Monday, March 26, 2012

March 26-April 1 | Your News & Comments: Part 1

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73 comments:

  1. My husband is a pressmen and he drools.

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  2. Jim, do you have any credible information about Q2 furloughs?

    Anyone?

    Thanks.

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  3. Jim,
    Yesterday there was a posting that listed top women of Gannett that were incompetent. Why did you remove it? I think you should look into that 70% Gracia Martore rule. It also affect women here in the long term.

    Most of this women got to those jobs because they were so far up Graciaa's ass that now other competent, self confident woman can get ahead.

    I am surprised at your discretion in choosing what remains a blog post and what get removed.

    Everyone in Gannett knows this is a big issue and it is not just the men, but women like me who has been passed up for a senior level role, because I did not kiss enough of Gracia's ass.

    I wonder if at times you are so afraid of Gracia yourself, that you would,remove such a posting.

    Gannett has a problem with reverse gender discrimination and it is obvious. Start reporting in it Jim and prove your worth.

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  4. Time to fight back PointRollers3/26/2012 8:18 AM

    To My Fellow PointRollers,
    I, like you, believe the senior management team at Pointroll is morally bankrupt. I believe that over the last two years, we have been working for a CEO that has not told the truth and a management team that have been lining their pockets.

    This Safari cookie issue is just the beginning. Our clients have no idea how much we have been screwing them over.

    It is time we start asking Rob Gatto, Sandy Dondici and Sarah Ripmaster the tough questions and demanding that they act like leaders, NOT high school bullies from Chicago!

    Stand up, PointRollers. We are better than this!

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  5. http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckForum&plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3ac465a418-e5ac-4734-b866-ad2ca76c20bfForum%3afef545b4-76f3-4565-803d-5bf39dce4c87Discussion%3ae6112fa2-ebfa-4144-b84b-fb4f75892d45&plckCurrentPage=0


    Looks like the News Journal is giving away free "snakes" in their papers lol!

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  6. I am a competent, self competent male who cannot get ahead at Gannett. Ass kissing is not part of my persona. What should I do?

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  7. Working on getting out, but the jobs pay less than half and they don't want anyone over 25. This is what I worked so hard for, to be constantly looking over my shoulder and taking direction from know nothing new managers who have no clue about the business?

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  8. Hmmm, seems like the women-men-race competency postings are a distraction. That, combined with posts questioning Jim's credibility, makes me think something big or at least bad news is coming.

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  9. Wilmington should give out snakes in their papers, because then it would be worth getting. All the paywall did was send readers over to the Newark Post (non-gannett)

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  10. Cue the Willie Nelson music...

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  11. Another "On the Road" with Maryam has come through. Please, please, please, please stop the self-promotion. Please.

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  12. Nice one, 10:03. Judging from her email, I'd say she didn't do a damn thing during the month of March.

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  13. Ironic that USA Today would print a Special Edition for the Titanic. I wake up thinking I work on a sinking ship everyday.

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  14. Why is the same story, DUI suspect kills passenger, still the lead story in the Cincinnati Enquirer crime and courts section after eight days? That's pathetic.

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  15. Could someone post the contents of the latest installment of Maryam's Awesome Adventure? I could use a little Monday afternoon humor.

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  16. Florida Today has a portal for the carriers to enter returns on. This weekend, it has not been working on and off. Today so far, nothing. No place to enter Sunday returns. Seems no one can fix it. Does anyone here know what's going on? Some disgruntled person hacking? It's gumming up all the works.

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  17. Great point 12:19 PM, though it appears to apply to so much of what the Enquirer has leading that one has to wonder if someone was on furlough or its just going to become a site to visit just once a week.

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  18. Big community paper strat tee gery session at the crystal palace today. i feel i am surrounded by Greatness.

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  19. 1:13 I think they're figuring out our digital future, but all I heard them talk about before they left the hinterland was about shopping and drinking.

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  20. 6:44 I've heard nothing concrete about Q2 furloughs, but I'm asking around.

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  21. 8:11 I seriously doubt that Martore -- or anyone -- has imposed a 70% rule on employing women.

