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Monday, November 21, 2011
44 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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Monday mid-morning and no posts!
ReplyDeleteWow people must be bracing themselves for the layoffs.
Not a good sign that there aren't any posts here as of 11:14 Eastern time.
ReplyDeleteNot Gannett, but wow -- the move to a digital-first strategy by Booth Newspapers in Michigan has resulted in about 550 layoffs.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/11/layoff_numbers_confirmed_for_b.html
Looks like they may hire back about 200 of them. Or more accurately, the laid-of have been invited to apply for 200 job postings.
Probably there is quite a bit of "rolling over" here http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=2687&PIpi=12087913
ReplyDeleteSo what ARE the Phoenix ad dept changes that someone keeps posting about without details? I've talked to several folks there, and they haven't heard anything yet. If you want comments on the changes, you should post what the changes are!
ReplyDeleteThanks the the post, John. Bet those that get rehired will be paid far, far less and with skimpy benefits. Welcome to content farm style journalism everyone, with digital pennies being made. It's the quick ride to hell and brass at Booth, Gannett, Journal Register, Gatehouse are skimming what they can before they split. Who gets eaten alive? Journalists, ad, marketing and production pros.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem layoffs make some sense, considering what has gone on the past few years...but Des Moines' announced hiring a person just today. Not in the design center.... a reporter. So why would they hire someone and then turn around and lay people off in a few weeks?
ReplyDelete@1:07,
ReplyDeleteBecause newly hired staff will come in at a lower wage than the tenured employees they will replace.
1:07PM......At my site in 2009 a reporter was hired, moved his family to town and laid off all within a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI made $65K when my job was eliminated. After I left, the position was recreated a few months later, and filled by a cub for $34K.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear this 1:07 and 2:17 but your situations are the sick norm these days. The younger folks are also less likely to fully use benefits offered like 401K, etc. And 1:07, I'll bet they did not pay to relocate that reporter and his family either. It's not like s/he gets publisher or top editor treatment.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you. Take some solace in knowing that the Big G is getting what it pays for. Less experience and depth. And no loyalty, because the young replacements know that they treat people like trash.
I will say this:
ReplyDeleteNow that I am on the outside looking in at GANNETT I just feel so rested.
I know the ones that are still employed there are glad to have their job and such, but let me tell you, it is such a farce, I am so relieved of any anxiety, stress,the walking on eggshells effect, what am I going to get yelled at about next-what did I do wrong-NO THANKS, it just went on and on.
Now though I am at peace.
Thanks for my lay off!
Funny thing, went on the lohud.com site in the "Work For Us" section and saw Gannett still claims to be one of the Top 100 places to work according to Working Moms Magazine (been seeing that since 1998 or so). For the 18th year in a row they said. Checked the list for 2011, Gannett didn't make it. Wonder why?
ReplyDeleteWell, not to sound naive about "why would they hire someone?"... (and I've been at Gannett a long time) I don't think the editor here would hire someone right before he knew he had to turn around and lay people off in the newsroom.
ReplyDeleteEither way, as much as I can empathize with those of you who have difficult bosses, the top editor in Des Moines really is a pleasure to work with. (And I'm not a manager).
So what is the big news coming this week?
ReplyDeleteWell,it can't be layoffs.That would be just business as usual for Gannett.Nothing out of the ordinary, just way of business for this corporation.
Layoffs are more like standard operating proceedure.
Re 12:17 - I wonder how long it will be before people visiting that site ask, "Who was Frank Gannett and why does he have a little boy and a dog on his gravestone? And what's that thing the kid is holding?"
ReplyDeleteAre we sure about big news this week? I figure during a holiday week, not much is likely to happen. Does anyone have more details?
ReplyDelete@ 3:40 p.m. Your top editor is an old friend of mine and one of few who still have their soul.
ReplyDeleteThe kid on Frank Gannett's headstone looks like he's holding a phone book. Maybe Gannett was the founder of YellowBook?
ReplyDeletelooks like a layoff notice too me, with a whole pack in his backpack
ReplyDeleteChecked into Gannett claim on lohud site about being among Top 100 places to work by Working Mothers Magazine. Seems they haven't won it 18th straight years. They primarily won the award in the 80s and 90s. This from a staffer at the magazine.
ReplyDeletewho cares if they haven't won top spots or are the best place to work, we know they aren't so whats the big deal?
