Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Oct. 31-Nov. 6 | Your News & Comments: Part 1

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54 comments:

  1. So, with Dave Morgan of Yahoo coming in to USAT Sports, what does that mean for Monte Lorell? Is he being pushed out? If not, his influence must be dwindling, right?

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  2. 1:12 you are right!!

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  3. Actually, viewing this through the USA TODAY prism is short-sighted.

    USA TODAY, the Sports section, has actually little to do with this move.

    This is an effort to build a Gannett-wide Sports "business" -- very digital, very audience-oriented.

    It will affect USA TODAY Sports, yes, but they are just another content farm for the larger effort.

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  4. 1:12 why do you and your pals always go to the negative. It really gets old. Monte is fine.

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  5. His influence is not dwindling.
    Hunke prefers the full Monte!

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  6. This is great. Losers from Short Tail Media, CNN, NBC Universal, Yahoo, AOL/Huffington Post and the Weather Channel are all flocking to GANNETT...Get the picture?

    If they failed at their prior companies, there is a damn good chance they will fail at this shitty company.

    Is it a requirement that Gannett hires the bench warmers? the water boys? the losers? from washed up media companies that once had a name.

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  7. @8:48 "go to the negative," really? Dude, this is the news business. If a company, college or sports team made an announcement similar to what USAT Sports made yesterday, we'd all ask what it means for the principals involved in those organizations. Why should USAT be spared? This is what we do. If that's going "negative" to you, then you're either too close to the situation ... or you're a PR flack.

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  8. 8:14 read 6:11. The guy couldn't wait a second before going negative. There is a contingent that wants this company to fail no matter what and unfortunately many of them post here.

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  9. @8:36, I'll give you that. There are definitely some haters. It's like that on most sites. Unfortunately it tends to drown out the constructive conversation.

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  10. "There is a contingent that wants this company to fail no matter what and unfortunately many of them post here."

    In answer to this... I know better times. Do I want Gannett to fail? In a word... Absolutely!

    I am sick of their penny-pinching ways, idiotic corporate edicts and that giant sucking sound that has laid waste to every good newspaper they've put their hands on.

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  11. I agree with 8:47.
    Gannett does not deserve to survive.They have cut quality to the bone in search of MORE profit.
    Keep in mind ,please that Gannett is not operating in the red by any stretch.They are simply not as profitable as they would like.
    It is not as though all of the thousands of good employees were layed off in order for the corporation to survive,they were cut so that
    more profit would show up on the bottom line.
    The 10% percent or more profit margin is not enough,they need MORE PROFIT.
    SO let the layoffs begin again and you hangers on keep on hoping and praying for the good ole days gone by.

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  12. 8:54 - it's been how many months that you've been posting essentially the same thing? You'd think you would learn how to type by now.

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  13. In many businesses 10 per cent profit is more than respectable.

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  14. I was right in June when I said 25 newsroom staffers at Florida Today would be cut soon. (It happened in August when 21 were laid off.) Now I'm telling you again, 7 to 10 news staff at Florida Today will be let go by Jan. 5.

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  15. From today’s Cincinnati Enquirer: “Delivery of today's Enquirer may be late due to production problems.”

    Given Buchanan’s plans to shut this plant it wouldn’t be surprising to see increased production problems until she does.

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  16. Jim: Has the Louisville design studio taken over production of the Enquirer? My understanding -- according to the person in charge of the studio -- was that it was scheduled to begin in mid-September.

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  17. For 12:04 (and not from Jim): Louisville isn't producing the Enquirer yet, but it should be coming soon. There have been recent hires/transfers of designers and copy editors into the design studio. Guesstimate is it'll happen in the next few weeks. One big problem has been buggy CCI software -- and there have been photo issues with the regional toning centers.

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  18. Hey Jim: If you get the ABC report that was released today, please make a blog posting the circ. #s for Gannett papers, with the comparable #s for last year, same Q.
    Newspaper stocks are dropping today, so the #s must be pretty bad.

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  19. 1:04 From a story on the Romenesko blog today: "This is the second reporting period in which ABC is counting circulation differently, so you can't compare current figures to previous periods."

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  20. Saw that Jim.
    I'd still like to see the #s though.
    I'll trust you to note what is affecting the count differently, as it applies to GCI.

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  21. How can you count circulation differently? This industry is becoming smoke and mirrors.

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  22. From the Local Information Center to production and delivery, The Enquirer is a mess. The news report is laughable. Intersting to see some regular names disappear for days at a time with no bylines.

