to three other USA Today stories. All of that seems entirely appropriate.
But @12:44 p.m. claims the story didn't sit well with the 11th Floor: "Gracia Martore has ripped David Hunke a new ass because USAT did not mention Moms Like Me."
I don't know whether Gannett's president is really pissed at USA Today's publisher. Certainly, however, the "mommy wars" are a staple on Moms Like Me sites. A recent post on The Arizona Republic's included a debate over how a mother should have responded when, uninvited, another woman questioned her parenting skills in public.
I don't know whether the USAT reporter checked the discussion forums on Moms Like Me, or any of its rival websites. Still, it seems to me that USAT's story stood perfectly on its own.
Ethics vs. product placement
Now, I surely know the newsroom pressures to include Gannett businesses in stories -- whether the references are warranted or not. It's a form of product placement. Virtually all companies like to encourage synergies among their business units, to maximize revenue and profit.
But newspapers and TV stations have a special obligation to be fair and impartial. Deliberately favoring Gannett companies over rivals, just for the sake of boosting GCI's fortunes, would be unethical, and risk undermining reader trust. And that, in the long run, would do more harm to Gannett's bottom line.
Earlier: And, now, the 'Hot Dad' envelope, please . . .
Have you felt pressure to favor a Gannett business in a news story? 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.
How to respond to a letter sent from Corporate
I am sending the following letter today, via the U.S. Postal Service.
May 26, 2010
Kimberly B. Jaske
Administrator/Client Services
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, Va. 22107
Kimberly:
Thank you for your letter, dated May 24, 2010. You responded to my April 21 written request for information under California's "Shine the Light" law, Civil Code Section 1798.83.
You wrote: "We've reviewed our records and it does not appear that we have a business relationship with you as the California statute defines that term. If we've overlooked something here, Jim, please let us know which unit you have a business relationship with so that we can act upon your request."
Kimberly, as you no doubt know, 1798.83 subdivision (e), paragraph (5) says:
"Established business relationship" means a relationship formed by a voluntary, two-way communication between a business and a customer, with or without an exchange of consideration, for the purpose of purchasing, renting, or leasing real or personal property, or any interest therein, or obtaining a product or service from the business, if the relationship is ongoing and has not been expressly terminated by the business or the customer, or if the relationship is not ongoing, but is solely established by the purchase, rental, or lease of real or personal property from a business, or the purchase of a product or service, and no more than 18 months have elapsed from the date of the purchase, rental, or lease.
In that regard, I am a customer of Gannett's USA Today, in its print and digital forms. I receive USA Today with and without an exchange of consideration, i.e.: my paying the suggested retail price of $1. USA Today provides me a product and an on-demand service that includes delivery of news and other information. This business relationship is ongoing, and included the calendar year 2009.
I trust this answers your question, and look forward to your reply.
Jim Hopkins
Publisher and Editor
Gannett Blog
584 Castro St., No. 823
San Francisco, CA 94114-2594
May 26, 2010
Kimberly B. Jaske
Administrator/Client Services
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, Va. 22107
Kimberly:
Thank you for your letter, dated May 24, 2010. You responded to my April 21 written request for information under California's "Shine the Light" law, Civil Code Section 1798.83.
You wrote: "We've reviewed our records and it does not appear that we have a business relationship with you as the California statute defines that term. If we've overlooked something here, Jim, please let us know which unit you have a business relationship with so that we can act upon your request."
Kimberly, as you no doubt know, 1798.83 subdivision (e), paragraph (5) says:
"Established business relationship" means a relationship formed by a voluntary, two-way communication between a business and a customer, with or without an exchange of consideration, for the purpose of purchasing, renting, or leasing real or personal property, or any interest therein, or obtaining a product or service from the business, if the relationship is ongoing and has not been expressly terminated by the business or the customer, or if the relationship is not ongoing, but is solely established by the purchase, rental, or lease of real or personal property from a business, or the purchase of a product or service, and no more than 18 months have elapsed from the date of the purchase, rental, or lease.
In that regard, I am a customer of Gannett's USA Today, in its print and digital forms. I receive USA Today with and without an exchange of consideration, i.e.: my paying the suggested retail price of $1. USA Today provides me a product and an on-demand service that includes delivery of news and other information. This business relationship is ongoing, and included the calendar year 2009.
I trust this answers your question, and look forward to your reply.
Jim Hopkins
Publisher and Editor
Gannett Blog
584 Castro St., No. 823
San Francisco, CA 94114-2594
Week May 24-30 | Your News & Comments: Part 1
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Gannett names new pub, GM and executive editor
In a domino-like series of newspaper appointments, Gannett has reached outside the company for a new publisher in Montgomery, Ala.; named a new general manager in Muncie, Ind., and appointed a new executive editor in Cherry Hill, N.J., according to a statement just issued by Corporate.
Montgomery: Sam Martin (left), senior vice president and chief advertising officer for The Boston Globe, was named chief executive of the Montgomery Advertiser.
Martin previously worked for Gannett as senior vice president of marketing at The Cincinnati Enquirer, from 1999-2002, and advertising director at The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., from 1993-1999. He replaces Cheryl Lindus, who had been publisher since 2008.
Martin is moving to a newspaper with a considerably smaller readership. The Globe's circulation is about 230,000 daily, and 379,000 on Sunday, according to the latest ABC figures, as of March 31. Montgomery's is 35,827 daily, and 44,120 on Sunday.
Muncie: Lindus (left) becomes general manager at The Star-Press, a position that in name suggests a step down. The Muncie paper's circulation is 23,721 daily, and 28,932 Sunday.