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  22. http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-3188-enquirers_top_sports_editors_quit.html

    Enquirer's Top Sports Editors Quit
    Forbis, Glynn announce departures in emails

    The Enquirer’s top two sports editors are resigning from the newspaper.

    Assistant Managing Editor/Sports Barry Forbis and Deputy Sports Editor Rory Glynn announced their resignations last week in separate emails to fellow staffers.

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  23. 12:32 You can read Banikarim's March newsletter here.

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  24. I linked to the story below through E&P. Makes me wonder how the Chicken's doing, and why it's never mentioned in stories about daily deals.

    http://editorandpublisher.com/Business/Article/Group-Coupon-Deals-May-Not-Work-for-Buyers--Sellers

    The daily deal business model only rarely makes good economic sense for retailers and restaurteurs, according to an analysis provided to USA TODAY by the retail analytics firm Applied Predictive Technologies (APT).

    Reports of companies that claim daily deals put them out of business, or came close, are increasing.

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  25. Glad to see that Florida Today is still the same after all the good wood left.
    Still have an incompetent GPS manager.
    Still the same.
    I'm soooo glad to be out of there, what a joke. enjoy!!!!

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  26. Sorry if this is a repeat, but with the buyout deadline being tomorrow, does anyone know that if there will be layoffs due to the buyout number not being reached. At my site there are so few that are taking it and in fact some think their jobs/them will be ok, that they won't be looked at if there are layoffs.

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  27. Seriously?

    This runs at the end of MB's little column:

    "P.S. Make sure you're following us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest company news!"

    Yessiree, those are the two places I think to go to first for important information.

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  28. Candy you should not be posting. God bless your heart.

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  29. Maryam Banikarim, how do I go about to getting on your invitation list for your Cannes party this year?

    http://adage.coverleaf.com/advertisingage/2011canneslions?pg=73#pg73

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  30. Is it ok for an executive to be physically aggressive toward another employee at any point, especially if the employee doesn't heed to the executive’s threats and did not do anything to provoke it? (For example, the executive wants to meet and the employee proceeds to log off their computer and the executive lunges at the employee, physically restrains the employee’s hands, and jerks the keyboard out of the employees hands.) Something similar recently happened in Shreveport.

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    1. You think Jim is Dear Abby? I highly doubt there is any truth to this.

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    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  31. Maryam-Willie-Nelson-Banikarim, what did YOU do while you were on the road? Anything? Besides collecting speaker fees on our time and dime. Shameful.

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  32. The strategy session will give way to.mall shopping. its great that the ritz carlton opens directly to the high end Galleria. Ms. Washburn, please buy the going away gifts for your sports editors there. you dont look terribly busy today.

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  33. @3:17, does anyone have proof that MB is collecting speaking fees? Contrary to what Jim posted about that being the same as freelancing by a reporter, trading her position as CMO of Gannett for personal gain through appearances would seem unethical (although totally within typical GCI exec behavior). But, I have never seen anyone post proof of MB getting paid for her usual self-aggrandizement.

    P.S. Make sure you're following her on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest company news that you should have gotten through internal channels but did not because the company is so dysfunctional!

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  34. Wonder what the Digital Strategy Session confab at corporate is all about?

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  35. This is a hoot!

    James Taranto of the Wall St. Journal posted this in his column today:

    Transparency for Me, but Not for Thee
    "Last week, the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team broke a story that appeared in The [Appleton] Post-Crescent, exposing 29 circuit court judges who signed petitions to recall Gov. Scott Walker," boasts Genia Lovett, the paper's president and publisher. "It was a story we were proud to bring to you. It was watchdog journalism in its finest sense, a role we take seriously."

    Just one problem:

    Today, in the interest of full transparency, we are informing you that 25 Gannett Wisconsin Media journalists, including nine at The P-C, also signed the Walker recall petitions. It was wrong, and those who signed were in breach of Gannett's Principles of Ethical Conduct for Newsrooms.

    There follows a lot of self-important verbiage about journalistic ethics, The folks at Gannett turn out to have a "core belief" in "journalistic neutrality," which makes the incident "disheartening." You will be relieved to hear that "it has caused us to examine deeply how this happened" and that the Gannetters "are now in the process of addressing discipline and presenting supplemental ethics training for all news employees."

