In an interview this afternoon with The New York Times on her elevation to CEO, Gracia Martore would not comment on whether Gannett would be forced to lay off more workers in the near future, adding that it was still "a little too early to handicap where the economy will be for 2012."
In June, GCI laid off 700 U.S. newspaper employees. In a memo at the time, division President Bob Dickey said: "We will do all that we can to avoid further layoffs outside of those related to ongoing consolidations."
Related: The Wall Street Journal's story; USA Today's; The Washington Post's Associated Press version, and The Arizona Republic's.
In June, GCI laid off 700 U.S. newspaper employees. In a memo at the time, division President Bob Dickey said: "We will do all that we can to avoid further layoffs outside of those related to ongoing consolidations."
Related: The Wall Street Journal's story; USA Today's; The Washington Post's Associated Press version, and The Arizona Republic's.
buy groupon please! buy it cheap! or call google!
ReplyDeleteshe can't comment cause she does not know. if things stay the same or improve: probably no more layoffs. i apologize if i am just trying to be reasonable in an unreasonable world !
ReplyDeleteWhen a woman says No, she means no.
ReplyDeleteWhen a woman says I Don't Know, she means Yes.
If she can't forecast where the economy is going in 2012, she's not qualified to be in her position. We're heading into - if we aren't already in - a second recession. Granted many people thing we never pulled out, but the country actually saw a mild recovery. In 2012, things are poised to get worse and there are plenty of qualified people reporting this. Things look bad for the newspaper industry because it was in a tough spot even before the first recession hit. When the industry goes into the double dip, its really screwed.
ReplyDelete8:20 -- I'm sure she knows this, but saying, "Yeah, more layoffs are on the horizon," isn't the sort of thing a just-announced CEO wants printed in the New York Times.
We all know more layoffs are on the way. The only question is when they're coming and how many.
I love newspapers! I'm an ex-Gannett employee who left 2.5 years ago and today celebrated my second anniversary in my current non-newspaper related job. I have a question for those still keeping the industry alive- where do you see things going? Is any newspaper company thriving? I'm not a fan of Gannett management or of their clones at many newspapers. But the industry is shrinking and at an ever increasing pace. Anybody currently employed by Gannett or other papers should be actively seeking employment. There should be no question regarding layoffs as the work force will shrink with the industry and it should not take anybody by surprise. This blog has been wonderful for me and I know others as well. But I often worry that the tone of many seems to suggest a "recovery" of sorts which will not happen. Management may not be very good but they are managing a sinking ship that may morf into smaller boats but is sinking.
ReplyDeleteThe newspaper industry is dying and top executives like Martore are in a position to grab big bucks and spew bull as the ship does under. The news business (or news ecosystem, the phrase used by self-promoters who beg for foundation funding and need to show how kewl they are) does not have a large-scale sustainability model. Some decent startups; most are crap. Be glad you got out of the industry. Sadly, many more pros will be forced out in the near future.
ReplyDeleteFrom 10:26 I didn't mean to be mean spirited, I'm extremely thankful I have a job. And I as with many, am deeply saddened by the state of the newspaper industry and I as I'm sure many do, watch this blog as a way of staying connected to an industry and people I miss. As 11:02 mentioned, there's no sustainable model short of senior management buying time at any expense.
ReplyDeleteI agree that 10:26 is simply being candid (not at all mean) and that the rest of us in the industry must try to get out on our own terms before we're tossed like yesterday's paper. And 11:02 is correct about all of the small economic models not adding up to anything that can employ professionals at sustainable wages. Let's all do something good for ourselves this weekend and apply for a job in another industry. It takes a long time to get a full-time job these days.
ReplyDeleteIt's not too early for her to be asking for prelims into 1st quarter
ReplyDeleteA reader who prefers to be anonymous asked me to post the following comment:
ReplyDeleteMatore told the NYT: "We’re going to be on every platform that the consumer wants to access that information on."
How can she say that with a straight face when Gannett's own employees can't even access that information on multiple platforms? If reporters are issued a company cell phone at all, they're given a dumb phone that can barely text - no smartphones to speak of. Photographers and reporters in the field aren't being issued iPads or other tablets to file from - clunky three- and four-year-old laptops are the norm. We're being called upon to file more and more updates for the Web, but the vast majority of us can't access email when we're away from our desks. There are only a handful of wireless cards at my site, so we have to seek out wifi spots at McDonald's or Starbucks to send from. The few reporters who are tweeting and updating regularly from the field are having to use their own personal devices to do so. This is hypocrisy at its absolute worst.
The leader at the top should be a visionary not a number cruncher. BAD MOVE. BAD BAD MOVE.
ReplyDeleteWhy Anyone would think this is a good move is beyond me. Moratore will continue to rape the company until there is nothing left. Media is dead and everyone knows it, especially the number crunchers.
ReplyDeleteThe Arizona republic newspaper are full of balless peeps that refuse to speak their mind and stand up. It may be an Arizona thing or not but that is the plain truth and as long as Gannett has the "Greed Bug" they will keep bullying the workers of all their hard previous worker fought rights. I predict that they the company will tear apart this prestigetious loving workplace of good workers until there are nothing left but cutthroat desperate workers to vilifie each other and work for the pittance that they used to and rob there benefits. Gannett's trademark!!! When they do this to the biggest profit makeing newspaper they dictate what they think of their employees. Yes, Please be grateful that you have a job, but the black people of the south were also saying the same thing back in the day when coporations were just as influencial in washington and powerful. WHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! will the 99% please wake up and rebuke the Individualism of the executive company loopholes and contracts of executives that, Like Mr. Dubow, needed a 35 million disability clause in his contract, to rape the remainding demormalized employees in a turbolent and diminished economy. The board memembers and Incoming "CEO" -"CFO" ought to be ashamed and of course they won't because the "board of directors" are all bought and paid for! A simple 10 year old can see what this is leading to top a company that has promised pensions and 401K'S to their employees. This movie has been played before and it is called "ENRON". Good luck to the stuck employees but please unite for the dragon is not your fellow employees that disagees with your political opinion. Wall street has not played its last card concering your paper derived money in your 401K. Your company, by law, knows your expendable income for the people that save in their "401K'S" and know how much to reduce your salary and will keep up until you agree to slave yourself or leave!Good times are ahead until we regulate these freehanded greed mongers that pay no taxes and dole your expendable income to pay for "EVERY" govermental cost! 99% rule together not divided..............!% are the spoiled non-workers. Oh they create jobs................why didn't they in the p[ast 8 years in the bush regime. Bush actualy said mutiple times that "outsourcing " was good for the united states. LOL. Yes, Regime facist president that bailed out the banks and wallstreet. Ok hope you good people get out of Gannett, no future, God bless.
ReplyDelete