Before Montgomery, Lindus was advertising director at Gannett's Springfield News-Leader in Missouri, and at The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. (Gannett sold the Herald-Dispatch to GateHouse Media in 2007.) Earlier, Lindus held other advertising jobs at the Star Press. She replaces Gene Williams, the Star Press's GM and executive editor.
Cherry Hill: Williams was named executive editor of the Courier-Post, replacing Everett Mitchell, whose late-March departure has never been publicly explained. In Muncie, Williams had been GM since the middle of last year, and executive editor since joining that paper in 2007.
The Courier-Post's circulation: 51,889, Monday-Friday; 59,311 on Saturday, and 67,485 on Sunday, ABC says.
Earlier: Ex-editor in Montgomery claims unpaid overtime in lawsuit
[Photos: Advertiser]
Martin previously worked for Gannett as senior vice president of marketing at The Cincinnati Enquirer, from 1999-2002, and advertising director at The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., from 1993-1999. He replaces Cheryl Lindus, who had been publisher since 2008.
Martin is moving to a newspaper with a considerably smaller readership. The Globe's circulation is about 230,000 daily, and 379,000 on Sunday, according to the latest ABC figures, as of March 31. Montgomery's is 35,827 daily, and 44,120 on Sunday.
Before Montgomery, Lindus was advertising director at Gannett's Springfield News-Leader in Missouri, and at The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. (Gannett sold the Herald-Dispatch to GateHouse Media in 2007.) Earlier, Lindus held other advertising jobs at the Star Press. She replaces Gene Williams, the Star Press's GM and executive editor.
Cherry Hill: Williams was named executive editor of the Courier-Post, replacing Everett Mitchell, whose late-March departure has never been publicly explained. In Muncie, Williams had been GM since the middle of last year, and executive editor since joining that paper in 2007.
The Courier-Post's circulation: 51,889, Monday-Friday; 59,311 on Saturday, and 67,485 on Sunday, ABC says.
Earlier: Ex-editor in Montgomery claims unpaid overtime in lawsuit
[Photos: Advertiser]
Stock | GCI dives on Korea conflict, Euro fears
Gannett's stock traded recently for $14.22 a share, down nearly 3%, as overall financial markets are roiled by growing worries of conflict between North and South Korea, plus the continued instability of European economies.
Earlier today, GCI traded as low as $13.93 -- lowest since Feb. 12, when they hit $13.75 before closing higher, according to Google Finance.
Major market indexes are lower: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 have both fallen 1.6%.
Earlier today, GCI traded as low as $13.93 -- lowest since Feb. 12, when they hit $13.75 before closing higher, according to Google Finance.
Major market indexes are lower: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 have both fallen 1.6%.
Sponsors | Ads up, but my donations are way down
Over the past month, I've received just $113 from readers. Indeed, most of the combined $1,390 in donations since this quarter started April 1 came from a single, very generous reader, who contributed $1,000 entirely on their own. (Thank you again!) Even with that extraordinary gift, I've reached only half my quarterly goal. Here's the breakdown:
- Advertising: $670
- Contributions: $1,390
I'm trying to earn $4,000 quarterly, mostly through sponsorships of $5 per reader, plus limited ad sales. Please use the "Donate" tool in the green rail, upper right. Or mail cash/checks payable to: Jim Hopkins, 584 Castro St. #823, San Francisco, Calif., 94114-2594.
Long-time Gannett N.Y. reporter Gallagher dies
A reporter and columnist who covered New York state government for 25 years, Jay Gallagher died yesterday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 63.
The Massachusetts native was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on June 17 last year, according to The Associated Press. Gallagher started a blog about his illness that same day, detailing his fight against the disease as well as offering his views on Albany, where he was Gannett's bureau chief for 20 years. He started with the company in April 1974 in Rochester, where the company was then headquartered.
Gallagher was surrounded by his family when he died last night at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
As I post this, family and friends have posted dozens of comments on Gallagher's blog.
The Massachusetts native was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on June 17 last year, according to The Associated Press. Gallagher started a blog about his illness that same day, detailing his fight against the disease as well as offering his views on Albany, where he was Gannett's bureau chief for 20 years. He started with the company in April 1974 in Rochester, where the company was then headquartered.
Gallagher was surrounded by his family when he died last night at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
As I post this, family and friends have posted dozens of comments on Gallagher's blog.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Audit | USAT by the numbers: 32 pages, 48 ads
Amid a debate over USA Today's profitability (did it really sell only $20 million in online ads last year?), I stopped by our local Starbucks at 5:30 PT this afternoon to buy the last copy of today's edition. And then I started my tally. (Previous audits.)
The audit
I counted pages and advertisements. I did not include what appeared to be house ads. I did, however, count even the smallest, classified-like display ads as individual paid spots; they're indicated as a number inside parentheses (x). Here's what I found:
A section, 10 pages, four ads: FedEx, JPMorgan Chase, BP, Wells Fargo.
Money, six pages, 19 ads: Sprint, ETrade, Daily Getaways, Legal Monday (4), Business Monday (11), Sheraton.
Sports, 10 pages, two ads: ESPN, D&B.
Life, six pages, 23 ads: Daily Spotlight, Progressive, Shop for Gifts Today (11), Marketplace Today (10).
[Image: Newseum]
The audit
I counted pages and advertisements. I did not include what appeared to be house ads. I did, however, count even the smallest, classified-like display ads as individual paid spots; they're indicated as a number inside parentheses (x). Here's what I found:
A section, 10 pages, four ads: FedEx, JPMorgan Chase, BP, Wells Fargo.