    But this is priceless: "First and foremost, we decided to inform our readers and be as open as possible. We have decided not to name the employees."

    So when journalists expose improper political activity by nonjournalists, that's "watchdog journalism in its finest sense." When journalists themselves are caught engaging in improper political activity, they get to remain anonymous and claim they're being "as open as possible." If you think there's something wrong here, you probably just need "supplemental ethics training."

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  36. Rather than looking like she has nothing to do or shopping for her soon-to-be former sports editors, Carolyn Washburn should be jumping on her I-phone to look at the pathetic wed site her people are producing in Cincinnati where eight-day old news is still highlighted and stories seldom rotated. Don't you get it, Carolyn? Those of us who read the web want fresh news not cold dishes like you're serving up.

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  37. 3:17 sounds like management treatment also at Florida Today.
    Someones need anger management.

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  38. I am a fellow PointRoller and I too am fed up with the lies and the mistreatment of employees. I hope Gannett takes note of what is going on and does something. A good friend and hard worker was recently fired and they told her that "she was not a good PointRoller because she challenged the management team too many times".

    The fact that Sarah Ripmaster can go around picking and choosing who she gets to fire is insane.

    Take a look at her limited experience prior to Pointroll. She was a pharmaceutical sales rep!!!

    And this person is running our sales team into the ground. In fact, we hear about how poorly Pointroll is doing financially, that I wonder why these buffoons are still in management at Pointroll.

    Clearly there is little interest in Gannett changing the crude behavior of this executive team. It is disgusting and I too am pissed off.

    I will continue to expose Pointroll on this blog and to our clients if nothing is done to clean this place up.

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  39. MB has proven to be pretty useless with the exception of garnering lots of press for herself. must have short man syndrome.

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  40. What's happened to The Times in Shreveport since I've worked there is unbelievable. How is anybody making any money for the paper with all this disruption by management? And now I am reading about aggressive behavior towards an employee by a manager? I just can't figure this one out. Thank god my days are over there. And I was so sad to leave in the first place. I just want all my friends to know that I'm thinking about you.

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    1. How many times are you going to answer your on posts. Go look for a job.

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    2. This manager in question is aggressive herself. She thought she was "protected by the previous publisher," but now realizes she can't justify her own existence with a place on the ad mgt team. Now we hide behind God and his word. Beware of wolves in sheeps clothing. And don't believe everything you read.

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  41. The Florida Today GPS management is doing an excellent job. The printed product looks great, it is always on time, and morale has not been this high in some time. Things are starting to turn the corner and expectations are high for the future.

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  42. 6:58 Sounds like a cornball cover up to me, we know how it is at Florida Today, so no sugar coating allowed. It's the same person with his head in the clouds like before, keep on wishing, we know different no matter what you say!
    Why don't you truly ask your crew how they feel? That doesn't work there!

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  43. 7:22
    Must be Bob Campbell answering you back. Bad GPS Manager from what I hear from the guys!

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  44. You mean Mrs. CAMPBELL... TRUE

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  45. PointRoller Shitlist3/26/2012 8:50 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  46. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  47. This woman..
    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492715/

    works at Pointroll!!!,

    http://www.linkedin.com/in/

    Maybe Pointroll ain't so bad!

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  48. Pointroll SVP of Sales3/26/2012 9:22 PM

    And here is our wonderful Sarah Ripmaster...SVP of Global (huh?) Sales

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7LxYAzDQAc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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  49. That BS about Florida Today certainly is not coming from the "content generators." Morale here is the same as always, living in fear waiting for the next furlough or layoff.

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  51. 3:17. That is a violation of Gannett's Workplace Violence policy and should be reported immediately. Were there witnesses? If so, have them write statements as to what they saw as well. If you feel comfortable with whatever HR you have left there, take it to them. If not, take it to the Publisher/GM. It should be investigated. And if it's recent and you have cameras all over your newsroom as some others do, it may be on video.

