More news of the weird: Not only is Tennessean hiring (to fill CP and CB's spots)just weeks after the latest layoff bloodbath, it also brought in new reporter who accepted job before the layoffs but didn't start until afterward. Go figure.
Following up on: Re: 7:08. "Respectfully, the Philadelphia inquirer never made a real run for south jersey for the purpose of taking out the courier-post. The inky is a far superior product in all ways except its south jersey news section. They put out what they call a south jersey edition but it is laughable. Most often it has more non-jersey news. What is it that the inky does not understand about how to "take" south jersey suburbs?"
My point is that the Inquirer's expansion into south NJ has been a failure, but it didn't have to be. There was tremendous potential to be the dominant news source for the eastern suburbs of Philly located in NJ. I remember the big hiring spree the Inquirer went on when it expanded in south NJ. Then the paper fell apart, so of course the whole south NJ experiment did too. But there was a tremendous opportunity there.
It's something worth exploring, actually - and something I don't hear much discussion about - the possibility that existing non-Gannett papers could expand and snuff out the weakened skeletons of existing Gannett properties. Is a old-fashioned newspaper war so impossible in this day and age?
Just as an aside Jim. Shouldn't you update your profile on the right? " ... now launching a second journalism career online." How long you been doing this? I'd say the launch is launched at this point, bro.
Part of the failure of the Philadelphia inquirer in south nj can be laid squarely on the shoulders of those former courier-post people who went to work for the.inquirer.
And you are 95% troll 3:46. The venom is directed toward the people at the top running this company into the ground and being paid handsomely for it. make sure you get your $5 check from corporate for bashing Jim.
3:55 you prove my point! Someone disagrees and you attack. There is no dialogue here. Read the posts on any string; all you see are female managers called Barbies, Comments about a female leaders hair, comments that managers are stupid, and on and on. Gossip, attacks and sexism. Jim won a Mirror AwRd fir his work on the Newseum. Thats journalism. Calling a woman a Barbie, not so much. And your professional retort? I'm a troll and should collect my $5! Yep that's journalism.
"1:13 calling this Blog a journalism site is like calling TMZ a hard hitting news site ..."
That's "dialogue"?
Besides, TMZ has broken more than its share of strong news -- in the area it specializes in. In case you haven't grasped onto the general concept of this blog, it's more driven by crowdsourcing reporting than Jim's. Even though Jim does very fine reporting on this site.
Even that said, a blog is not journalism in its purist sense. Even someone like you, I'm sure, can understand that.
Jim - nice summary of N.J consolidation disaster. When USAT was launched, it was derisively called McPaper. Now GANNETT is bleeding out so badly that everything is a McPaper and there's not enough journalism to make a digital future viable.
I wish with all my heart these decision makers would sit on the phone for a few weeks and try to sell the paper to our former subscribers. I wish they could hear the responses we hear over and over daily. "They cut content and raised the price. I'm elderly and I don't like the internet, why am I charged for website access? All the paper covers is the same national stories as everyone else, there's no local news! Why can't I just order sundays only? My delivery was outsourced and now it's terrible! I can't even see the print anymore! ...etc..."
We talk about it to our supervisors. When we had visits from wisconsin heads we brought up these issues, argued for our customers, and word for word they (well he, can't remember his name sadly) said,"Well we don't really want those kinds of subscribers, do we?"
I could not believe my ears. They don't understand what their market is looking for at all.
I wish with all my heart these decision makers would sit on the phone for a few weeks and try to sell the paper to our former subscribers. I wish they could hear the responses we hear over and over daily. "They cut content and raised the price. I'm elderly and I don't like the internet, why am I charged for website access? All the paper covers is the same national stories as everyone else, there's no local news! Why can't I just order sundays only? My delivery was outsourced and now it's terrible! I can't even see the print anymore! ...etc..."
We talk about it to our supervisors. When we had visits from wisconsin heads we brought up these issues, argued for our customers, and word for word they (well he, can't remember his name sadly) said,"Well we don't really want those kinds of subscribers, do we?"