Money, six pages, 19 ads: Sprint, ETrade, Daily Getaways, Legal Monday (4), Business Monday (11), Sheraton.
Sports, 10 pages, two ads: ESPN, D&B.
Life, six pages, 23 ads: Daily Spotlight, Progressive, Shop for Gifts Today (11), Marketplace Today (10).
[Image: Newseum]
Why USA Today's survival is virtually guaranteed
"The Prince of Pumpkin Island would make sure of that; USAT is his legacy."
-- Anonymous@1:24 p.m. today, commenting in a debate over USA Today's profitability.
Blind Item | An OC member, and a workplace affair
No comments, please. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
[Photo: legendary gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Blind item?]
USAT | In new traffic data, a gorilla emerges
USA Today's 1.9 million in circulation accounts for a third of Gannett's overall. But the company's top daily is also the big kahuna in the company's overall web traffic, too, a newly disclosed company document shows.
In April -- the most recent month available -- USAT drew 35% of the total 95 million unique visitors across the Gannett network. And it accounted for 21% of the approximately one billion page views readers racked up during the month. In both cases, The Arizona Republic -- the company's No. 2 paper by circulation -- was a distant second in terms of its share of overall traffic.
Unlike the dailies in the U.S. Community Publishing division, USA Today's audience is nationwide, so it gives the company network a broader footprint -- making the overall network that much more appealing to national advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and General Mills.
The breakdown of April's figures, by major business unit:
Unique visitors: 95.2 million
Unlike the dailies in the U.S. Community Publishing division, USA Today's audience is nationwide, so it gives the company network a broader footprint -- making the overall network that much more appealing to national advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and General Mills.
The breakdown of April's figures, by major business unit:
Unique visitors: 95.2 million
- USCP: 48%
- USAT: 35%
- Broadcasting: 14%
- Other: 3%
- USCP: 68%
- USAT: 21%
- Broadcasting: 10%
- Other: 1%
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Week May 17-23 | Your News & Comments: Part 2
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Indy | In reverse, papers now push print exclusives
Earlier: In Phoenix, Sunday subscription push intensifies
Do print exclusives conflict with Gannett's digital-first strategy, as established with the Information Center business model? 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.
Salinas | A daily's switch to bi-weekly publishing?
The paper is one of the smallest of Gannett's 82 U.S. dailies. It circulates 10,791 copies on weekdays, and 13,100 on Saturdays, according to ABC data as of March 31. It doesn't publish on Sundays, according to ABC.
The Californian is a descendent of the Salinas Index, first published March 31, 1871, and so has a storied past. John Steinbeck, a Salinas native, first was published in the Index sometime before 1920.
To this day, the Salinas Valley is deep in California's agricultural economy; it produces more than 80% of the lettuce grown in the United States. Steinbeck's ashes are buried in a Salinas cemetery.
Any switch to less than daily publishing would be a first among Gannett papers during the time I've been keeping this blog: since September 2007. It differs from a change at the Detroit Free Press in spring 2009, when that paper ended home delivery on all but three high-advertising days. The Freep continues to print a daily paper, although copies were sold only at retail.
Do you know anything more about this? 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.
[Image: today's paper, Newseum]
Louisville | Press woes delay home delivery again
The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., continues to have significant press breakdowns. In a two-paragraph note this morning, the paper told subscribers in Jefferson County -- its main market -- that unspecified press problems meant county subscribers would not get today's edition delivered until this afternoon. The C-J did not say how many copies were delayed.
"A free electronic replica of the newspaper is available at courier-journal.com/special,'' the note says. "The press problem did not affect the newspaper's content on the Web at courier journal.com. The Courier-Journal apologizes for this interruption in service and the inconvenience to its customers."
Today's delay follows a major press failure May 2, the day after the Kentucky Derby -- the paper's highest circulation day. The C-J turned to Gannett's Indianapolis Star to print that Sunday's paper and the next one, Monday. The paper continued to have printing problems in the week that followed. The press is only six years old.
This morning's delay also comes as the paper asks some readers to take an online shopping survey, in return for a chance at winning a $500 American Express gift card. The C-J just sent me an e-mail promoting the survey.
"A free electronic replica of the newspaper is available at courier-journal.com/special,'' the note says. "The press problem did not affect the newspaper's content on the Web at courier journal.com. The Courier-Journal apologizes for this interruption in service and the inconvenience to its customers."
Today's delay follows a major press failure May 2, the day after the Kentucky Derby -- the paper's highest circulation day. The C-J turned to Gannett's Indianapolis Star to print that Sunday's paper and the next one, Monday. The paper continued to have printing problems in the week that followed. The press is only six years old.
This morning's delay also comes as the paper asks some readers to take an online shopping survey, in return for a chance at winning a $500 American Express gift card. The C-J just sent me an e-mail promoting the survey.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Stock | Publishers dip in broad market retreat
Major newspaper publishers's stocks are following overall stock markets lower, on renewed investor worries over E.U. debt. Recent trading in stocks I follow:
The broad retreat in stocks, according to The Wall Street Journal, came on mounting worries over Europe's will to address its debt woes as unions went on strike in Greece and investors fretted that trading regulations like those introduced this week in Germany could be adopted in other countries.
- Gannett: $14.79, down 3.3%
- New York Times Co.: $8.52, down 6.5%
- News Corp.: $15.04, down 4.8%
The broad retreat in stocks, according to The Wall Street Journal, came on mounting worries over Europe's will to address its debt woes as unions went on strike in Greece and investors fretted that trading regulations like those introduced this week in Germany could be adopted in other countries.