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  23. Re: the Louisville design hub. The temp copy desk hires at Cincinnati have been told they're gone by the end of 2011. So that should be an indication of the Louisville timetable.

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  24. As a former Press Operator at Cincy, if the guys in the union shop want to get the paper out late..it will happen. The things I seen when I worked at that shit hole was unbelievable.Plates on wrong, timely web breaks, their are many ways to shut the press off for long periods of time with the foremen having no clue, it could turn in to a disaster for them..Have fun guys..Been their done that

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  25. so 8:47 in your twisted way of thinking, when Gannett fails do you feel sorry for the 30,000 people who lose their jobs or do you tap dance down the street because some executive you never met is out of a job?

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  26. 2:14PMS--
    Gannett corrupted and debased journalism.
    Having bean counters in charge had much to do with that.

    Journalism will be better off when Gannett is no' mo'.

    And I, and 8:47 and 8:54, and tens of thousands of others will be dancing when that happens.

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  27. It amazes me that a company has amassed this much hatred from its employees. How does a company recover from this? Unfortunately, the communities are aware of the dysfunction amongst employees and corporate, the furloughs, and the problems corporate faces in pleasing Wall Street, not to mention our inability to lead in the digital realm. With all that going against it, I doubt Gannett will ever recover. There is way too much negativity and Corporate is unaware of what works and what doesn't work at each site. A few available parking spaces at corporate will not fix the problems at the sites, where most of Gannett's money is made.

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  28. My review is this month. Is anyone getting raises? Last year I got 1%. Wow, that was a huge compensation after 20 years of employment. How many more years will there be furloughs?! There are thousands less employees now, can't they spread it out a little more? No, because they had to give Debow his $37M parting GIFT...I can't believe he got $15M for disability!! My brother in-law is dying of cancer and is still trying to work because he needs the money and life insurance for his family...I don't know how CEOs can sleep at night when they are living off of blood money. OCCUPY GANNETT

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  29. I have not got a raise in 3 years, just pay cuts, and I am a Press Supervisor. More work for me due to layoffs and furloughs. I go to work and do as little as possible anymore, that's the culture in our room. Can not wait to bail, been looking for some time. This company sucks PERIOD!

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  30. Bank of america was a great example of why they would want to have a debit charge- to fill their pockets when the big CEO's leave. And if people weren't so blind and could do something about it they would see that GANNETT is doing the same thing. CEO's are in it for themselves so are the managers. They know what is ahead and can prepare were as an employee has to suck up all the crap and get dumped on.
    Bless all the employees that work hard. And know that you did a great job- and actually deserve what the higher ups give themselves.
    GO EMPLOYEES!!!!!

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  31. I hope Debow is bedridden and suffering with his "back pain." NO, he's probably on his private yacht in the Mediterranean, sipping champaign and laughing all the way to the bank. Give Gracia a few years and she'll be doing the same.

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  32. Could someone in the GANNETT see why the operations department at FLORIDA TODAY needs an assistant production manager?
    This has always been a big question of most of the employees at the paper.
    Other than putting his feet up on the desk and yelling at everyone, I just don't see the benefit.
    He should get laid off!
    This in itself will at least help 4 employees keep their job.

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  33. 3:09. Does your brother in law's benefits include life insurance? If so, have him check the policy. Most policies have a partial payout if someone is diagnosed as terminal. I'm sorry for his situation.

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  34. @124: My thoughts about why bylines are disappearing is that those people are under the gun to finish enterprise. That's Carolyn's mandate these days along with social media and anything she can think about on Sundays and send emails out to all about what new tool we can use to reach our audience when we can't even get our web or mobile site right. In our newsroom, perhaps you've noticed how everyone has their head down and is terrified to speak or be accused of effing o lest Carolyn notices and puts you at the top of the list for the next round of layoffs. In the meantime while enterprise folks are trying to get their jobs done, some of us are working our butts off to get a newspaper out and feed the web beast. Yes. It's a no-win situation here. But let's not assume you know what you are talking about if you obviously aren't doing the job.

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  35. 7:42....It's so the prod. manager has someone to delegate down to so he won't have to do ahything! Are they all changing their titles yet again so they can sidestep the next layoff?

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  36. 8:47 here... all "twisted" and everything.
    OMG! What did we ever do before Gannatt came along? Your answer here:_________________.

