Sunday, February 13, 2011

In new layoff round, 116 jobs reported at 15 sites

[Updated at 12:49 p.m. ET on Feb. 13.]

For several days, readers have been posting reports of more job reductions, following the November round that claimed an estimated 253 jobs at 63 worksites. One report came Friday from Anonymous@2:24 p.m., who wrote: "Some real news: Two veteran employees (40 years-plus) and possibly several others were 'retired' or led out the door today at the Democrat and Chronicle."

There appear to be enough of these to warrant building another list. But I need your help. I've created a spreadsheet that now includes an estimated 116 jobs eliminated at 15 worksites. Even if you've already reported a recent layoff, please do so again, in the comment section, below. As you do, I'll update the spreadsheet.

This isn't limited to the U.S. newspapers; I'm counting all jobs at all divisions, including broadcasting. Please don't let these layoffs go unreported.

Related: November's site-by-site list of cuts

74 comments:

  1. Please report information in the following format. Also, possible, indicate whether the jobs were cut through a layoff of employees, or by eliminating a vacant position.

    Rochester: 2 employees laid off

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  2. Knowing which department and what the position was would be helpful, too. Say there are no newsroom cuts. Or say (suuurrre) the two cuts in Rochester are the publisher and the VP of Advertising. These bits of information give a much better picture of the overall health/direction/etc. of the company.

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  3. Jim,
    I tried to read your spreadsheet, but it says I do not have permission. I am a former Gannett slave; laid off in Aug. 2009. I am just wondering about the site numbers.

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  4. Binghamton, Elmira, Ithaca: 6.

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  5. Some of you have had trouble accessing my current spreadsheet. I believe I've now fixed the problem. Sorry about any confusion.

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  6. No cuts at GCI Corporate in Tysons? What's wrong with this picture - is Mother Martore protecting her own???

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  7. Rochester total appears to be significantly higher than just 2. Newsroom still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

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  8. Day/date of layoffs, or in what time period, would also be helpful. 5:23 p.m., amy more details?

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  9. CHERRY HILL AT LEAST 11 LAST WEEK

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  10. Another scraping at the DnC ...

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  11. Six layoffs across Binghamton/Elmira/Ithaca? Which departments, and at which sites?

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  12. 11 People total and 2 vacant positions in Indy

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  13. 2 in Westchester (finance)

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  14. 16 Gannett Magazine Group and Special Interest Media, Phoenix and related. Started in January to finish in late February

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  15. "No cuts at GCI Corporate in Tysons? What's wrong with this picture - is Mother Martore protecting her own???"

    MM did did not make any of the corporate staff take furloughs either. I guess the bring in to much revenue.

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  16. 5 in MNCO.

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  17. I was also unable to update the spreadsheet, so here you go:

    Bucyrus, Ohio, plus all NNCO
    2
    one Finance, at Group Office, and 1 Marketing at Newark Advocate

    Someone had posted three more for NNCO, or MNCO, but I don't know anything about them.

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  18. Update 9:01 am - these were layoffs, not vacancies that disappeared.

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  19. Can someone verify the crystal palace does not have to take furloughs? Getcha pitchforks ready!

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  20. Tallahassee: 1 laid off

    classified manager, about a month ago.

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  21. I'd love to know who the two 40-year veterans were at the Democrat and Chronicle. I'm a former Gannetter who worked in Rochester and Ithaca. The layoffs have been killing me.

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  22. Lansing, four.

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  23. Rochester: 2 laid off

    James Manetta: Director Circ/Operations - 30+yrs.

    Dawn B. Single Copy Admin Asst. - Many yrs.

    Any info on others? Please post....

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  24. Why ISN'T GCI Crystal Palace having cuts/furloughs???

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  25. 9:27 The only people taking furloughs at the Crystal Palace are Craig Dubow, Gracia Martore and Bob Dickey.

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  26. Jim:

    Do you wonder whether Gannett would resort to trying to shut down Gannett Blog due to its disruptive nature to the company's strategic plan? If GM made the case that Gannett Blog torpedoed the CafeMom deal, or that My Boss has had an affect on hiring or retention, would that be cause to try to shut the Blog down?