Document reveals Gannett's latest website traffic
Want details about website traffic across Gannett's properties? Here's a read-only spreadsheet for the month of April, courtesy of a Gannett Blog reader who provided the document yesterday, and asked to remain anonymous.
I've given the spreadsheet only a quick scan. Later, once I've done more analysis, I'll post additional information about any trends that emerge.
The document's disclosure comes amid a debate over the accuracy of recent traffic figures for The Tennessean at Nashville.
A tip: The spreadsheet contains eight tabs along the bottom; click on each one for a different view of details.
Notice anything interesting in the data? 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've given the spreadsheet only a quick scan. Later, once I've done more analysis, I'll post additional information about any trends that emerge.
The document's disclosure comes amid a debate over the accuracy of recent traffic figures for The Tennessean at Nashville.
A tip: The spreadsheet contains eight tabs along the bottom; click on each one for a different view of details.
Notice anything interesting in the data? 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.
Urgent: Gannett is launching new start-up focused on small, midsize firms; Robertson named its chief
Confirming months of speculation, Gannett disclosed this morning that it is establishing a new business unit that will offer marketing advice to small and midsize companies. The unit, GannettLocal, will be part of the U.S. newspaper division and will be led from offices in Phoenix by Brad Robertson, currently publisher of Gannett's Burlington, Vt., newspaper.
Robertson (left) disclosed his appointment as vice president of business development for the venture in a memo this morning to his staff at The Burlington Free Press, where he has been the top executive since November 2007.
"As many of you know," the memo says, "I have been splitting my time for several months between Burlington and Phoenix where this start-up is located. GannettLocal is a new business model focused on working with small and medium sized business to provide them a high-touch marketing consultation and a suite of multiplatform solutions (search engine marketing, e-mail, digital display, website, and geo-targeted print/flyers) delivered by a team of dedicated experts over the phone."
The note continues: "Over the next month or so, I will be transitioning over to this new role, trying to sell my house and a publisher search will be conducted." (Full memo text.)
GannettLocal is the latest effort by the nation's No. 1 newspaper publisher to ramp up advertising revenue. The Phoenix unit follows the recent emergence of Gannett's Client Solutions Group, an advertising production services team in Indianapolis and Des Moines geared toward key advertisers.
Robertson's note, and a story about his promotion in the Free Press, don't say who he will report to. Given the project's high profile, it seems likely that U.S. newspaper division President Bob Dickey will be watching it closely.
The new unit has been the subject of speculation for several months among readers here on Gannett Blog.
Related: Here's GannettLocal's Phoenix website. Plus: here's its Twitter feed, and its Facebook page. Also: Local reaction to Robertson's departure in alternative weekly 7 Days
[Photo: Free Press]
Robertson (left) disclosed his appointment as vice president of business development for the venture in a memo this morning to his staff at The Burlington Free Press, where he has been the top executive since November 2007."As many of you know," the memo says, "I have been splitting my time for several months between Burlington and Phoenix where this start-up is located. GannettLocal is a new business model focused on working with small and medium sized business to provide them a high-touch marketing consultation and a suite of multiplatform solutions (search engine marketing, e-mail, digital display, website, and geo-targeted print/flyers) delivered by a team of dedicated experts over the phone."
The note continues: "Over the next month or so, I will be transitioning over to this new role, trying to sell my house and a publisher search will be conducted." (Full memo text.)
GannettLocal is the latest effort by the nation's No. 1 newspaper publisher to ramp up advertising revenue. The Phoenix unit follows the recent emergence of Gannett's Client Solutions Group, an advertising production services team in Indianapolis and Des Moines geared toward key advertisers.
Robertson's note, and a story about his promotion in the Free Press, don't say who he will report to. Given the project's high profile, it seems likely that U.S. newspaper division President Bob Dickey will be watching it closely.The new unit has been the subject of speculation for several months among readers here on Gannett Blog.
Related: Here's GannettLocal's Phoenix website. Plus: here's its Twitter feed, and its Facebook page. Also: Local reaction to Robertson's departure in alternative weekly 7 Days
[Photo: Free Press]
Full text of Robertson memo to staff
I wanted to personally send out a note this morning to announce that Gannett has asked me to take on a new role leading a start-up venture called GannettLocal. As many of you know, I have been splitting my time for several months between Burlington and Phoenix where this start-up is located. GannettLocal is a new business model focused on working with small and medium sized business to provide them a high-touch marketing consultation and a suite of multiplatform solutions (search engine marketing, email, digital display, website, and geo-targeted print/flyers) delivered by a team of dedicated experts over the phone.
Over the next month or so, I will be transitioning over to this new role, trying to sell my house and a publisher search will be conducted.
It is with a heavy heart that I send out this message and have to begin confronting the reality of leaving The Burlington Free Press and the state of Vermont. Before I moved here I spoke with Jennifer Carroll, former executive editor of the Free Press, and she told me of the joy her family experienced living here. How connected they felt to the community. I enthusiastically told her that I wanted my family to feel that way about where we lived. And she could not have been more right. Vermont has touched my family in so many positives ways. From the day we moved here it has felt like a big hug from the community. How great is it that no matter what store you are at, walking down church street, attending a show at the Flynn or up a mountain skiing that you will see someone you know. That warm and friendly face of a friend, no matter how distant, that says hello. A human connection in a world that every day seems to be moving to a digital relationship that feels a bit cold. Sure Vermont has beautiful landscape, mountains, lake champlain and so on but for me the soul of Vermont, the pride of why you push your shoulders back and hold your head high when someone asks you where you live, is because of the incredible people who live in Vermont. It is those Vermonters (flatlanders included) that make this the most incredible place in the US. It is the pleasure of working with everyone at the Burlington Free Press that has made my time hear an unforgetable experience.