ReplyDeleteIt's a gross misrepresentation (right Jim?). I found it odd that a company that has laid off 40 percent of its work force would still be winning an award like this, 18 years in a row no less. Look it up on lohud under "work for us."
ReplyDeleteTo fight the toxic workplace at my site, I just focused on my job. Not for Gannett's sake, the reps for which generally treated me and others like dirt, but for my sake.
ReplyDeleteI loved what I did, and I didn't do it for Gannett. I did it for readership, customer service, et. al.
On one occasion, we were given buttons to wear. "We Make the Difference," they read. It was not mandatory to wear them officially but one had better put one on.
So in black perma marker I crossed off the word "the" and wrote "no" -- thereby fulfilling the requirement to wear the damned rah-rah thing.
But no one noticed the stupid button now read "We Make No Difference."
Which proved the point to me. Glad to be out of there.
Wonder when MLive is done at Gannett, systemwide?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/11/layoff_numbers_confirmed_for_b.html
Is Gannett planning to rehire for Matt Jones's mobile position?
ReplyDeleteI've been participating in the Harris Polls for several years. The one I got today was especially long, asking about hiring practices and changes. When it finally got to the end, it asked "Would you be willing to be interviewed by USA Today and have your name in an article?" I clicked the NO button.
ReplyDeletePeople, gannett is among the best places for working muthafuckers. dont ja know?
ReplyDeleteYou must work @ USA Today, 2:27. No shortage of them here.
ReplyDeleteThank you GCI management for running the company into the ground! I have made a tidy $850 for Thanksgiving by shorting the stock for just one week! And yes, I will double the power of that money by using Gannett's company match when I donate it to the needy.
ReplyDeleteBy dominant printer in the area do they mean Gannett site or any site that will print the job. Just wondering?
ReplyDelete2:27am-I hope you're referring to the GCI side of Crystal Palace - they're on every floor from top to bottom - plenty of dead weight there collecting fat paychecks, benefits, and shooting the breeze!!!
ReplyDeleteDeal Chicken says just one more person has to participate for the deal to be hatched... on EVERY DEAL!!!
ReplyDeleteYou'd think that the writers of this software could be a little more creative.
Let the layoffs begin,yee hah !!
ReplyDeleteI give thanks to Gannett for it's lousy customer
care,customer service,layoffs,the hatred by employees and community,rate increases,and advertisers that were just plain pissed.Gannett bought this family owned and community loved weekly and layed off so many local residents and basically destroyed it.
Thanks to all that,I have a thriving publishing company.Happy Thanksgiving to all and may you all find a way to get away from the evil Gannett.
7:23am – Congratulations on your profit on Gannett's stock-price drop. I have contemplated doing the same thing many times.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like no layoffs til after Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteBut,the early weeks of December would be normal
layoff schedule.
Happy Thanksgiving anyway!
8:07, no on both sides. Verticals, former print side Dmes and at least one ME who has no one reporting to him. There are more, of course. But they know who they are. Reporters rarely in the paper, business side managers, etc.
ReplyDeleteHeading to the basement:
ReplyDeleteGroupon (GRPN) opened near $25/share today, now trading about $20/share.
So when's the Deal Chicken spinoff happening, Gracia, LOL!?
People that are expecting to be laid off, it really isn't as bad as you think. It actually put a smile on my face and I was ready to leave!
ReplyDeleteBest thing that ever happened!
I actually felt relieved, the only thing that was bad was the misinformation by HR and the job source people. Everyone had to figure out what to do their selves due to the misinformation-you don't know it's bad info until after you leave and it doesn't work.
They really don't care period.
On the other hand.
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!
A surcharge notice was mailed out for subscribers to Florida Today to cover extra paper costs for printing the Black Friday ads. Does anyone really wonder why the circulation has dropped to a little more than 57,000?
ReplyDeleteFLORIDA TODAY 57,000? They could only wish.
ReplyDeleteI gave uo a trip to Brevard County to "fight" Mark Silverman. Www.sorrysilverman.com
ReplyDeleteHow long will it take Jim to delete this comment?
:):)
Ariz Republic raised their Friday after Thanksgiving paper price to $2.00 years ago. Market seemed to accept the screwing and the newspaper is making a lot more money now, with the minor exception of a dramatic drop in circulation, support and revenue. I guess the price of paper isn't included in the ad price so the public pays for the additional ads and it's promoted as a value.
ReplyDeleteI am first time on this blog and I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
ReplyDelete