Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Week Jan. 10-16 | Your News & Comments: Part 3
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76 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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What's this NJ consolidation going to mean for reporter deadlines?
ReplyDeleteAre the papers going to become more irrelevant than they already are by cutting into their late meeting and sports coverage?
How much more humiliation can this company bring to people? Will they have a hidden camera to watch these poor folks interview and beg for jobs that will probably be gone in another year?
ReplyDeleteThe selections have been strategically made already; they are just going through the motions now, thinking they are somehow giving the non chosen dignity when they are told to pack up.
I wish the best of luck to all of you. Many of you have been in the business years before Gannett took over. It's a huge adjustment getting used to the "real world". I won't lie and say it's easy as you'll mourn it like a death. Some of you are excellent journalists. I urge you to think about getting together and starting up your own columns as your writings will be missed.
Any other non-pennypinching corporation would have hired an investment banking firm to see what it could get by selling the papers that are now shrinking into nothing. It must be some stubborn pride that's keeping the board from throwing in the towel and going that route, but that's what publicly traded companies do with dying businesses. They declare them as "discontinued" businesses, write down their value and get what they can for them. Gannett is only maintaining the pretense that the newspapers are a "continuing" business. I'm surprised that no one on the institutional shareholder side is calling that spade a spade.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the comment from one of the unfortunate HNT, CN and DR folks, saying the APP people aren't asked to reapply for their jobs "because they're better than us'' is directing your ire in the wrong place. The APP staffers had nothing to do with the decision and know that's it's rotten and unfair. They fear for their jobs, too. I wouldn't be surprised, once the design center is up and running, if the APP staff faces layoffs, too.
ReplyDeleteWonder how much this cost and what the equivalent value is in furloughed workers?
ReplyDeletehttp://techcrunch.com/2011/01/04/usa-today-buys-consumer-electronics-review-network-reviewed-com/
I love that Reviewed.com does lab-tested product reviews, e.g. is USA Today going to try to be Consumer Reports now? (Nevermind the idea of something lab-tested or scientific associated with USA Today or Gannett is an enormous oxymoron.)
Meanwhile, regarding anonymous here who mentioned dumping "discontinued" businesses, I say "ditto." We could start by dumping USA Today.
7:47am, age discrimination at GCI is alive and well for those over 50 - just like anyplace else. The hell with hiring anyone over that age now, God forbid. Quality, experience, being able to spell and compose a sentence no longer matter in this place.
ReplyDeleteAge discrimination thrives EVERYWHERE. I've applied for graphics positions. I'm "over qualified," meaning they need to pay 9 bucks an hour to a kid. Sure wish we had a government that was monitoring this and enforcing discrimination law. But, alas, we do not. I'm thinking for all my awards and personal requests from clients, I'm cold, stale toast. Even a job I accepted for starting wage, I did not get.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, 4:24; it's been humiliating to the point it makes you feel worthless. I've never dealt by phone and in person with so many inexperienced, incompetent HR people in all my life.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder age discrimination never comes out in unemployment news and statistics. Our DC lawmakers are no better - practically all Capitol Hill offices are fully staffed by 20-somethings.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly, yet another tier of senior managers appears to be taking shape at USAT. Mindy Cameron has just been named Personal Fiance vertical manager; Christine Allegro, an ex-AOLer, has been named Personal Technology vertical manager. Victoria Borton, ex-Experian marketer, was named Travel vertical manager a while back.
ReplyDeleteVertical managers are supposed to sell to clients, develop new strategy, as well as oversee editorial content, new partnerships and products, etc. Their role calls for them to blur the line between marketing and journalistic content at a senior level.
Presumably, more vertical managers will be appointed with each "content ring" converted into a "vertical."
The chain of command now appears to be that the content ring leaders (remember those 11 or so coveted slots snatched up oldtimer print DMEs last Aug?) will report to the new, marketing focused vertical managers.