My 2 1/2 years living here has changed me in ways that I never thought were possible. Vermont has made such an impact on me personally, sparking my entrepreneurial spirit, teaching me how to care for the planet, supporting local food producers, learning to love a great bottle of wine. But what continues to stand out for me are the people in Vermont that I have had the pleasure of sharing these experiences with. I arrived here in October 2007 with a goal of making an impact, a big contribution to the Burlington community and as I am preparing to leave I realize that it is I who have been changed, who has been impacted by Vermont. I have so many fond memories of moments where I learned something new, met an interesting person who shared their insight with me and gave me a wider perspective, worked with a group of employees who were open to change and trying a new way to solve a problem or create a new connection with our readers, etc. So it is I who will miss all of you for the energy you gave me. My proudest moment at the Burlington Free Press happens on a daily basis when I see the PRIDE that employees have in working here. It is that PRIDE that I want everyone to promise me that we will continue to grow. That we will work toward making more changes to increase the PRIDE we have in the organization we work for, all of us committing to a life long journey of learning and curiosity, the products we produce that reflect the local community’s many voices and the results we provide to our local advertisers.
The only reason I feel that I can leave at this time is because of the energetic, passionate, committed team we have here at the Free Press. I am just one member on the team. And someone new will get a great job leading the Burlington Free Press. But what I know is that the Burlington Free Press is built on the foundation of all of it’s employees just not one or a few. The sum of the parts is what gives us soul. The coordination of so many moving parts everyday pushing toward one goal of connecting with our community.
I plan to reach out to many of you to send you a personal note or stop by your desk to say thanks.
Thanks for letting this flatlander get to be part of the Vermont magic even if it was for a short time. It has forever changed me for the good and I am grateful.
Brad
Over the next month or so, I will be transitioning over to this new role, trying to sell my house and a publisher search will be conducted.
It is with a heavy heart that I send out this message and have to begin confronting the reality of leaving The Burlington Free Press and the state of Vermont. Before I moved here I spoke with Jennifer Carroll, former executive editor of the Free Press, and she told me of the joy her family experienced living here. How connected they felt to the community. I enthusiastically told her that I wanted my family to feel that way about where we lived. And she could not have been more right. Vermont has touched my family in so many positives ways. From the day we moved here it has felt like a big hug from the community. How great is it that no matter what store you are at, walking down church street, attending a show at the Flynn or up a mountain skiing that you will see someone you know. That warm and friendly face of a friend, no matter how distant, that says hello. A human connection in a world that every day seems to be moving to a digital relationship that feels a bit cold. Sure Vermont has beautiful landscape, mountains, lake champlain and so on but for me the soul of Vermont, the pride of why you push your shoulders back and hold your head high when someone asks you where you live, is because of the incredible people who live in Vermont. It is those Vermonters (flatlanders included) that make this the most incredible place in the US. It is the pleasure of working with everyone at the Burlington Free Press that has made my time hear an unforgetable experience.
My 2 1/2 years living here has changed me in ways that I never thought were possible. Vermont has made such an impact on me personally, sparking my entrepreneurial spirit, teaching me how to care for the planet, supporting local food producers, learning to love a great bottle of wine. But what continues to stand out for me are the people in Vermont that I have had the pleasure of sharing these experiences with. I arrived here in October 2007 with a goal of making an impact, a big contribution to the Burlington community and as I am preparing to leave I realize that it is I who have been changed, who has been impacted by Vermont. I have so many fond memories of moments where I learned something new, met an interesting person who shared their insight with me and gave me a wider perspective, worked with a group of employees who were open to change and trying a new way to solve a problem or create a new connection with our readers, etc. So it is I who will miss all of you for the energy you gave me. My proudest moment at the Burlington Free Press happens on a daily basis when I see the PRIDE that employees have in working here. It is that PRIDE that I want everyone to promise me that we will continue to grow. That we will work toward making more changes to increase the PRIDE we have in the organization we work for, all of us committing to a life long journey of learning and curiosity, the products we produce that reflect the local community’s many voices and the results we provide to our local advertisers.
The only reason I feel that I can leave at this time is because of the energetic, passionate, committed team we have here at the Free Press. I am just one member on the team. And someone new will get a great job leading the Burlington Free Press. But what I know is that the Burlington Free Press is built on the foundation of all of it’s employees just not one or a few. The sum of the parts is what gives us soul. The coordination of so many moving parts everyday pushing toward one goal of connecting with our community.
I plan to reach out to many of you to send you a personal note or stop by your desk to say thanks.
Thanks for letting this flatlander get to be part of the Vermont magic even if it was for a short time. It has forever changed me for the good and I am grateful.
Brad
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Jackson, Miss. | 'I'm a Christian and a deacon'
"There's a certain preparation I have to do to get ready. I pray, is the first thing I do. I talk to my family and my pastor and I ask for faith to carry out my duties as commissioner."
-- Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps, speaking to The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, before the execution early this evening of Paul Woodward, 62. He was sentenced to death for the rape and shooting death of 24-year-old Rhonda Crane. A second execution at the State Penitentiary in Parchman is set for tomorrow. (Reporter witnesses Woodward execution, and blogs about it.)
Phoenix | Now, the 'Hot Dad' envelope, please . . .
