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Monday, May 16, 2011
49 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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For Part 1 of this comment thread, please go here.
ReplyDeleteThe following was an introduction to Cincinnati.com Metro mix gallery featuring 37 photos of women in bikinis from such close by places as Denver (That's not even a Gannett city). What is distressing is the condescending language.
ReplyDeleteIs this the new Gannett brand. The NYT is all the news that's fit to print." What's the new Gannett brand. "Baring all the boobs we can?"
Here's how the gallery was touted on the web site.
Photos of babes in bikinis (and as little text as humanly possible)
And the Pulitzer goes to… this gallery, for collecting some of Metromix's choicest beach and pool party pics of bikini-clad ladies, from Palm Springs to the Jersey Shore and beyond. As summer approaches, we'll be adding more photos for your perusal. You're so welcome.
You're going to criticize a bikini photo gallery and not even include the link? What kind of reporting is that?
ReplyDeleteCraig Dubow #6 on Mother Jones' 10 CEOs Who Got Rich By Squeezing Workers
ReplyDeletehttp://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/05/ceo-executive-pay-layoffs
So where is My Boss with all of today's CP news. Cat got your Digital tongue?
ReplyDeleteGlad someone from Cincy checked in because they have a huge scandal there involving the SEC investigation of Fifth-Third Bank, which is on that list of the top 10 weakest stocks. Fifth-Third is headquartered in Cincy, but all that has appeared on the front page of the Enquirer involving this investigation is one paragraph. That's right, major bank and financial institution in town under investigation and its stock tanked, and it gets one graf. But we have someone who went to the effort of putting together a display of what I agree are the hottest bikinis.
ReplyDelete5/16/2011 5:42 PM
ReplyDeleteThe Enquirer would never criticize Fifth Third. They've been doing fluff pieces for years. Fifth Third could have caused the mortgage crisis and the Enquirer would have been reporting about a new branch opening in the suburbs.
5:54 Well Fifth Third is going under, as that CNN story indicates. One might think this should make a good story for the local newspaper, since I know there are thousands of local jobs at stake. Once again they are putting their country club/business connections ahead of a hell of a good local story of bankers that done wrong, as the SEC investigation will show. Given this administration's cozy relationships with the banks, even having an investigation shows how serious it is.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows that Margaret Buchanan's hubbie used to work at Fifth Third and that she cozies up to 5/3 execs every chance she gets at the Chamber of Commerce, 3CDC and every other business and non-profit group she belongs to. The Enquirer was also a business partner with 5/3 in a venture called cincylifemoney, but looks like it died without an announcement. It does live on in Youtube.
ReplyDeleteThis is typical of Gannett newspapers. Don't bother looking for real news on businesses in the communities they cover. The only public service journalism my paper even bothers with is related to government. Why? Because government entities are easy targets that don't do much advertising. Do a critical story on a local business and they'll pull their ads. Gannett wants none of that.
ReplyDelete5/16/2011 7:36 PM
ReplyDeleteHow true. Bob Dickey and his entourage land in Cincinnati tomorrow to talk about public service journalism. Interesting to note that a couple of business writers are attending, but no one from Metro except the politics editor is invited and Carol Washburn was reviewing questions from reporters to ensure they were appropriate. Looks like it will be a wonderful exchange of ideas and a deep discussion on public service journalism. Will anyone even mention Fifth Third. I don't think the two biz reporters will
Excuse me 4:33pm...
ReplyDeleteDenver is in fact a big Gannett City. It's home to one of the most successful local news in television, KUSA 9 News. Probably one of Gannett's more profitable TV station.
Our slogan could be "All the shit that's fit to print!"
ReplyDeleteJim, where are your sources?
ReplyDeleteDickey along with new heads of Marketing and Digital traveling this week to a few markets, Indianapolis and Rochester today.
Layoffs coming in June. The lists are being created as we speak. Somebody asked for proof of this. Don't know how to show proof but lists are due this week.
Don't know if it was lost in the crash, but My Boss last week reported layoffs looming. I think we all knew this, but not the details.
ReplyDeleteJim's entourage of braying morons is out and about here.
