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Friday, October 14, 2011
59 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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RIM, the maker of Blackberry, laid off 2,000 workers in July (just over 10 percent of its workforce:
ReplyDeletehttp://techcrunch.com/2011/07/25/breaking-rim-streamlining-operations-lays-off-2000/
Most folks have heard about worldwide outages in recent days that have caused Wall Street to devalue the stock even more. RIM was being beaten badly by iPhones and Androids and now and faces bankruptcy or being sold at a fire sale.
Gannett keeps lopping of heads and quality continues to sink.
No one is being vindictive.
ReplyDeleteGet your head out of the sand.
If someone does come back to this site they are letting you in on truthful info.
Of course everyone wants positive feedback but when the truth is there maybe you should listen-there is a reason for this!!!!!
Now we know:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sorrysilverman.com/
Sorrysilverman:
ReplyDeleteYour version of the USA Today logo at the bottom is HILARIOUS!
Can you do ones for the New York Slimes and the Washington COMPost too?
NYT offering another round buyouts. Since that is a real company, expect worse news from Tyson's Corner soon.
ReplyDeleteIf not vindictive, it's even worse, 12:40 - boring. Get a new schtick.
ReplyDelete2:41
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong about the former Gannett employees comments being the same poster.
Get your head out of your ass and realize that there are lots of happy exGannetteers who post here.You are obviously very envious.
“…If this restructing keeps up Margaret Buchanan may have to wash her own car or ask a regional VP to use one of their employess to perform these tasks for her. “
ReplyDelete10/12/2011 10:06 AM
Interesting comment as doesn’t GPS’s creation move those who fueled and maintained Buchanan’s car out of her control? Same for her grocery pickup?
As a matter of fact, 4:29, it does. Now THAT is hysterical! There is no way the regional VP's will agree to that. There's no more answering to the publishers.
ReplyDeleteShe didn't really have people picking up her groceries or washing her car by hand, did she? Unless she paid them extra, isn't that in and of itself an abuse of power?
ReplyDelete2:41 I have a new schtick
ReplyDeletelike 3:25 said
I'm here and your there.
LUCKY ME!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to administer our paper's MomsLikeMe site (among 50 other jobs), but have left the company. Today I (and, I assume, all the other MLM members) got a cheery email about how "DealChicken Loves Moms!" It was not only sort of insulting, it was also sad: another digital enterprise doomed to fail, trying to buoy itself up on the corpse of the one preceding it.
ReplyDeleteNice spelling 6:28
ReplyDeleteNot by hand 4:38 nor were employee’s services limited to just Buchanan’s car and groceries as they also performed other personal activities for her too including getting her lunch; a task requiring the proper placement of all foods on her plate.
ReplyDeleteAll were questionable usages of employees during good times, more so as they were kept up despite shrinking staffs resulting from increasing terminations and furloughs. Who knows, maybe GPS will continue to provide them under customer retention. : )
Note to Jim: If you’re looking for feature ideas, this could be a good one as it would be interesting to see what “perks” publishers are still taking for themselves now.
GO GARCIA ....you rock.
ReplyDeleteBuchanan is somewhat power mad and imperial. She would have loved the intrigue of the Chinese imperial court. She is all about money and could care less about people or the news product. No matter what happens, I'm sure she'll find someone to run and get her lunch. Maybe her new editor.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteYou might have noticed that there is more "positive Gannett" posters on this blog lately. While this might seem like a good thing to show there is diversity in the opinions of many, this is an organized plan by Martore, Mariam B and David Payne. Thy hired an outside "social agency to post "positive messages" about Gannett, the new initiatives and about the new leadership team.
People can disagree, but I have seen plenty of documentation on this "plan". In fact, one part of it describes the exit of Dubow as an opportunity to market the new executives AND Gracia Martore as the positive side of Gannett.
The plan specifically spells out this blog as the Gannett water cooler and the plan to "harmonize Gannett's vision with posters on the Gannett Blog".
Incidentally, this plan was run through Gannett inside legal counsel as well as their outside firm.
I have problems with "I have seen documents" posts. The journalists here are used to this type of line. Simple answer: stop talking and hand over the documents. Until then, your comments are empty.
ReplyDeleteCould GCI be doing this? Sure. As this blog has been excessively, and often incorrectly, negative, I don't really have a problem with the company being proactive. (That said, depending on how they did it, if they did it, and what the docs say, this could turn out to be a HUGE PR negative for the company. Again, docs pls?)
Also, don't know if I am "pro" Gannett, but I am frequently anti-Jim. And I have no contact with corporate.
What happened to the real My Boss?
ReplyDeleteOrganize Wall St. protestors should be protesting in front of every Gannett property after the news of that $37.1M parachute to Dubow!