[Not a contender: famous father Ward Cleaver]
Ending more than a week of white-knuckled anticipation, The Arizona Republic's Moms Like Me site has finally disclosed the delayed results of its "Hot Dad" sweepstakes. The first-place winner of a flat-screen television is here, the site's editor said this afternoon. And the second-place winner, who gets a leather recliner, is here.
In early iPad app reviews, lots of discontent
USAT's app is available for free until July 4, after which Gannett plans to charge a yet-to-be-announced subscription fee.
The newspaper's direct rivals have plenty to worry about, too, based on current reviews of the major newspaper iPad apps on Apple's site. Following are current customer ratings for USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. As you can see, USAT fared better than the other two in average "stars" awarded:
NYT: average rating of 2.5 stars
The breakdown in reader votes:
- Five stars: 348 votes
- Four: 265
- Three: 374
- Two: 452
- One: 820
- Five: 622 votes
- Four: 312
- Three: 632
- Two: 1,136
- One: 6,005
- Five stars: 1,042 votes
- Four: 569
- Three: 581
- Two: 510
- One: 1,094
Milestones | Gannett Blog surpasses 5M pageviews
That total was passed earlier this morning, according to SiteMeter, one of the web analytics firms I use to track readership trends here. Those five million pages were viewed over the 32 months since I made Gannett Blog public on Sept. 11, 2007.
Binghamton | In land sale, economy's rise and fall
[Artist's rendering of planned medical offices on paper's site]
Broad shifts in the national economy come into sharper view through the lens of what's happening to real estate Gannett sold last year near Binghamton, N.Y.: as Baby Boomers age, the health care industry is on the rise, and traditional newspapering is on the decline.
United Health Services confirmed yesterday that it plans to build a new medical office complex on land that had housed the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Vestal, N.Y., until Gannett sold the property last year, then moved the newspaper to smaller quarters near the airport.
The new 85,000 square-feet UHS building will include primary care physician offices, a walk-in center, diagnostic imaging and a pharmacy, and is expected to open in 2012. "In light of the aging of the Baby Boom generation, increasing consumer demand for health care services, and health care reform, communities today need greater access to convenient, accessible and affordable primary care,'' UHS CEO Matthew Salanger said.
Amid declining advertising revenues, Gannett has been raising cash by selling real estate it no longer deems useful, and consolidating production at a growing number of hubs.
The Press & Sun-Bulletin's printing was previously shifted to a production plant opened in 2006 in Johnson City; it also produces Gannett's Star-Gazette of Elmira, and The Ithaca Journal.
Stock | GCI slides 4% in Euro-spooked markets
GCI's stock has traded even lower today, to $14.70 a share, approaching lows it reached in the 24 hours that included the stomach-churning "flash crash" on May 7, when the 30-stock Dow fell nearly 1,000 points. Gannett is now well below its 52-week high of $19.69, set on April 16.
Week May 17-23 | Your News & Comments: Part 1
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Bold Italic | A celebration of microhoods, round 2
Gannett's experimental San Francisco entertainment site, The Bold Italic, appears to be gaining traction, based on the turnout for a recent special event. The site spotted what it dubbed, microhoods: "little pocket neighborhoods sprouting up throughout the city." More than 400 residents turned out to celebrate a small block in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood in March, the site says.
Louisville | As primary unfolds, Twitter updates
Related: follow Gannett Blog on Twitter and on Facebook
Nashville | WashPo story reveals way-low traffic?
Is web traffic at The Tennessean really as low as reported in a Washington Post story about recent flooding in Nashville?
The Post said traffic at the Gannett paper had more than doubled in the first half of May, from an average 20,000 page views per month, as readers sought more information about the disaster.
Surely, I thought, the Post story -- by well-regarded media beat reporter Howard Kurtz -- was wrong on that point, and the Gannett paper would request a correction. But now, more than 24 hours after the story first hit the Post's website late Sunday, those figures remain unchanged.
Here's my yardstick: The Tennessean's weekday circulation averages 134,000 copies, according to the latest ABC data -- a reader base big enough to suggest its web traffic would be much higher than 20K a month. (For a comparison, Gannett Blog's traffic averages well north of 100,000 page views monthly.)
I don't have access to the latest traffic stats for all Gannett papers. Maybe one of my readers does. If so, please consider dropping a dime my way.
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.
Surely, I thought, the Post story -- by well-regarded media beat reporter Howard Kurtz -- was wrong on that point, and the Gannett paper would request a correction. But now, more than 24 hours after the story first hit the Post's website late Sunday, those figures remain unchanged.
Here's my yardstick: The Tennessean's weekday circulation averages 134,000 copies, according to the latest ABC data -- a reader base big enough to suggest its web traffic would be much higher than 20K a month. (For a comparison, Gannett Blog's traffic averages well north of 100,000 page views monthly.)
I don't have access to the latest traffic stats for all Gannett papers. Maybe one of my readers does. If so, please consider dropping a dime my way.
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.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Stock | Buffett's Berkshire trims GCI another 21%
Buffett (above) is CEO of the Omaha, Neb.-based conglomerate. His moves are watched closely because of Berkshire's long track record of success.
Top GCI digital executive LeFew is said leaving
In what would be a further blow to Gannett's digital operations, I'm told Vice President Kevin LeFew this afternoon disclosed plans to leave the company -- and that he's taking three senior-level colleagues with him. That's according to one source, but one who has been spot-on in the past.