    I know that Yahoo faced lawsuits based on anonymous posting. Is it possible here?

    BTW... still enjoy the Blog very much,

    Thanks.

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  27. Wilmington,Delaware, The News Journal:

    1 in IT, 1 in HR, 2 in advertising, 1 in mailroom,
    1 Administrative Assistant.

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  28. Six total as of this Friday, Feb.11
    in Wilmington, Del.

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  29. More than 2 layoffs in Rochester. In addition to the two that 1:27 mentioned, a senior member of the IT staff was let go.

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  30. Furloughs were implemented in the USCP division only. Headquarters is not in the USCP division.

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  31. Also, The Arizona Republic was exempted from furloughs because KPNX-TV was moving into the Republic's building. You'd think that corporate would be targeting "efficiences" there.

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  32. 11:02am - What positions in Lansing? Thanks.

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  33. Advertising will be the hardest hit......

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  34. One (1) finance employee in Nashville with over 44 years of service. Announcement was made 2 weeks ago.

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  35. I think there should be department specific forums if possible with regards to layoffs. That way people in those areas can keep abreast of the direction things are heading (obviously down:( ) but more importantly how swift some of the actions are taking place. Finance would be a good example of that since they are farming out so many duties to the shared centers.

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  36. There were only 5 in Wilmington. The HR postion reported was a somewhat voluntary departure. DS didn't feel like reappling for her job. You know you're in trouble when the hatchet lady says... "screw this place" i'm outta here.

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  37. I agree with a couple posters above. Why the heck is corporate being spared layoffs?
    Newswatch, for example, used to be a source of good information for Gannett newsrooms. There were tips and lots of examples of good work.
    Now days, Newswatch content stays the same for months and months at a time. And when something is posted, it's usually quarterly contest results.
    Come on now, how many people does it take to do so little? Is what's left of Newswatch really needed?
    I'd rather see the money spent on that shifted to reporter salaries at two or three small papers. That's where the help's really needed.
    What other corporate wasters can you name?

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  38. Don't forget that any site with open positions loses them as part of the layoffs so those should count as bodies.

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  39. Anonymous said...

    There were only 5 in Wilmington. The HR postion reported was a somewhat voluntary departure. DS didn't feel like reappling for her job. You know you're in trouble when the hatchet lady says... "screw this place" i'm outta here.

    Just because this person didn't reapply for her job does not mean there was an opening, which there wasn't. She took the honorable way out — not being told to get out and did it on her own terms, which is what most of us would like to do. There were only so many positions, she choose to let the others keep their jobs. Rather honorable if you ask me.

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  40. She wasn't a hatchet lady. She did what she was told, as we all do. She was a very dedicated hard worker and none of us should judge someone unless we are in the position to do so. She was a professional until the end. I hope we all can do the same. Never let Gannett steal your soul. It's only a job, not your life.

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  41. Wilmington since November: Publisher's AA mysteriously retires, Production VP (AF) leaves for another job and takes AA (KH)with her, Publisher (CR)retires, many doubting voluntarily. IT Director (JR) retires,Customer Serv Mgr (BC) is promoted to IT Director. HR employees have to reapply for jobs, Sr HR Specialist(DS)decides to leave. Furloughs announced followed by layoffs Thurs -Front Lobby Receptionist(FB),Financial Analyst& Preprint Coordinator (KF),Design and Support person (TT)and Finance Clerk (SD),not sure if any others

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  42. USCP corporate employees did have furloughs.

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  43. Lansing: most printing plant/production people, I've been told.

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  44. Pensacola just went live with the GPC. I'm sure there were some graphic artists laid off. Can anyone confirm?

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  45. While all (well, most) of the Wilmington moves described by 9:35 are accurate, it's clear the poster has no insider knowledge. The publisher's AA "mysteriously" retires. Could it be because she knew he was retiring a month later and had long-term plans to go out when he did? Not everything is conspiracy...

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  46. 5 for sure in Rochester - 1 Prepress/production, 1 circ director, 1 adv manager, 1 IT and 1 ops Admin.

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  47. 11:13pm - May your God have mercy on your souls. GPC is the work of the anti-christ.