The vertical managers, in turn, report to Senior VP Heather Frank, another AOL alum. USAT 2011 is starting to look like AOL 2003. This management team is charged with figuring out how to translate USAT's 20 million or so monthly unique visitors into meaningful ad revenue, something USAT has failed to do in six years of trying.
These are the top-down commanders carrying out Mr. Hunke's big bet that USAT can move first and fastest to dominate mobile ads.
All of today's sacrifice is to win at Web Apps, which in terms of ad revenue doesn't even qualify as a fledgling market.
John Hillkirk has called a Jan. 18 staff meeting. Presumably, USAT rank-and-file staffers will be asked to keep sacrificing and put faith in this new management alignment, which is fast starting to look as top-heavy as the old management alignment.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though there is chaos at most sites.
ReplyDeleteGannett is imploding as we knew it would.
How long can business continue with no leadership
and actual newspaper people showing the way ?
The good, experienced newspaper people are pretty much extinct as they were too well paid to be kept.I know of a site where the publisher was forced to retire early and now that position is occupied by the finance manager with no experience in editorial or advertisng.This scenario seems to be the norm and now the bean counting ,finance types are running
the show at many sites.
I believe we will start seeing more and more of
the "discontinued business" signs going up as perviously posted.
The barely alive publications will go away as
the stubborness to keep them is overtaken by
financial decisions that they are a drain on revenue and they cannot continue to be subsidized.
Well, 5:32, you are most likely correct because you seem to know. However what I would say is that the majority of publishers I've read about have Advertising, Marketing or News in their background. Then there are a few with Circulation, and even fewer with finance, personnel or IT.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, as a shareholder, I have no problem in making a profit.
TV Wall Street guru Jim Cramer showed disdain for GCI earlier this week when a caller asked Cramer if GCI would be a good stock to purchase. "Ya gotta have news and GCI does that, right?" said Mark from Indiana.
ReplyDelete"No, no, no," Cramer said, looking down, shaking his head to add emphasis. That was it.
I was surprised by Cramer's brusque dismissal of Gannett, having heard that he regularly reads many newspapers.
Cramer didn't say why he reacted that way, but it's likely he doesn't like GCI's management team. He probably rates them A for cost-cutting and E for innovation. He is astute.
Anybody know why else he'd act that way?
Jim Creamer is a very knowledgable guy. Made millions over the years, and understands the market. He's always looking for an opportunity. It might be good to bring him in to speak with management on how to make the company worth more.
ReplyDeleteCramer explained he didn't recommend GCI because newspapers are a declining industry. He said nothing about GCI management.
ReplyDeleteCramer is influential, but he's reflecting only the common views you can read on this blog. It should come as a surprise to no one who works for this company that GCI is on a slide downwards. Look at the papers and you see ads are off and not recovering to the pre-recession levels. Circulation is down, and stories don't have the umph they once had in our communities. Even USAT is sucking wind.
ReplyDeleteCorporate has adoped a deliberte policy of cutting newspaper expenses even more, which is going to mean less revenues. I don't know where the end is, but it difficult to forecast anything but down further.
The only salvation I see is replacing the unimaginative team of current corporate execs, and bringing in some imaginative innovators. But the Saridakis episode shows what happens to reformers in this company.
1. GannettLocal is in talks to outsource their business to a company called Yodle. This means a significant decrease in activity from Brad Robertson and the GannettLocal team.
ReplyDelete2. It has been rumored that CafeMom and Gannett's MomsLikeMe will not end up merging as previously reported by several people on this blog. Seems like CafeMom walked.
3. Who will be in charge of Pointroll? We will have to wait and see. Candidate's on Ms. Martore's short list are Vikram Sharma (CEO of ShopLocal), Sandy Dondici (CTO of PointRoll), Josh Resnik (interim Chief Digital Officer)
4. Budgets are being presented at next board meeting next month and major reductions are part of Gannett's plans to achieve profit plan. No less than 4,200 employees will be reduced from payroll by end of year.
