"You have to take some big steps and you have to take some risks."
-- Publisher Dave Hunke, speaking to the Associated Press' Michael Liedtke in a new and not especially flattering story, "USA Today rewrites strategy to cope with Internet."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
24 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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This photo might as well be captioned: "I'm so sorry about your loss. Now, may I show you to our casket showroom?"
ReplyDeleteThe future: people getting paid content farm wages to produce advertorial.
ReplyDeleteCasket showroom. Ha. Fits perfectly with the death of newspapers.
ReplyDeleteWhat did Rudd Davis help David L. Hunke "see"? And whatever happened to Rudd Davis? Doesn't it seem unusual there is no mention in the story of the other boy-wonder hires that David L. Hunke has hired.
ReplyDeleteThe ap reporter is either young, a hack or a Robyn pence shill. Hal Ritter's standards sure have changed since he left usa today to runap biz op. He would never have allowed such flab in the old days. Also an error in story: Rudd davis is not responsible for the disaster known as the Your Life vertical. No one in Life even knows what he looks like.
ReplyDeleteHe may look like a mortician. But its a cut above dubows sartorial non style.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Jim. He does look like a funeral director!
ReplyDeleteYah, that photo sure conjures images of a colorful, dynamic, innovative media company. Maybe a little more gray would have toned it down a bit. Wake me up if the wax figure moves.
ReplyDeleteyeah, Jim, you're a real pro. Disagree all you want with Hunke's strategies, but don't do personal attacks! But since you clearly sanction them, you're a
ReplyDeletepompous ass.
Rudd Davis = Urkel
ReplyDeleteoh lighten up 7:40 pm. The expression, pose, lighting, all look like a funeral director. I've beent to the casket room several times on behalf of relatives & know whereof I speak. I don't think it's about Hunkie per se, just the overall effect.
ReplyDeleteFor your information: you might be violating copyright unless you have permission from AP for use of that photo. They may not enforce, but you should check.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said... westchester site IN THE FORK OF THE ROAD SQUEEZE AND STAGGERING AND STAGNANT. ON LIFE SUPPORT.
ReplyDeleteEase up on Hunke. I enjoyed working
ReplyDeletewith Dave for years in Cincinnati.
He was always thinking out of the box
and was interested in the opinions and ideas of others. He was thought to be fair and backed his staff. Good Luck Dave with the USA TODAY make-over.
Does anyone know what Hunke said at the meeting with USA Today staff a week or two ago? It apparently upset a lot of people.
ReplyDeletejimbo constantly violates copyright laws by using pictures he does not own or have permission for. It will be his downfall since now he's leveraging that content and his content to raise money. Enjoy Leavenworth...
ReplyDeleteHow about paying attention to what Hunke said instead of taking jabs at Jim? In effect, the genius publisher said he's turning USAT over to advertisers and PR agents. What's next? Maybe change the name to US Shopper Today?
ReplyDeleteI hope a pressman (like myself) doesn't know more about copyright than the posters here... or at least how to Google it, for crying out loud:
ReplyDeleteTitle 17 of the US Code includes Copyright Law. Chapter 1, Section 107: ..."the fair use of a copyrighted work, ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright."
And here is the most frightening graph: "Even as it publishes more stories aimed at attracting advertisers, USA Today is promising to produce more hard-hitting coverage from an expanded team of investigative reporters. The investigative unit now consists of nine reporters and editors compared with more than 30 people devoted to entertainment coverage."
ReplyDeleteAdvertising friendly stories takes me back to my first weekly when we'd be assigned "business stories" with purpose of wooing a potential advertiser. It never worked, since the paper (now defunct) gave away a huge piece of space for free and the business didn't buy that ad. Why advertise with a whore willing to give up the goods for nothing, to say nothing about the loss of creditbility with readers?
On the positive side, I think USAT will lend itself better to mobile and iPhone devices.
AP = Tom Curley = Gannett
ReplyDeleteHunks has eroded any semblance he may have had with seasoned journalists at Usat. They see through his tone deaf b.s. Editors may have to endure, but talented reporters are all but out the door.
ReplyDeleteTo David L. Hunke: it's the content, stupid.
ReplyDeleteHunke and Dubow could both model for "the dullest man in America" award.
ReplyDeleteThe scary thing is they're transforming USA Today into a "marketing tool" in which reporters are going to be writing for advertisers.
This is what the smallest of the small weeklies do when they "transform" into shoppers.
Doesn't someone have a complete breakdown of USATODAY newsroom? It is absurd that they wouldn't share that info.
ReplyDelete