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  52. If a manager was aggressive toward an employee in Shreveport, I can only speak for the newsroom, but I'm surprised someone hasn't blown before now - not that it is justified but who would be surprised. Employees have experienced: layoffs; more furloughs than they can count; no support whatsoever from corporate - even after launching a newly designed paper for a new press; a mediocre and laughable product that is the resul, in part, of too few copy editors/capable designers who admit they don't proof the paper anymore; no HR support other than the suggestion to go to a website; constant complaints from the public who also get mediocre service when calling about missed papers (what was it called? The Center for Excellence?); disdain by a declining readership who question the price of the paper when the content has suffered and (and who in Shreveport cares about some accident in Monroe or some city council issue in Lafayette?). Yes this list could go on...and on. Morale stinks and I commend those who have remained loyal to this Titanic and continue to do their best for whatever their reasons despite all the obstacles put in their way. No manager or anyone should get aggresive toward another... but being continually beaten down by the situation that is now Gannett probably promotes reaction instead of action in many instances.

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  53. Shreveport used to be a great place to work. It now sucks.

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  54. My god... you look at this shit and you really realize how fucked this company is. i'm taking the buyout after 30+ years . the money is not an issue... happiness and sanity is. I'll send a life preservers to those who stay.... good luck!

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    1. That is the sentiment of large number of us getting the hell out of the courier-post in a couple of weeks.

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  55. 11:19, is it me or do things seem to be getting worse? Even the employees seem to be fighting back, finally. I can't even imagine what it will be like in a year and I'm not sticking around to find out either!

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  56. Former Shreveporter

    When I was there I thought the newsroom needed a new executive editor, circ director played favorites, IT director was waiting on a package, HR - glad BD left, ad director needed to go, controller was a racist, marketing director - poor girl, publisher's assistant - uncle tom, publisher - hid his head in the sand, production manager - forced out

    NOW I am forced to work for a compnay twice as bad and the pay is twice as less not to mention my current benefits is nothing to brag about. There are no good jobs with good pay available for us and we are forced to drain savings and college funds. I will gladly exchange places with you. I will gladly have gannett micro manage my benefits my pay for the opportunity to work for them again. Please let me know who you are and I will take your place as a faithful worker.

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  57. 11:39 - There are and will be lots of opportunities for you to apply again. Come on back, they're going to need you.

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  58. Rudd who? Hunke took down his teen beat poster. The Ruddster don't exist in Hunke World no more.

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  59. While there are some people decidedly trying to make things better, the mood at USA Today has never been worse.

    What is happening in Sports is like a shot to the gut. Advertising has completely failed. Quality no longer seems to matter at any level in production.

    The only positive energy is in the newsroom (believe it or not), and in the digital relaunch.

    All else is complete gloom.

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  60. Hate to say it, but Ms. Washburn displays all the power and authority of an assistant librarian.

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  61. 11:39: Let me guess, you were the perfect employee and not at all racist.

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  62. To my colleagues who are facing an enormous decision between walking away from a job you've had for most your adult life to a a complete mystery of what will become of you after your one year severance stops rolling in, Godspeed.

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  63. Gracia, do us all a favor. Take some of that $300 million in share repurchase money and trim about 50% of the brilliant executives you've hired at corporate and USA Today and earmark funds for further buyouts and health coverage. You'll get rid of the alleged bad blood and supposedly unproductive types en masse. Oh, and once you hire your $35,000 a year production drones, you can add some people who can actually sell some ads. Tom Beusse certainly needs all te help he can get. So does Heather Frank and David Hunke. I will be sure to follow all the progress through your CMO's twitter feed. A couple of 140 character tweets ought to take care of detailing her accomplishments in her year here.

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  64. Shreveport is a study in how a solid newspaper that easily cleared good profits was ruined in the pressure to raise profits higher. It was a consolidation guinea pig. They've had something like 3 publishers in 6 years. One of the pubs who went through ripped through two newspapers, leaving real damage. Some people saw the writing on the wall while others stayed, hoping the slaughter would stop. An investigative report will show profits were maintained at a high level but with much cost to the future - and to people. With the loss of institutional knowledge happening now and in the past three years in all departments, a complete rebuild is the only answer.

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  65. When Mike, Claire, Sue and then Mike's replacement left, I should have too.

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  66. 6:58PM, What drugs are you taking?
    " morale has not been this high in some time", my ass! Let me guess, you believe in the Easter Bunny too?

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  67. Amen 10:39.

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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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