5. Expect new Gannett brand launch in the next month or so. Ms. pence has circulated most of the new website and brand images, including a new tagline. So far, Mr. Hunke has all but threw up on the new brand and positioning.
Yodle?
ReplyDeleteIs this them?
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Yodle.Inc..877-276-5104/review/read?cid=840889
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/yodle-c310099.html
http://www.davidpirek.com/blog.aspx?n=Is-Yodle.com-is-a-scam?
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=91134
Just "Google" Yodle Scam
The beat goes on and on! SMH (Shaking My Head)
Heard that Neil Ford resigned today. He couldn't handle working for Jacobsen anymore. Gannett Digital sales is a mess right now.
ReplyDeleteMy Boss...Thank you for your insight. I heard the same thing regarding CafeMom. I heard that the Digital team was upset about Cafe Mom not taking the deal. Every one is speculating why Cafe Mom abruptly ended the talks.
ReplyDeleteGannett is NOT a media brand, it is a holding company. Looky at the vast disconnect between coreprit and the community papers, and the very distance is so telling. The goobs at Gannett should be acting accordingly and stop meddling with the gears that bring in the bucks.
ReplyDeleteVikram Sharma would absolutely guarantee a walk out of all Pointroll employees, as would Sandy Dondici and Josh Resnik. Hell, people have been leaving Pointroll in droves already. If I had a choice, I would rather have anyone of them over Jason Tafler.
ReplyDeleteget out while you can.....
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell this blog just what the heck Stacy Cunningham, in Digital, actually does?
ReplyDeleteMy Boss at it again. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny My Biss us simply regurgitating info that everyone at The Palace knows. Trust me Mr Digital is not in the know. He is just a wanna be. Quite funny actually.
ReplyDelete9:34
ReplyDeleteTrolls like you are out.This must mean something big is going to happen ,just as
My Boss suggests.
Sorry, but I think Cramer is more discerning that suggested above. Yes, I do think his wariness of GCI stock is at least partially because of the weak management team.
ReplyDeleteMany other companies have reinvented themselves when faced with major market shifts.
To be blunt, previous GCI leaders failed to recognize the digital revolution swirling around them. That though they were paid millions of dollars for their expertise. Dubow's predecessor spent his last two years in office cashing hundreds of millions from his pile of stocks gifts. Today's managers are equally adept at getting rich from their failures.
Where's the board, you ask? Getting well-paid to look the other way, it seems.
My Boss at it again. Let's review: #1, brand new, too early to judge. #2, you say the CafeMom deal is off, the one "previously reported by several people" here. Uh, well, YOU were the main proponent of this rumor, but you said it was a done deal. #3, you said previously, without reservation, that Sandy Dondici was in. Backtracking now are we? #4, "No less than 4,200 employees." Wow, you said it was for sure 5,000. Do I hear a 3,600 from anyone? 2,500? #5, "Mr. Hunke has all but threw up..."? Perhaps he throwed up because of your writing ability.
ReplyDelete9:40, your type of post has grown stale here.
ReplyDeleteThe writing level here has plummeted to its lowest point.
9:40 how come anyone who disagrees with your negative approach to life is a Troll? You mean we all have to hate the company and worship at My Boss' throne? I know you don't work in the CP but here even the contracted security personnel have heard these rumors. My Boss is simply an aggregator, s good one but nothing more. The rest of us just chose not to post. Some come true some don't. What I don't understand is why anyone who disagrees with you and some Orville pals get kicked in the teeth. what is it, your way or the Troll way?
ReplyDelete9:40 here,
ReplyDeleteI have seen the way Gannett treats people.
Good friends of mine thrown away and shown the
door as though they were nothing but useless trash,myself included, in the numbers from late 09 who were laid off. Laid off without a bit of remorse from the VP who was the doorman.
