Monday, February 27, 2012

USA Today Confidential | Issue 2.27.12

This comments forum is about USA Today. I revive it occasionally when there may be impending news developments. (Archives.)

Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

41 comments:

  1. Any news coming out of advertising management on Monday?

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  2. How many layoffs in usat advertising last week? Is it true one was a founder?

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  4. Look for a considerable shakeup.

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  7. Susan Lilley was fired. She "managed" all those thousands for those Cannes France advertising parties for Banikarim, Hunke, Davis, Erdos and Lee Jones. Hopefully that waste will come to an end now.

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  8. January numbers were awful.

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  9. Another shakeup? Time ti ad more names to the masthead.

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  10. Some potentially relevant background information that may be helpful: here, and here.

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  11. USAT needs a shakeup in overall approach in the news coverage space. Not going to happen with insiders and editors rising up from within. Sports has slipped too, not the must-turn-to source anymore.

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  12. Are you suggesting Banikarim is going to oversee ad sales?

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  13. Anytime you have a dozen of the same people overseeing editorial departments fo ten to over 20 years, you have a problem. They recycle friends and associates, then promote people who they think have arrived. Or worse, promote people based not on skill or experience, but to meet bonus inducing diversity measures. Not that there is anything wrong with any of this, if the business was doing well. But it ain't. The good reporters and editors who have been under appreciated and seen their careers usurped at the expense of others haves saw the handwriting on the wall years ago after ridiculous promotion and hires relegated them further down the career ladder. Slowly, they are making their way out of the morass. The people left have the titles and the power positions, but no respect, no plan and no clue.

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  14. Sports guys have been completely marginalized by the Beusse team. Why they have two sets of senior management is beyond anyone's guess. Monte Lorell and other senior editors are not included in any planning meetings. Perhaps Tom can pull himself away from Fashion Week parities and clue the Tyson's crew in for a change.

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  15. The operation has suffered badly since Rudd Davis left.

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    1. Please!!!!!! If Dr Zzzz would get off his $16,000 a year ass and actually find out what happened you'd know how rediculous that statement is

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    5. OK - Jim,

      I'll try this. Rudd was amazing. I miss him.. You good wit dat?

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    6. Just curious, amazing at what?

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  17. There is little doubt USAToday is fighting for its life.

    I am sure Martore will try almost anything to give it life support.

    Seems like a good time to take a buy-out and I guess be glad that it's still being offered.

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  20. USA Today is drowning in its own sea of incompetence. Pick a department. Verticals. News. Money. Advertising. Leadership by passing the buck, making excuses and self congratulatory attaboys at what competitors would call basic fundamentals and standard practices.

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  21. Client Solutions ending?

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  22. Maryam will have considerably more dominion this week.

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  23. And, I suppose, USAT could be but a province -- albeit a big one -- in that dominion.

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  24. I hope Martore does give Banikarim some revenue accountability.

    Martore is a "show me the money" CEO.

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  25. Gannett names President of Ad Sales.

    http://adage.com/article/people-players/mary-murcko-named-president-sales-gannett/232959/

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  26. It doesn't help when USA Today runs a USAT/Gallup poll that shows Santorum leading Obama nationally, when every other poll shows Obama leading Santorum by comfortable margins.

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  27. It's starting to look like USA today is being dismantled, with parts handed off to Gannett Digital under Payne (the website); Gannett's marketing arm under Banikarim (advertising sales), and sports news coverage under Beusse.

    What does this mean for Ellington's future?

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    1. Finally, thank you. It took awhile but you got there

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  28. Here comes the death rattle.

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    1. Millions in new $$$$ by 2015. Big plans and lots of batty swagger. Management dreaming of cruise control good old days.

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