LeFew was named vice president of technology and operations in November 2006. He later became one of Chris Saridakis's No. 2 executive top lieutenants, my source says, after Saridakis was named Gannett's chief digital officer in January 2008. LeFew's departure would follow that of Saridakis, who quit, effective April 30, to join a Pennsylvania e-commerce company. Corporate has not said publicly whether Saridakis will be replaced; Gannett disclosed his resignation in a regulatory filing, without any comment.
I do not know the names of the three other digital employees purportedly leaving with LeFew, nor their reported destination.
LeFew's resignation would not be surprising. Senior executives often leave when their boss exits. That is all the more true in the technology sector, one of the few growing industries where experienced employees can move about freely.
Still, LeFew's departure further destabilizes one of Gannett's most important divisions -- digital -- just as a number of key projects draw closer to going online. Those include a major overhaul of all the 81 U.S. community newspaper websites.
Can anyone confirm -- or add details? 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.
LeFew was named vice president of technology and operations in November 2006. He later became one of Chris Saridakis's No. 2 executive top lieutenants, my source says, after Saridakis was named Gannett's chief digital officer in January 2008. LeFew's departure would follow that of Saridakis, who quit, effective April 30, to join a Pennsylvania e-commerce company. Corporate has not said publicly whether Saridakis will be replaced; Gannett disclosed his resignation in a regulatory filing, without any comment.
I do not know the names of the three other digital employees purportedly leaving with LeFew, nor their reported destination.
LeFew's resignation would not be surprising. Senior executives often leave when their boss exits. That is all the more true in the technology sector, one of the few growing industries where experienced employees can move about freely.
Still, LeFew's departure further destabilizes one of Gannett's most important divisions -- digital -- just as a number of key projects draw closer to going online. Those include a major overhaul of all the 81 U.S. community newspaper websites.
Can anyone confirm -- or add details? 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.
Honolulu | Gallows humor, in just 17 syllables
[Employee photo at Advertiser office is prize; click for bigger view]
Mourners are sponsoring a "Death of The Honolulu Advertiser Haiku Contest'' on Facebook, with a framed version of the photo, above, awarded to the haiku that gets the most "likes."
"We've been trained to keep it short. So we are,'' the Facebook page's authors say. "These are our thoughts, in haiku form, on the death of the Honolulu Advertiser and the imminent loss of our jobs. Because nothing says the end of an era like a 17-syllable poem that doesn't rhyme."
As many as 300 of the Advertiser's nearly 600 employees are expected to lose their jobs in the weeks ahead, as the former Gannett paper's new owners merge the daily with its rival, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The Advertiser's sale was completed two weeks ago today. It had been a Gannett paper since 1993.
Detroit | In grandchild's shocking death, grief
Cutlines Only showcases Gannett art. 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.
[Image detail: Newseum]
Poughkeepsie | A surprise among top earners
Meat-and-greet
Meanwhile, five brave PoJo staffers gamely sampled the new KFC Double Down chicken sandwich and IHOP's cheesecake-filled Pancake Stackers. They videotaped themselves eating these calorie-busters. And then posted the video yesterday. On the World Wide Web. Yikes.
[Image: Newseum]
Re: oil spill, N.Y. bomb attempt trumping floods
"If this had happened in another week,
it would have been the flavor du jour."
it would have been the flavor du jour."
-- Tennessean Executive Editor Mark Silverman, speaking to Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post, for a story today about why the national news media largely ignored devastating Nashville flooding in favor of the Gulf oil spill and the near-bombing of Times Square.
Stock | GCI outlook dims as E.U. bank fears build
After falling more than 4% on Friday, Gannett shares resume trading this morning as fear in the financial markets is building again -- this time over worries Europe's biggest banks face strains that will hobble European economies.
"Bourses and bank shares in Europe plunged on Friday because of these fears," The New York Times says, with Wall Street following suit.
Shares were also down in Tokyo and Australia in early trading today. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.1% to 19,732.12, MarketWatch is reporting, falling back below the psychologically important 20,000 level; the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 2.9% to 11,254.22.
Related: the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the S&P 500 Index
"Bourses and bank shares in Europe plunged on Friday because of these fears," The New York Times says, with Wall Street following suit.
Shares were also down in Tokyo and Australia in early trading today. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.1% to 19,732.12, MarketWatch is reporting, falling back below the psychologically important 20,000 level; the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 2.9% to 11,254.22.
Related: the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the S&P 500 Index
Amid more competition, local-local offers an edge; but will editorial, ad staff cuts now get reversed?
As the economy strengthens in the current quarter, Gannett could soon see its first year-over-year revenue increase in more than three years -- since the last quarter of 2006. Indeed, there was momentum in this year's first quarter, when revenue fell by just 4.1% from a year before, to $1.3 billion.
Revenue stability would give Corporate a chance to reassess the enormous workforce cuts since 2006, and look for ways to reinvest in the company's two content engines: editorial and advertising. The recent drive to bolster investigative reporting is a step in the right direction.
But the ongoing consolidation of ad production at two new centers, in Des Moines and Indianapolis, risks more damage to customer service. (For an early peek at the downside, see the Centers of Excellence.)
Jobs: 50K then, 35K now
There's plenty of reason to review those workforce cuts. As the economy tipped into the Great Recession, Corporate used a machete to reduce payroll. Worldwide Gannett employment plunged to 35,000 at the end of last year from nearly 50,000 in December 2006. Yet, the number of U.S. newspapers fell to only 82 from 90, while the number of TV stations, 23, didn't change at all.
In such blunt cuts, much was lost that gave the community papers and broadcast stations an edge over the competition. It doesn't take a brain scientist to figure out that content suffered in the very area that sets Gannett apart: local news and advertising.