I have since started a small business and am doing very well.Most of my Gannett friends from
the 09 cutbacks are not OK, and some are working menial jobs just to get a paycheck.They deserved better,much better.This was at a site that in the black,profitable and had to follow
the Gannett law to cut back, regardless.
So yes ,I hope for doom and gloom for Gannett.
The corporation deserves no better,it too should treated as the trash it is.
For those still drawing Gannett pay ,you have seen the edge of cliff,so what happens ,happens.
A bit dramatic ,yes,I am passionate in my distane for GCI.
Some of these comments speak volumes. Perhaps you are angry at Gannett because your writing skills are too poor, even for them. String together a few coherent sentences, spell everything correctly, and maybe we can take you seriously. Right now, you come off as an uneducated troll.
ReplyDeleteQuite a comment.
ReplyDeleteI am not an writer,
but how about just pretending to read the message for the content.
It is 10:00 ,I am tired and my work day is over.
I made $500.00 today .Did you?
"Some of these comments speak volumes. Perhaps you are angry at Gannett because your writing skills are too poor, even for them. String together a few coherent sentences, spell everything correctly, and maybe we can take you seriously. Right now, you come off as an uneducated troll."
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more.
11:00, what are you going on about? No one wants to try to decipher your gibberish.
11:33
ReplyDeleteYou must really be a Gannett cheerleader.
It seems as though ,those who are still employed
ReplyDeleteby Gannett condone their practices.
The trolls on this board are very reminiscent of some of the petty bosses I had during my short stay at a Gannett paper. They were intolerant of disagreement, ignored suggestions to launch novel news-gathering methods or improve old ones, stabbed subordinates in the back at every opportunity and never missed a chance to kiss up to their bosses. They are members of the company's most-loyal, most-decorated and best-compensated inner circle, and they will defend the royal family to the bitter end, even as the palace crumbles beneath their feet. Never miss an opportunity to undermine their standing.
ReplyDeleteFor the poster who has an issue with the bean counters, please be aware that it is not the bean counters who are making the decisions. They are the ones who assemble the facts and come up with possible courses of action. Making the decision to put stock price and profits-at-all-costs ahead of anything else lies with the Board of Directors and Gannett Top Management.
ReplyDeleteThere is an Alice-in-Wonderland feel to what is going on in Reno.
ReplyDeleteHad the author of the prize-winning series on DUIs been arrested would she have kept her job? Of course not.
Would the bosses have shown their love for the editor had he been arrested? It would have been tough love.
But the publisher just waltzes off with a slap on the wrist after his arrest.
Where is the justice?
Eye wish peepl wood stop critisizing othr peepl four ther speling or riting erorz. Reemembr 3/4 of the peeple yu werk wyth do not hav a jurnalizm dugree.
ReplyDeleteWe who are not in editorial are all entitled to our opinion just as much as you 'writers' are. Please just read and comment on the thoughts presented and lay off the spelling error critique.
I'm 10:55PM....and I am neither writer, nor editor. I'm actually on the DIGITAL side. And I don't have ANY degrees(yet). I just prefer to carry myself as a dignified and intelligent adult...plotting my escape from GCI.
ReplyDeleteand since I brought up Digital, there's an "all-hands" conference call today. 3:30-5pm ET.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 10:27.Good post .
ReplyDeleteThese writers/journalists give the impression of
arrogance and incapable of error.
Therefore their ideas, thoughts and opinions are the only ones that should be considered just because they are grammatically correct.
It's tough to lose intellectual arguments because you slept through English and math in school, and have not bothered to educate yourself since. But your opinion carries less weight if you are not articulate. Plain fact. If all you can bring is "Crage and Grasia are stoopid, and Ganet SUX" then many of us around here discount you. Sorry.
ReplyDelete@10:39 and 10:27: I'm a journalist, and I agree with you both. Non-writers, ignore the comments about spelling, etc. The board is about sharing information, not applying for a job.