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  37. As 4:15 says, I go to work and do as little as I can get away with after being a super loyal person for so many years. Where did my loyalty, hard work and always going the extra mile get me? Screwed over and treated Like garbage. gAnnett does not give a crap about any of us. End of story. I learned the hard way by being a fool.for way too long. Give them only what you must, no more. Not one second. I come in precisely at starting time, take my lunch, to the second, and leave on the stroke of quitting time. Wasn't that way with me for decades. My sweat and the sweat of all of us have fattened up assholes like Dubow and the rest of them.

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  38. cars.com ad/skit on Jimmy Kimmel. WTF?

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  39. @3:02 p.m.

    You said it. No way Gannett recovers from the low morale it has fostered and the bad business decisions it has made.

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  40. You know three quarters of the people on this website Just don't get it.....................they are the proverbial "Hamster on the wheel" and still think they are going to get ahead! Freaking cracks me up when you work for Gannett old or young. Pay, Pay Pay just to work there haaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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  41. To 9:36: You describe a horrible situation. I have noticed more and more Dayton, Columbus and other points in Ohio stories showing up in the local news section. However, if so many reporters are working on enterprise stories, where are those stories? The stories I read are reactive and not very deep. Coverage of the little boy's death has been weak and spotty. When Marcus Fiesel case happened, the newspaper was all over it day after day. If local is key, isn't it time to put reporters on local?

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  42. Trying hard to muster enough energy to get through the 4th quarter. Morale is so low in our NJ Group. Management does not seem to get that trips, gift cards, and other "incentives" just don't cut it. We are all so stretched - from circulation to news to advertising. I don't know what to do or where to turn.

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  43. The problem with our industry is simple....we talk about change because it sounds good, but we are afraid to proactively take action. Kind of sounds like our government friends.

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  44. I used to go to the USAT web site for a quick sports update because you could generally count on clicking the sports tab to get you the most important things going on. Now it's all confusing and scattered, and there's all this boring "real time" commenting stuff going on to further muck things up. I just want the news.

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  45. To 7:42. The culture of Florida Today and Gannett is to promote incompetence and waste. Never mind is your position is obsolete. What's truly important at Florida Today is who you know. It would shock many to learn exactly what that position pays, but then to reporters in their first or second jobs in their careers, working for high 20s, low 30s is nirvana, while the top managers, like the position aforementioned, are taking home 5 times that! You also have some news staff approaching six figures simply because of time served (40 years or more). The solution to getting ahead and surviving at Florida Today is to pad your bra, smile a lot, flatter the editors and attend a lot of dinner parties, social occasions and yacht rides with the big boys. If not, fear the reaper.

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  46. 9:43 So if I'm a guy your telling me to pad my bra?
    I know about brown nosing, ass kissing, but why do I need to mingle with the low life, selfish, fake, stupid bosses- they are obviously have no life- thats why they do what they do, act the way they do. To me they are nothing. I actually feel sorry for them. PITY!!

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  47. If the $ my former Gannett rag gave away to charities, in an obvious effort to suck up to the community, had instead been put into improving the content, maybe it wouldn't be losing viewers and page views online every month.

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  48. anybody know what's going on with the Booth papers in MI? I heard they are all backing down from daily cycles and going to 2-3 days a week?

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  49. http://blog.mlive.com/updates/2011/11/letter_from_our_publisher_anno.html

    here it is, new org structure

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  50. i have a college degree, work full-time in my "profession" for a multi-billion dollar company and i can't afford the insurance my company offers me. um, NO ONE has a problem with this??? i should also mention that included with the open enrollment email was info and links for CHIP and other medical assistance programs... WHAT??? soon our paychecks will say "-$5.08 pay upon receipt"

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  51. That's an interesting item, 11:40 -- thanks for posting. For those who don't bother to click through, it's an announcement about the Booth newspapers in Michigan. Long story short, they're creating something called MLive Media Group that reflects the adoption of a digital-first strategy. Four of their newspapers (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Jackson) will reduce their print home delivery from 7 days a week to 3.

    Regional print editions will be discontinued but those communities will continue to be covered, with the news available online.

    Online news delivery will be the priority; there will be consolidation of duties and unspecified job losses.

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  52. @ 12:05 - thanks for the explanation, I was just getting ready to check it out!

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  53. Re Booth - the other three markets (Flint, Saginaw and Bay City) already had dialed back pub days and home delivery a couple of years ago.

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  54. The Booth-to-MLive transition is patterned on Detroit. Home delivery converted to 3-4 days print/7 days online. Print edition available every day in C-stores, coin boxes and newsstands. Bookkeeping consolidated; call center outsourced.

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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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