I could not believe my ears. They don't understand what their market is looking for at all.
Does anyone know if a Gannett employee ends up on long-term disability, can they also get their retirement? It's someone who has worked for Gannett for a long time and has the old pension plan that was frozen sometime back along with the 401K. The person is on short-term disability now but I'm not sure she'll be able to go back to work after that runs out. If she qualifies, can she collect the Gannett long-term disability and Social Security Disability? Of course, she will work with HR but with all the uncertainty on how folks are being treated, would like to have some ideas on what to expect before making those contacts.
I used to blame the fact that the Monroe CPC admitted they had no time to proof pages for all the typos/errors in The (Shreveport) Times. But truthfully, much of the fault lies with the reporters who should at least do a spellcheck of their work before sending to section editors, who are also to blame for so many errors. C'mon guys - take pride in your work, try to retain some crediblity with your readers and turn in clean copy because you can be assured, the days of a copy editor doing anything other than slapping it on a page are over.
5:46: The time stamp on the main story on same sex marriage on the Democrat and Chronicle site is 3:48 p.m., and earlier in the day there was a different story up on the site on the topic with the Niagara Falls weddings.
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."
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
More news of the weird: Not only is Tennessean hiring (to fill CP and CB's spots)just weeks after the latest layoff bloodbath, it also brought in new reporter who accepted job before the layoffs but didn't start until afterward. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteFollowing up on: Re: 7:08. "Respectfully, the Philadelphia inquirer never made a real run for south jersey for the purpose of taking out the courier-post. The inky is a far superior product in all ways except its south jersey news section. They put out what they call a south jersey edition but it is laughable. Most often it has more non-jersey news. What is it that the inky does not understand about how to "take" south jersey suburbs?"
ReplyDeleteMy point is that the Inquirer's expansion into south NJ has been a failure, but it didn't have to be. There was tremendous potential to be the dominant news source for the eastern suburbs of Philly located in NJ. I remember the big hiring spree the Inquirer went on when it expanded in south NJ. Then the paper fell apart, so of course the whole south NJ experiment did too. But there was a tremendous opportunity there.
It's something worth exploring, actually - and something I don't hear much discussion about - the possibility that existing non-Gannett papers could expand and snuff out the weakened skeletons of existing Gannett properties. Is a old-fashioned newspaper war so impossible in this day and age?
Just as an aside Jim. Shouldn't you update your profile on the right? " ... now launching a second journalism career online." How long you been doing this? I'd say the launch is launched at this point, bro.
ReplyDeletePart of the failure of the Philadelphia inquirer in south nj can be laid squarely on the shoulders of those former courier-post people who went to work for the.inquirer.
ReplyDelete1:13 It's a very s-l-o-o-o-w launch.
ReplyDelete1:13 calling this Blog a journalism site is like calling TMZ a hard hitting news site. It's 95% venom Bro!!
ReplyDeleteAnd you are 95% troll 3:46. The venom is directed toward the people at the top running this company into the ground and being paid handsomely for it. make sure you get your $5 check from corporate for bashing Jim.
ReplyDelete3:55 you prove my point! Someone disagrees and you attack. There is no dialogue here. Read the posts on any string; all you see are female managers called Barbies, Comments about a female leaders hair, comments that managers are stupid, and on and on. Gossip, attacks and sexism. Jim won a Mirror AwRd fir his work on the Newseum. Thats journalism. Calling a woman a Barbie, not so much. And your professional retort? I'm a troll and should collect my $5! Yep that's journalism.
ReplyDelete"1:13 calling this Blog a journalism site is like calling TMZ a hard hitting news site ..."
ReplyDeleteThat's "dialogue"?
Besides, TMZ has broken more than its share of strong news -- in the area it specializes in. In case you haven't grasped onto the general concept of this blog, it's more driven by crowdsourcing reporting than Jim's. Even though Jim does very fine reporting on this site.
Even that said, a blog is not journalism in its purist sense. Even someone like you, I'm sure, can understand that.