ReplyDeleteI value everyone's comments.
We are not all "ARTICULATE" in our writings.
ReplyDeleteIt does not mean we are not educated in other
areas. I thought that might be why writers
and journalists were professionals in that field.
I guess because some us are not able to write
our opinions in a professional way,it makes us less knowledgable than those who claim to be writers.
The ideas we express about Gannett should not have to be reviewed by the journalistic types
who post here.
A-men, 11:23. I gather the spelling/grammar tsk-tskers are coming from the copy desk side. Or copy desk mentality side. (And I'm an editorial person too.)
ReplyDeleteIn general, the decline of USAT and other GCI pubs can be attributed to the 'copy desk' mentality taking over all forms of content ... Better to be safe than daring ... Better bland than entertaining/engaging ... Make sure all your facts are attributed to the letter, regardless of how clumsy it reads on the page ... God forbid any writers be allowed to have a voice because this is a NEWS organization, g-dammit.
(BTW: Just for the record, I think copy editors are needed and valuable folks. But they shouldn't be hired to choke the life out of the content.)
9:40 is right and stop whining about the lack of perfect articulation here. This site is about sharing/exchange. I was/am in the very same boat, working at an incredibly profitable GCI site when the massive purge went down in late '09. Started my own biz and never looked back.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can do you one better this morning 9:40: I just invoiced $1300 this morning. And that's not atypical either. This isn't to brag, current GCIers. It's to offer encouragement. Like the line from the great movie about escape and redemption, "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin' ..."
Good post 11:38.
ReplyDeleteNow back to Gannett.
We have not heard any comments from any of the weeklies.
Are they not being effected by any of these consolidations or otherwise reductions in staff?
One would think that they too would be scrutinized and the non-producers would be
cut as well.If their are weeklie employs who know
any information,it would good to hear what is
happening.
11:43. "Started my own biz AND NEVER LOOKED BACK." Seriously?
ReplyDelete11:43
ReplyDeleteWay to go.
I too started a small business after the 09
slashings.
We now, after 1 Year, invoice nearly $30.000.
per month with just 3 full time and one part
time staff.
I agree with the 11:43 post.This is not bragging by any means,it has been a lot of hard work and long hours,but it can be done and I hope other Gannett folks can do the same.
I am not,nor are any of my small staff,rocket sciencetists,we are just hard working and dedicated to our work.
Once again,I hope this encourages people that there is life after Gannett,and you too can find a way.
Turned in my notice yesterday. After 20 of the last 22 years at this site, it was a hard decision. Even knowing this is a sinking ship, it was difficult. I'm walking away from some great co-workers and into a new environment. I had to take a cut in pay, but I think it will be workable for my family and very worthwhile. This place has just become poison.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you and your family, 12:07. Your note is encouraging and realistic for the rest of us who need to get out of our terrible situations asap. Stay in touch with friends you've made over the years, and know that you have done the right thing.
ReplyDeleteI think that 12:07 deserves a huge round
ReplyDeleteof applause!!!Congradulations !
You will find life away from the poison that Gannett has become,like a new beginning .
I wish more had the guts and backbone to make this life changing step.
The company is headed to oblivion and you knuckleheads are arguing over spelling and grammar. Go figure.
ReplyDelete11:47 -- We have been forced to go to a 75/25 ad/news ratio, ostensibly to cut back on paper costs. If a newspaper is at this ratio, however, it's not considered a newspaper and cannot accept legal ads.
ReplyDeleteFrom a red-headed stepchild
Congrats and good luck, 2:07 - at least you have the courage, guts, and good instinct to leave on your own than those who keep hanging on to this ugly, sinking ship.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, 12:02! I'm billing generally $10K or more a month and often a lot more than that. Minimal expenses (phone/computer/biz cards ... even my own 'company T-shirt). No employees. Aside from not getting the 'break' I was hoping for -- running your own business is a non-stop enterprise -- life is good. Thanks for cutting me loose, GCI!