ReplyDeleteI don't care about positive posters, I don't care about negative posters. What I do care about are results, and I ain't seeing any. I'm tired of the same old, same old. Plus, I find it a bit funny that they have to "hire" someone to post something positive because it can't come from within. Sad, really.
ReplyDeleteMy Boss left the company eight months ago.
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't believe the "I have seen documents" lie.
Gracia indeed is embarking on a more "positive" approach, but after the silence and incoherence of Dubow, anything would be a refreshing change.
My Boss at 7:31:
ReplyDelete7:31 I read every comment on this blog -- an average of 2,000 or so each month -- and I can't say that I've seen a noticeable, recent uptick in the number of comments that I would deem positive.
What you should be doing, more accurately, what Gannett employees should be doing, is go on strike. If everyone is so pissed off at the direction of the company and the greed upstairs, let them know who gets the news out every day to allow them to live like kings. I'm tired of the negativity. This Occupy Wall Street should embolden you, if anything.
ReplyDeleteIf they're going to get rid of you anyway, what do you have to lose, really?
Chuck Ballaro
......in other newspaper news:
ReplyDeleteMaineToday Media laying off 38 newspaper employees
Full-time employees who are being laid off will receive two weeks of severance pay for every year of employment.
"Full story seen at: dailyjobcuts.com under the date of October 14, 2011."
7:31 please don't waste blog energy with your bogus claims. Not everyone hates Gannett to the same extreme you might. Sometimes we are just looking for some positive signs from leadership. I'm going to give Ms. Martore a chance. She is no CD.
ReplyDeleteIt's in everyone's best interest that she succeed.
Time will tell.
7:31, if that's true, why don't these positive posts have facts or address specifics? For instance, I have read several pleas for updates on the Design Studios. I have seen no responses to comfort those fears.
ReplyDelete@ 10:43, you're right, it's definitely in everyone's best interest she succeed. My biggest concern is that she is "more of the same". I mean, look who was at the helm in the beginning stages of this downward spiral of layoffs, furloughs, etc. I pray she is the knight in shining armor, but a bit skeptical. Keeping my fingers crossed, but my eyes wide open!
ReplyDeleteLove to see the faces on the Design Studio sycophants the moment after Gannett announces they're scrapping the print product.
ReplyDeleteI predict this will happen within two years.
The Motley Fool rates the closure of the moms' sites as a "dumb move": http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/10/14/this-weeks-5-dumbest-stock-moves.aspx
ReplyDeleteA good point: Why not sell off the site?
Sadly, Gannett corporate doesn't think the way entrepreneurial companies do.
Want proof things are different under Gracia? The Blue Ball is gone!!!!!!!! It's a symbol people.
ReplyDeleteRedecorating is definitely a symbol!
ReplyDeleteGood for you Gracia! I like this lady — she has drive, stamina and seems to give a crap! Could be totally wrong, but lets let a woman have a place at the top for awhile. I think she can turn things around. Like someone said, she is a bean counter, but that is a good thing. She can crunch numbers and maybe eliminate waste rather than bodies. Lets give her a chance. And no, I'm not a troll. Just a woman who has been with the company for years and thinks it is great to FINALLY have a woman head of this company! Go get them Gracia!
ReplyDeleteThe women in this company seem to thrive on eliminating bodies, not waste. Just an observation.
ReplyDeleteWould like to know what the real feedback is from the community and readers about Florida Today's "change of direction." Having only one local story in the front section on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays can't possibly be offset by the new pretentious "Style" section written by freelancers and "Health" tab on Thursdays. If you take away the Gannett promo ads, this week's "Health" was only 5 pages and half of that was wire copy. I think this experiment is terrible and I imagine circulation numbers are in free-fall. Time to ramp up my exit strategy, if Stover hasn't beat me to it. The ship is sailing and fast!
ReplyDeleteI mean, look at the board of directors! You can count on one hand the amount of people of color and women. We all want Gracia to succeed because that means we do too. Dubow had nothing new to offer the company. I for one am tired of layoffs, furloughs and negative publicity related to newspapers. I want us to succeed. I hope Gracia and her team can turn things around. I have worked too long and too hard for it not to be worth anything. I come into work everyday trying to be positive. If I am not, it's me who suffers not Gannett. This is about me and my co-workers. Not about corporate. Should I leave — yes, I should. But there is nothing out there for middle age people like myself and Gracia, and I have to at least give her a chance. If she proves me wrong, then so be it. It's a fresh start for all of us. Lets try to stay positive and see what happens. Now she is in charge maybe she really can make a difference. Let not throw her under the bus just yet.
ReplyDelete4:21 Gender and race aside, Ms. Martore is cut of the same cloth as any large company corporate exec. Her past actions should give you no reason to cheer.
ReplyDeleteShe does not have a job like you or I. Her job is to maximize returns on a publicly traded company in a dying industry. She will do whatever it takes to beat work from the beast until it is sold or dies of exhaustion. And because it is a job that requires ruining many lives and livelihoods, she is paid extremely well and can look forward to being very comfortable financially for the rest of her life. She is in the 1 percent and the rest of us are not and probably won't be.