ReplyDelete9:11, shut the hell up. You posted this same rumor in at least one other thread. You have no proof, only B.S. Go away now. Somewhere another message board is missing your useless contributions.
9:35,
ReplyDeleteEasy now. What proof would you accept? The whole thing makes me sick, but it's true. I'm sure one of jim's trusted sources can confirm this.
9:35
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a Gannett holdout. Still praying to God that your beloved Gannett will keep you employed because you are one of the gifted ones who has performed above and beyond for so long.
Face the facts, layoffs are coming .Roll the dice ,spin the wheel to see if you are one chosen lucky ones to get the ax.
That's what most are hoping for but obviously not you.You haven't prepared have you ?
9:46, I know layoffs are coming. Just hope you can sleep at night and hope for the day it happens to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how most departments can even function if Gannett lays off more people. Most departments are so under staffed it takes me back to the sweat shops that most unions fought against. I have a 20 something co-worker and this person told me how stressed this person was today. This is a happy, intelligent person Gannett wants to retain yet this person is ready to leave Gannett for a company that actually employs enough people to get the job done and stay competitive. What in the world is this company thinking? The more people you lose the less competitive you become. How can the top executives be so selfish to only care about themselves and their bonuses and not the company or it's extremely hard working, under paid, employees.
ReplyDelete9:42, how about something like a source? Or something more specific than "layoffs are coming"?
ReplyDelete10:27 - GANNETT actually pays competitively. That however is not enough to keep good people that are stressed and stretched too far. They ship is sinking.
ReplyDelete10:36
ReplyDeleteI learned about the lay offs from my Publisher. I'm not going to reveal who that person is but it is common knowledge among OC members.
Heard through the grape vine that Dicky and company will be visiting under performing properties in the near future.
ReplyDeleteWhat do they hope to accomplish with site visits? They have shit ass backwards! Give love to the top performers instead of creating "fear".
ReplyDeletewhen will they start layoffs,anyone?
ReplyDeleteI am want to leave on my own suggestion & let them know so that i can leave & get unemployment,for now
Re:11:08. That's already started, they were in Tucson last week!
ReplyDeleteMore rearranging of the deck chairs in the USA Today newsroom today.
ReplyDelete(Word verification: trend. How very prescient!)
11:08...does that include a stop at the ivory tower? The single most underperforming site in the company. Think global- act local!
ReplyDeleteWhy do so many (or just one very annoying person) keep going on and on and on about layoffs? "does anyone know when the layoffs will happen"
ReplyDeleteDuh! they've been happening, are happening, and will continue to happen.
You won't see an announcement. There won't be a mass slaughter you can see coming your way. One day there will just be a few less people at your site.
That's how it will happen, and it will continue to happen that way until the ship sinks.
The Cincinnati situation is amusing, but not surprising. Editor Carolyn Washburn gave a major company in Boise the opportunity to read and change a story when she was editor there. That made her golden in GannettLand. Then in Des Moines, she had editors clear with her and then rehearse anything they would say in conversations with visiting Gannett executives.
ReplyDelete9:11 A layoff list was being built last month at at least one newspaper in the West Group, according to one of my readers who has been very accurate in the past.
ReplyDeleteI was not told what the timetable might be for any layoffs there, nor was I told the percentage of employees subject to possible layoff. It's worth noting that this newspaper is in an especially economically challenged market, so it's not clear whether any layoffs in the weeks ahead would just be out West -- or more broadly across the company.
Keep in mind, however, that Wall Street is forecasting more overall revenue declines across Gannett through the end of this year. That suggests still more cost-cutting to shore up profits.
11:13PM... They don't know any other way to rule but by fear.
ReplyDeleteWe are now is permanent layoff mode. When this started, I thought it would only be one-shot and it would be over when the economy recovered. But the economy for newspapers hasn't recovered, and for the general economy is very anemic. The only way to stop this is bankruptcy, which would give corporate breathing room to reorganize and downsize properly. Bankruptcy would also clear out the entire execuive suite and bring in new blood, which is what I think most people here want.
ReplyDeleteP.S. If you have any money left in GCI stocks, take heed. Stockholders are wiped out in bankruptcy.