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you think a "copy desk mentality" is what's killing the company? That's insulting. (Yes, I'm a copy editor.) I tried hard every day to be creative while still making sure the people who really didn't give a shit weren't committing libel. Try working a night on the desk and then you can start talking about how the copy desk is choking the life out of a company.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know lots of people don't find grammar or spelling very exciting or important, but to those who have spent decades with this company -- I left years ago -- perfecting those things, you're belittling what they do every day.
Gannett digital will continue to be a mess as long as they are led by who they are led by. Ask anyone here if they are making any money and if they are happy.
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of businesses have you started? Curious to know whether it's in your field or not.
ReplyDelete10:23 you are dead wrong. I worked in Reno for many years. I can remember several staff members in different departments getting non injury DUIs and NOT getting terminated. They were both non managers. We get it, you hate managers and publishers. But you can't make comments like you have without proof. People don't get fired for DUIs. The only exception is if you are employed as a driver and you lose your license and can no longer operate a motor vehicle. I am sorry if the truth gets in the way of your rant but you are simply wrong.
ReplyDelete2:39 what is the name of your company? Please share so we can applaud your success. We don't want the Trolls to question if you are making that figure up.
ReplyDelete4:11, you're obviously a troll, and, being a troll, you will believe what you (and Craig et al) want to believe: That there is no life after GCI, so, if you have a GCI job, you must simply endure increased workloads, stress and lower pay because, goshdernit, that's "the Gannett Way" and you have no other career/income options anyway, you stupid, rank-and-file peons who only serve to inflate our already-inflated bonuses.
ReplyDeleteNow that we've dispensed with 4:11's narrow, self-serving view of the universe ...
... 4:17 and 4:30, I appreciate your interest in how I did what I did. Respectfully, I can't be overt about name of business and other details because it would obviously reveal who I am and then that stifles the flow of information/conversation here. I can say this, in the interest of providing hope to those still with GCI who see no other way of earning a living beyond GCI:
I was in editorial for years and years with GCI.
I adjusted to the change of times long before I was laid off in 2010. Actually, I had zero confidence in GCI 'leadership' for years and had been planning for my exit well before my notice of position elimination. Which meant I launched the business part-time before my departure. (This was done with senior managers' blessings and even their engaged interest in what I was doing and, no, I was far from the only person doing this within my area.)
So when I did get officially sacked, I already had the infrastructure of a business in place (namely, a proven track record with clients who paid me in money instead of lottery tickets or beer). It was just a matter of taking the part-time structure/revenue and making it full-time. As it turned out, this was no problem at all, especially when my clients learned I was now self-employed full-time. Because they also have sharply reduced staff, they need the contractual help more than ever and are more than happy to feed me constant work. In the interest of occasionally spending time with my family, I've had to turn down work fairly regularly, and haven't experienced any fallout as a result, in fact.
Generally, it's 50 hour weeks give or take, but hours are before/after normal ones quite often. It's not really traditional journalism either -- you gotta get with the flow of the modern age and transfer your skills to where the money is.
The moral to this story: Get busy now with your plan versus when Gannett decides it no longer needs you. Because that day will come.
That's that. OK, go ahead, 4:11. Make yourself (and CP suits) feel good and tell me that I'm completely making this up and I'm just another sad sack GCI employee who clings to the idea that, by working harder than ever with less people around me for GCI, that maybe, possibly, hopefully be able to keep my job for another month or two.
12;02 here,
ReplyDeletethe other small business start-up.
My story is also real,not made up.The difference,
I only had a plan when I left and had not actually started yet when I left.
I invested my life's savings to get up and running. Believe me when it's your own money invested,failure is not an option.My accountant will agree,I made it work,from billing just enough to keep going, to now actually showing profits.
And as 4:54 stated,yes there is life after Gannett.Mine is also in publishing.It can be done.