4:32 "even someone like you" nuff said
ReplyDeleteIt's stunning that on this historic day, there is not a peep about gay marriage on the website of the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester.
ReplyDelete5:46 it's there. Once again a citizen journalist is wrong.
ReplyDelete6:00 You mean the blog by the state reporter, with no content from the scene in Rochester this morning? Fail.
ReplyDelete"4:32 "even someone like you" nuff said ..."
ReplyDeleteDid I miss something? Did CD increase the pay for trolls to $15 a post now? Does the 4:32 posting count for the full $15? If so, sweet deal!
Oh, look! There's the gay marriage story from Rochester. Thanks to whoever is reading this for taking action.
ReplyDelete6:42 see, disagree and you're a Troll. I guess this is a place for unhappy people only. Sorry I thought anyone could come here.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWell, there is no other information available save for Gannettblog. You know what that tells me? Warsaw 1943.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJim - nice summary of N.J consolidation disaster. When USAT was launched, it was derisively called McPaper. Now GANNETT is bleeding out so badly that everything is a McPaper and there's not enough journalism to make a digital future viable.
ReplyDeleteI wish with all my heart these decision makers would sit on the phone for a few weeks and try to sell the paper to our former subscribers. I wish they could hear the responses we hear over and over daily. "They cut content and raised the price. I'm elderly and I don't like the internet, why am I charged for website access? All the paper covers is the same national stories as everyone else, there's no local news! Why can't I just order sundays only? My delivery was outsourced and now it's terrible! I can't even see the print anymore! ...etc..."
ReplyDeleteWe talk about it to our supervisors. When we had visits from wisconsin heads we brought up these issues, argued for our customers, and word for word they (well he, can't remember his name sadly) said,"Well we don't really want those kinds of subscribers, do we?"
I could not believe my ears. They don't understand what their market is looking for at all.
I wish with all my heart these decision makers would sit on the phone for a few weeks and try to sell the paper to our former subscribers. I wish they could hear the responses we hear over and over daily. "They cut content and raised the price. I'm elderly and I don't like the internet, why am I charged for website access? All the paper covers is the same national stories as everyone else, there's no local news! Why can't I just order sundays only? My delivery was outsourced and now it's terrible! I can't even see the print anymore! ...etc..."
ReplyDeleteWe talk about it to our supervisors. When we had visits from wisconsin heads we brought up these issues, argued for our customers, and word for word they (well he, can't remember his name sadly) said,"Well we don't really want those kinds of subscribers, do we?"
I could not believe my ears. They don't understand what their market is looking for at all.
Does anyone know if a Gannett employee ends up on long-term disability, can they also get their retirement? It's someone who has worked for Gannett for a long time and has the old pension plan that was frozen sometime back along with the 401K. The person is on short-term disability now but I'm not sure she'll be able to go back to work after that runs out. If she qualifies, can she collect the Gannett long-term disability and Social Security Disability? Of course, she will work with HR but with all the uncertainty on how folks are being treated, would like to have some ideas on what to expect before making those contacts.
ReplyDeleteI used to blame the fact that the Monroe CPC admitted they had no time to proof pages for all the typos/errors in The (Shreveport) Times. But truthfully, much of the fault lies with the reporters who should at least do a spellcheck of their work before sending to section editors, who are also to blame for so many errors. C'mon guys - take pride in your work, try to retain some crediblity with your readers and turn in clean copy because you can be assured, the days of a copy editor doing anything other than slapping it on a page are over.
ReplyDelete5:46: The time stamp on the main story on same sex marriage on the Democrat and Chronicle site is 3:48 p.m., and earlier in the day there was a different story up on the site on the topic with the Niagara Falls weddings.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's Monday...one day closer to the inevitable breakup and individual sale of the chain's newspapers.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait.
It's almost within reach.
New buzz phrase for a smaller-NASA Brevard County:
ReplyDeleteNo longer the SPACE COAST.
Renamed the GHOST COAST!