Friday, April 08, 2011

USAT | Sex discrimination is the new Black

[Photos to hate: a blistering Feb. 6 cover story]

"If I were a guy, would I have had the pounding that I did? And the worst pictures!"

-- Cathie Black, the just-ousted head of New York City's public schools, in an interview today with Fortune's Patrica Sellers. Black was USA Today's president and then publisher for eight crucial years starting in 1983. "I'm a warrior," Black, 66, told Sellers, and she's ready to move on. "Different options to consider. I'm not in a rush."

23 comments:

  1. And once more: No, I cannot imagine her being lured back to USA Today -- even if she were asked.

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  2. To answer her question: yes, you would have received a pounding if you were a wealthy male retiree who had no background in education, sent your own children to private school, and lacked sufficient people skills to realize you couldn't approach this job like Jesus coming to evict the money lenders from the temple.
    P.S. She's the last thing we need. What does she know about technology other than her cell phone?

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  3. Maybe it had something to do with her lack of credentials, her near-total ignorance of the public school system, and her astoundingly poor public relations skills.

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  4. Cathie was brought to USAT by Al because he wanted someone who knew the NY ad agency scene and she was a very talented magazine executive. Didn't hurt that she was a pretty blonde.

    The Curley brothers squeezed her out (maybe because she would not put out for them) and she parachuted to NAA. Hearst brought her in to run their magazines and she did very, very well there.

    The NYC schools job was not the right move for her, obviously, but let's not trash her because she could not survive an incredibly vicious political scene there. It should be more of a black eye for Bloomberg, who didn't really prepare the city or Cathie for the move.

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  6. sorry but aren't these comments about her a bit out of line?

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  7. Comments about Black's qualifications for this position are completely on topic. I agree she did an amazing job connecting USAT to Madison Avenue and she essentially did the same for Hearst. It was hubris, hers and Bloomberg's that led them to believe experience and credentials weren't necessary to lead and manage the largest public school system in the country. Black failed because she wasn't qualified, period.

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  8. She looks like a man. She would fit in perfectly in the GMC!

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  9. Agree that some of these comments are inappropriate.

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  10. Pu-lease, someone at that level should know when they are totally unqualified for the job. She's not smart enough to realize she'll be raked over the coals for sending her kids to private schools? Bloomberg deserves whatever comments he gets also.

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  11. Bloomberg is getting a free ride on this if only because he's a Teflon mayor.

    Incidentally, when word came Thursday morning that Black was getting the sack all the Big 4 network affiliates in NYC broke into their daytime shows to report the story.

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  12. I didn't realize there was still so much interest in Black within the Gannett community; this post is one of the most clicked-on over the past 24 hours.

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  13. Be afraid David L. Hunke be very afraid.

    Black will demand a big axe to send L. Jones, T. Beusse, J. Wilkes and H. Frank back to the unemployment lines where David L. Hunke found them.

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  14. 5:27 No, no, no, no, no. Why would Black ever want to step back in time -- or work for Martore?

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  15. She would not have fit GMC. Gannett always gave her a Jag..

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  17. New York, New York4/09/2011 11:27 PM

    Note that the state educations commish, who gave Black the waiver for her lack of education credentials, also fell on his sword. Just a lesson, be careful who you pull strings for, because the next head on the block may be yours. hey with all that chutzpah, maybe Bloomie can replace Craigy.

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  18. Why is this post on Gannett Blog? Black hasn't worked at Gannett in decades. What's next a post about some VP from 1983?

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  19. 5:11 So do you use click data to determine what should be emphasized, and what not?

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  20. Yea. Let a man make a bizarre remark about "Sophie's Choice" to many Jewish parents. Let's see what happens to him in New York City!

    ...

    Oh, wait ....

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  21. Amusing that she would contend she was unfairly photographed. Many of us object to what we look like in photos, but unfortunately time does march on and she no longer looks like she once looked.

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  22. No disrespect, but she looks like Eve Arden from the old sitcom "The Mothers-in-laws"

    The resemblance is amazing!

    Has she ever tried acting?


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i9xCOUqxq8

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  23. Jim:

    In response to your post on 4/9 @ 5:11pm: could this thread be getting so much attention because those who have been on the receiving end of Gannett's "generosity" over the years want to see Gannett Leadership (regardless if it's Neuharth, Black, Curley, McCorkindale or the current regime)... just... fail? People wronged are eager to see anyone in a leadership position (usually very arrogant people) get their comeuppance?

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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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