The Gannett suits need you all to keep producing,
how else do they keep going.They want you to believe that there are still actual careers with Gannett,and none elsewhere.Those of you left, are their lifeline ,and do they show it,hell no.
I still come to this site,not to gloat,but just to see what is going on .
I know that Gannett was a huge part of my life
and back then. I gave my heart and soul and everything I had in me to them and in the end it didn't matter a bit.
The defenses of the inarticulate posts are amusing but not surprising. It's the same crap people have pulled for years.
ReplyDeleteHate to break this, but if you come across like an uninformed rube with your post, then people are going to assume (probably correctly) you are an uninformed rube.
2:58's challenge has been issued before. Some people have accepted it, and most of them failed to get through more than a couple of shifts. Plus, you didn't want them on those shifts anyway. They were as useless as tits on a boar.
I thank the two of you who enlightened us as to what sort of business ventures one might switch to after GCI. When you think about it, not only are there writers at the newspaper, there's photogs, proofreaders, sales staff, production artists, pressmen, etc. One would not leave GCI to open a medical practice, but aside from switching careers, it's nice to know what our alumni can conjure up.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Dubow, Martore, and the board have all but given up on finding a new CDO. Since it appears that Resnik and other contenders aren't getting the gig, one can only conclude that they're still trying to recruit a digital entrepreneur in the Saridakis mold.
ReplyDeleteIf so, they're dreaming. After what happened with Chris, it's extremely unlikely any other seasoned technology execs would take a job at GCI.
Is there a better option? One might be to promote an entrepreneurial type from the field. If you go that route, there are several candidates. The best is probably Mike Coleman in Phoenix. Not only has Coleman launched countless products and projects for the Republic, but unlike most other markets, his actually make money -- from AZCentral to mobile to Deal Chicken.
Calling up Kevin Poortinga was the smartest move Gannett Digital made in the past 5 years. Assuming he would even want to move to McLean, Coleman would be just as big a coup. Granted, promoting from Phoenix (notorious for flouting just about everything Digital does) would ruffle feathers in the Crystal Palace and GMTI, but it sure seems like some feather-ruffling is in order.
As a shareholder, that's the sort of move I'd like the board to consider.
For Part 4 of this comment thread, please go here.
ReplyDelete4:11 here - It's unfortunate that 4:54 entirely missed the point I was making.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that there's any disbelief you created your own business.
But to tell everyone you never looked back? For god's sake at least have a little intellectual honesty.
If life is that great now, why are you driving by your ex-boyfriend's house, seeing if he's home Friday night? Essentially, that's what you're doing here.
Don't kid yourself that you're watching the train wreck, or sharing your escape story to the people still in the Stalag.
What you're doing is no more mentally healthy than the little girl who wants to know why he didn't love her, hoping he's as miserable without her as she is without him on that Friday night.
You HAVEN'T moved on. Moving on means not going back for another punch.
Oh, and as far as trolling? Who's the more likely troll - me, or someone trying to convince the masses that they should leave GCI and start their own thing? What serves corporate more? I would think that anything encouraging expensive and high-severance-cost employees to leave on their own actually helps out the bottom line more.
No, no corporate-paid commenter here. Loved my paper, loved my bosses. Never met anyone important enough to be called corporate, they never visited composing. Just an ex-graphic artist who still wishes she had a job, and I know I haven't moved on.
You haven't either. How sad for you that you can't admit it.
So the two business owners won't identify what their new businesses and heaven forbid who they are. One answered, it would stifle the dialogue. pleeeeeease!
ReplyDeleteThey have no new businesses. We should stop wasting time by indulging their fantasies.
ReplyDeleteFailure to ID them means they don't exist.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing nice post. i have been looking information on Week Jan. 10-16 | Your News & Comments: Part 3 . This discussion has slove my concern to a great extent. i am very grateful.
ReplyDeleteRemove ComplaintsBoard.com