It's not like this woman hasn't been in this company for the past 5 years. Why would she all of a sudden change her spots? Look at how much hope we had for Mariam when she first came on board. I have seen NOTHING come of her hire. This is a dying company with a product that cannot be reinvented. It is sad to listen to all of you day in and day out wish and pray the situation would change. It won't. Move on.
ReplyDeleteFLORIDA TODAY 's new format is crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame that this paper is down to minimal nothing. It is a waste of print, especially the STYLE section- what is that the new facebook.(laughable print).
I don't want to keep woking here printing crap.
Stover and his format have a basis of sending print right out the door.
Terrible layout, huge stupid photos, NOTHING to read. Whats up?
4:48 thanks for the good laugh. So you haven't seen anything from Maryam in six months so she is a failure. Of course you have an insight to everything going on because great employees like you can be trusted to keep things confidential. 2012 is the year. Folks like you will beveling a lot of crow. Girl power in 2012! Boys.....you can play too!
ReplyDeleteBeing the girl that I am and having been in on a few of the confidential "secrets", I'm not impressed. The girls against boys mentality is juvenile.
ReplyDeleteLet's go Gracia. I don't work in the newsroom but years of reading this blog make me hopeful you will spend time there. I hope you believe in content and journalism as much as distribution and cost cutting.
ReplyDeleteIt's what sets us apart from every other "new" blog and content provider. Gannett has a lot of talented journalists...it's what differentiates us.
Good luck Ms. Martore. Hope to hear you talk of quality journalism again.
5:05 not quite sure what you mean.
ReplyDeleteUnless Gracia plans on undoing all the wrongs that have been committed, I think quality journalism in Gannett is a thing of the past.
ReplyDelete4:07-you're living in a dream world: wake up!
ReplyDeleteBean cutting is fine its the right beans.20 managers at usat could go and it would only improve workflow and morale. Gracia, are you listening?
ReplyDeleteCincy's publisher had a staffer on company time running from store to store to find bananas that were just ripe enough for her sensitive taste buds. Then as someone said earlier her lunch was brought to her and placed on fine china, no paper plates for her highness. This while computers were crashing due being outdated and slow and no money to spend on upgrades, but she has never wanted for anything. I've heard I.T. time was even spent on repairing her kids PCs, while company PCs went unattended.
ReplyDeleteWomen in Journalism = The Death of Journalism. Flame away.
ReplyDeleteOne thing Gracia needs to do is stop this royalty and surfs behaviour from executives. Gannett employees are struggling to survive layoffs, furloughs, budget cuts and wage freezes while these clowns get served lunch on china, really?!!! To all the Margaret Buchanan's out there, get your own damn lunch, wash your own damn car and let the staff focus on the business of this company! Gracia, this is the crap that needs to stop.
ReplyDeleteGracia, if you want employees to value this company then you must value employees. Loyalty, hardwork and results must be recognized and retained. That's how you'll turn around morale and that's how you'll gain our commitment. After all the suffering that's been heaped upon Gannett employees over the last 5 years its suprising how many still have hope. Be the change agent this company needs and start by cleaning house at the top. No need to name names. You know who has failed. Maybe they're nice people but that's not a qualification for competent management. Be courageous, fire them and hire the talent needed to turn this ship around. It may not be too late, at least we hope not.
ReplyDeleteMartore has been Dubow's hatchetwoman for the last two years. I don't know why anyone would expect anything different now that she is officially in charge.
ReplyDeleteGracia, pay attention!!! Inform everyone Monday morning that starting today 10/17/11 you will work for $1.00. You will change the board of directors pay as well as other top excutives.
ReplyDeleteThis would do 2 things give Wall Street something positive to talk about and boost the moral of your fellow workers. Think about it you will more than likely make up the money in your stock. A bold move like this would be one hell of a kick start for you and give everyone hope in your leadership.
1:40 PM, Surely you jest about the sacred blue ball being gone.
ReplyDeleteNope, it's gone. And it's gone for a reason. Sorry haters but she's not CD.
ReplyDelete9:58 that's because you have no clue how a business is run. If you work for the CEO you carry their water. It's a new era. Time will tell. You will still hate but the company will move forward.
ReplyDelete12:15am, the blue ball was in place before CD. Not a Gracia hater, just didn't believe the blue ball is gone.
ReplyDelete9am it's gone. It's a small gesture but it is meant to send a small message. The haters will poo poo it but it's a start.
ReplyDeleteIf the damn blue ball is really gone, that's a good message.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the message? Am I missing something? So the ball is gone. What does that have to do with anything, really? Unless Gracia starts going to ALL of the sites and getting to know what works and what doesn't at each site, nothing is going to change.
ReplyDelete