"The future of newspapers will be community papers serving small areas where there are fewer alternatives,'' Anonymous@10:02 a.m. wrote on Friday.
Missing: parts of 'the puzzle'
Another poster agreed. "What everyone also needs to realize is that -- as the audience shrink -- people will pay only for unique content,'' said Anonymous@10:45 a.m. "That means the papers in small markets may become the most valuable properties in the chain."
10:45's comment continues: "Gannett cut many of the most important parts of the newspaper puzzle early on -- columnists, specialized reporters, investigative reporters. Those are the thing that can set a newspaper apart. Every media outlet in a city covers breaking news, meaning it's easy and cheap to come by. I don't need to buy a paper to get it because TV and radio stations do a fine job delivering that. What they don't do is give me solid analysis, break hard-to-get stories, fire me up with a good opinion piece or funny column, and let me know if the new U2 album is worth my money. That's where papers can shine."
The same is true in advertising: Ship ad production hundreds of miles away, and you increase turnaround time and the likelihood of errors. How's that going to help lure back lost customers, and keep current ones happy?
Machete vs. scalpel
If the economy had shrunk more slowly over the past three years, Corporate might have used a scalpel to reduce payroll, and perhaps wouldn't have whacked every one of those 15,000 jobs, putting Gannett in a better position to compete. Recent research shows companies fare better during economic revivals when they use a more targeted approach to layoffs.
Now, amid the current recovery, Gannett has a second chance.
[Image: yesterday's Cincinnati Enquirer, Newseum. The Ohio paper eliminated about 100 jobs during a Gannett-wide layoff last July]
But the ongoing consolidation of ad production at two new centers, in Des Moines and Indianapolis, risks more damage to customer service. (For an early peek at the downside, see the Centers of Excellence.)
Jobs: 50K then, 35K now
There's plenty of reason to review those workforce cuts. As the economy tipped into the Great Recession, Corporate used a machete to reduce payroll. Worldwide Gannett employment plunged to 35,000 at the end of last year from nearly 50,000 in December 2006. Yet, the number of U.S. newspapers fell to only 82 from 90, while the number of TV stations, 23, didn't change at all.
In such blunt cuts, much was lost that gave the community papers and broadcast stations an edge over the competition. It doesn't take a brain scientist to figure out that content suffered in the very area that sets Gannett apart: local news and advertising.
"The future of newspapers will be community papers serving small areas where there are fewer alternatives,'' Anonymous@10:02 a.m. wrote on Friday.
Missing: parts of 'the puzzle'
Another poster agreed. "What everyone also needs to realize is that -- as the audience shrink -- people will pay only for unique content,'' said Anonymous@10:45 a.m. "That means the papers in small markets may become the most valuable properties in the chain."
10:45's comment continues: "Gannett cut many of the most important parts of the newspaper puzzle early on -- columnists, specialized reporters, investigative reporters. Those are the thing that can set a newspaper apart. Every media outlet in a city covers breaking news, meaning it's easy and cheap to come by. I don't need to buy a paper to get it because TV and radio stations do a fine job delivering that. What they don't do is give me solid analysis, break hard-to-get stories, fire me up with a good opinion piece or funny column, and let me know if the new U2 album is worth my money. That's where papers can shine."
The same is true in advertising: Ship ad production hundreds of miles away, and you increase turnaround time and the likelihood of errors. How's that going to help lure back lost customers, and keep current ones happy?
Machete vs. scalpel
If the economy had shrunk more slowly over the past three years, Corporate might have used a scalpel to reduce payroll, and perhaps wouldn't have whacked every one of those 15,000 jobs, putting Gannett in a better position to compete. Recent research shows companies fare better during economic revivals when they use a more targeted approach to layoffs.
Now, amid the current recovery, Gannett has a second chance.
[Image: yesterday's Cincinnati Enquirer, Newseum. The Ohio paper eliminated about 100 jobs during a Gannett-wide layoff last July]
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Week May 10-16 | Your News & Comments: Part 2
Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Nashville | Post-flood aerials capture cleanup
Cutlines Only showcases Gannett art. 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.
[Image detail: Newseum]
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Phoenix | 'Hot Dads' contest results delayed again! Mom charges: 'Is anyone finding this a little fishy?'
Winners were to be announced Tuesday. Then, without explanation, the Republic said it hoped to post results at week's end. By Thursday, with still no news, the situation turned ugly, as the mob-like moms threatened to storm the gates. Among their furious comments:
"Really,'' huffed jlanoue, "What could be taking so long? I voted forever and now I want the results. They said Monday and Tuesday it would be posted. Is anyone finding this a little fishy?????"
"Yea, come on already,'' harrumphed keepcool1231, who was, in fact, anything but cool. "Isn't it computer-generated? Or are you manually counting the votes?"
Soon, a call rose for an investigation. "This is very disappointing and unprofessional!" wrote alleycat815. "Does anyone know who we can contact and complain to in regards to the winner of the 'Hot Dad' contest?"
Appealing for reason, ForeverClassy urged calm: "Please be patient; they're pretty good when this site has contests."
But, no! Yesterday, Editor Yvette Armendariz once more dashed our hopes. "I wish I could announce our winner, but I don't know yet,'' she wrote. "I'm waiting for a report, just like you. Please be patient. I apologize that our contest rules posted the incorrect date for the prize announcement. We typically anticipate a week after the contest closes, but sometimes -- depending on reports we are waiting for -- it can take longer."
To the ramparts, moms!
Earlier: Simmering moms told to chill
[Photo: Hot Dads hopeful Aaron; all the candidates here]
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