    Ok, maybe not that bad, but a close second.

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  48. Can we here from markets already using GPC on how the transitions went and what it meant for local production teams? We are close to moving over to..

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  49. the GPC is an absolute nightmare...good loca designers are traded in for mediocre ones that could care less if they do it wrong or not...but, while your ppl are getting you prepared for the switch - Gannett will tell you how "extensive" the GPC training is before a designer is allowed to work for the GPC...yeah right...just be prepared for long nites accompanied with tension headaches...

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  50. *local - not "loca" LOL...sorry

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  51. @12:11

    11:13 Here--I'm not at Pensacola, just heard through the grapevine that they went live in the past few weeks. Our site is due for the switch soon though. I just wondered how many were laid off from Pensacola.

    In fact, it would be nice to know how many artists have been laid off so far and how many are expected to be laid off when this is over. Strangely, this information seems nowhere to be found.

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  52. @12:55

    At our site we went from 11 designers to 3 when we switched to the GPC. The 3 are now doing the work of 11 because of lousy work coming back from the GPC.

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  53. Manitowoc — the paper that shares an executive editor, advertising director and circulation manager with Sheboygan — started 2011 with a salaried sports editor, hourly sports reporter and a part timer. Now the paper is down to one full time reporter and a part timer. The Sheboygan sports editor runs both sports desks, sometimes laying out the paper in Sheboygan, then driving up to Manitowoc to finish the sports section up there after the Sheboygan deadline.

    This all took place after the entire sports department handed in their two-weeks notice in a span of a month.

    The quality of the paper can be summed up in the latest WNA awards. It got two reporting awards, both third places, and both reporters that won the awards are now gone.

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  54. Jim- a poster made a good suggestion. Can we have different areas to blog about? I'm in advertising and I've always wanted to be able to ask others if what I have to deal with is the same everywhere.

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  55. If 11 more went from cherry hill, who is left? Where were these cuts made?

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  56. @3:16PM

    Gannetoid's forums are set up like that.

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  57. 3:16 Unfortunately, the blogging software I use here doesn't have an option for creating forums. As 4:07 notes, Gannettoid (note, the name has two "t's") offers these kind of forums.

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  58. 3:44, there are plenty more at the courier post left who should be gone. The advertising dept is still loaded with unproductive losers who, for what ever reasons, are still there.

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  59. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  60. Really, 7:32? If you don't like Jim or his blog, don't come here. Stupid, childish comment.

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  61. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  62. What's the severance package this time around?

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  63. Jim: please remove 8:22pm comment. We don't need their garbage on this blog.

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  64. Anonymou said... what buyout it is throwout and another 60 drivers in westchester gone after march 31 2011

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  65. Anonymous said... westchester site in my opinion will be sold another down size near.

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  66. There is no "severance package" other than the TPP that's been in effect since the 2009 layoffs.
    Sort of a disincentive to look too hard for a new job right away .......

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  67. Any cuts anticipated in Westchester news these days? It would seem that as the circ continues to fall that the number of editors and reporters would have to fall as well.

    And what about the Putnam and Rockland offices? They're shedding readers as fast as Westchester.

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  68. here are 2 job postings that should make everyone feel better:

    Gannett Digital is shoveling out the cash to bring in contractors to clean up the mess that is Highschoolsports.net.

    And no, the dollar amounts are NOT typos....

    http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=ILGM0B&ff=21&APath=2.21.21.0.0&job_did=J8D5HN79QVD8CPCLP3D

    http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=QHKCV0A&ff=21&APath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=J8A3516TJSJ81PKJQ61

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  69. @4:14 - OMG!!! (and if i could get that OMG bigger, i would...lol) $100/hr?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

    Hire ONE of them so they can rid of TEN of us....

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  70. Springfield lost one IT person

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  71. Jackson, MS: at least 3 employees laid off. The 3 confirmed were in marketing & advertising.

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  72. @2:05 - was that management or us minions?

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  73. 2:05 here. 2 managers (one of them OC-level) and 1 staff member of the OC-level manager.

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  74. @2:05 - thanks for replying :)

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Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

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