The cancelation of public sevice journalism is not unique and now is an established trend. Gannett led the way amid words contrary. Now we see the Most Wanted show canceled, something clearly doing good for all but plagued by falling short on profits. Clearly, media orgs will not subsidize public service. This is the real American Tragedy. Gannett ongoing newsroom cuts may preserve some public service work, but only by individuals left who will DONATE their time for stuff that matters.
ReplyDeleteWhat corporate isn't telling us _ and will never tell us _ is that it's all over for this company. Look at the collapse in revenues if you don't believe me. Eventually these cuts and consolidations are going to come to the point where there's not enough staff to produce and deliver a newspaper. Each round of cuts results in lower revenues, which produces more cuts. They got on this merry-go-round and now can't get off.
ReplyDeleteTwo layoffs in Lafayette, La. One in edit, one in pre-press.
ReplyDeleteI can only say,as former manager,that i hope
ReplyDeletethat all current employees have their plan for departure in order.The stress at each site must be tremendous by now.I left in late 2009 and it
was already very bad.I could rarely sleep ,as the pressure to make budget mounted on a weekly basis.I had a plan.I left on my own terms.
I set a date to leave,had my office packed and ready,my co-workers said good-by and on a Friday
Iwas gone. It hit me during the week-end,but by Monday ,I was relieved to be gone.
I took a week off,then began my new career.
I hope you can all live again away from Gannett.The ridiculous, stressfull, torturous lifestyle that has been created by their constant threats of layoffs is something that no
one should put up with.Make a plan if you haven't already and get the hell out !
The final four of Dancing with the Stars and Trump quits presidential race. Wow, do I ever want to read USA Today.
ReplyDelete@8:35 a.m.: another La. person here--what job in edit, and was it today or earlier in the week?
ReplyDeleteYesterday, 3:14 PM commented on the quality of the writing on this blog - "Is this someone who should be working at a communications company?"
ReplyDeleteOther posters took the Anonymous poster to task, but let me add my two cents.
Writing in America is generally getting poorer. This is somewhat surprising given the increase in the amount of writing people are actually doing - texting, Twittering, emailing, etc.
However, the proliferation of poor writing is more visible given the Internet platform accessible to anyone with a few bucks for a computer and Internet access. Heck, there are libraries; you don't need your own computer.
This blog offers a valuable outlet for people of all skills to share information about a company they have in common, for whatever reason. Not every position requires excellent communication skills, nor does everyone actually care if they use proper grammar (that, BTW, is the fault of their school, not Gannett or Jim Hopkins). If you understand their message, however much you might deplore the way it's expressed, then they have achieved their goal of communicating with you.
Let's now give the grammar thread a rest. Thanks.
9:12 well said
ReplyDeleteVery magnanimous, 9:12.
ReplyDeleteBut it's still difficult for a copy editor not to wince at times.
Attacking other readers' spelling, grammar, etc., is too often an effort to divert attention from the facts. I'm not fooled.
ReplyDeleteAll of the pain being inflicted on the papers and stations relate back to the fact that Gannett is nothing more than a vehicle for upper management and chosen (ring-wearing) publishers to enrich themselves. It was never about journalism, although some papers had their moments. It was never about the employees. The papers have no chance of survival as long as they have to remit a large percentage of their profit to corporate to fritter away on unnecessary executives and bad investments. At the rate they're going, we'll be top-heavy with high-paid brass overseeing bare-bones operations. What kind of company does that?
ReplyDeleteThe G A N N E T T Way: Suck the community papers dry to bolster corporate's bloated salaries, bonuses and pensions.
ReplyDeleteG A N N E T T is all about Dubow, Martore, Dickey, Hunke, et al getting rich while the workers get the proverbial shaft.
Thanks 10:17 am - I wince too and I'm NOT a copy editor.
ReplyDeleteGood article in USA TODAY's Money section on Facebook security settings. Then I saw the byline....Detroit? Are you kidding? We don't have people to write this stuff or is the Arnold story sucking-up all the resources.
ReplyDeleteHeard of another re-org in USAT Marketing: Jeff Wilks is returning and this time he's not kidding around.
ReplyDelete