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Tuesday, March 27, 2012
63 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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Cant wait for GM's response to the confidential employee survey. I predict a new Director of Empolyee Engagement at every Gannett property modeled after USA Today. Let the Hunger Games begin!
ReplyDeleteCorporate's latest bright idea to screw up life for everyone: Let's take the employee evaluation process, which is a pain and a massive time suck as it is, and make all employees (and their supervisors) go through it for everyone at the same time each year.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's a reason for this, but it hasn't been communicated. Trying to do my own self-evaluation and then the evaluation for all of my direct reports at the same time is going to be an insane time killer in the next few months.
Sounds like Florida Today is still the same when I left year and half ago, too bad. Sounds like the employees are not pleased with the GPS manager who ever that is. Guess you still can't voice anything around there, just make sure everything is just rosie, that's what we went thru and it sucked!
ReplyDeleteIs this the last week before more layoff announcements are made?
ReplyDeleteBuyout deadline approaches and it doesn't appear that management has created new ,great ideas to increase revenue shortfalls.
So,is there another solution or is the same ol,same ol?
Just layoff lots of people to cut expenses!
The clock is ticking as we await the punishment to be handed out to those evil Gannett Wisconsin "Recall Walker" petition signers.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to everyone making their buyout decision known today. HR at my site has told people they will not know on Friday if their offer is accepted or not. They will be told sometime after the seven days employees have to rescind their acceptance. Has anyone else been told this same info? Doesn't match with what is in the EROP paperwork.
ReplyDeleteIn Camden, where 17 of 22 eligible employees are accepting the buyout, there is a farewell reception on WEDNESDAY. As in tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteYou mean Cherry Hill. The Courier Post left Camden 50 years ago.
DeleteIn Cincinnati, 26 buyouts were offered: 6 in advertising, 1 online, 19 in the information center. 26 are going to be accepted. All 6 people in advertising have accepted already. I don't know about the other areas. The seven day period to change your mind starts on the day you turn in your papers.
ReplyDelete@5:58 AM, is that because the whole "employee engagement" thing has worked so well at USAT? Yeah, that's what I thought.
ReplyDeleteMakes me yearn for the days of Gallup's Strengths Every Day and at least the pretense that we gave a shit about maximizing employees contributions. Now, it's just Gracia's attitude that we should be happy we're still employed.
Here's the numbers from Phoenix of the number of EROP offers given and the number that will be accepted by department:
ReplyDeleteAccounting/Finance 4/2
Advertising/Sales/Marketing 10/10
General Administration 3/3
Information Technology 5/1
News/Information Center 44/44
Online 1/1
Marketing/Creative 2/2
Technical Operations 1/1
I don't know how many employees are accepting the offers but my guess is that except for Accounting and IT, most will take the buyout.
Wow, at least Camden's having a reception. Seems it will happen on the downlow at my site.
ReplyDeleteThe wording is fitting:
ReplyDeletePlease join us on Wednesday, March 28th, 3:30 p.m., in the former Classified Department, as we bid farewell to our retirees.
Way to target the digital audience:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dealchicken.com/salem-or?source=IP|nav|dealchickenfeatured
FORT MYERS HERE AGAIN looks like our HR QUEEN has done it again, her assistant quit again, AW TAKE THE BUYOUT, who is in charge of this woman?
ReplyDeleteNot surprised 26 accepted in Cincinnati. In addition to the two sports editors who are leaving, information center losing top political writer, lifestyle editor, a top photographer, copy desk chief, a bureau chief, a couple of good reporters. Will the last person shut out the light? No one wants to work under conditions where they are treated like crap, supervised by a lackluster group and have a newsroom leader who is a legend in her own mind. If you think the paper is bad now, what until this stampede happens.
ReplyDeleteNot all in Cincy are taking the buyouts. At least in News.
DeleteBy the way, Drunk driver kills passenger celebrates its eighth day as lead item on the Enquirer's crime and courts section. Is there no other news going on. The story is no longer news it's history.
ReplyDeleteWhile people flee Cinncy, Washburn is partying up a storm during the digital summit at Tyson's. Schoolmarms Gone Wild!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt’s worse than that 11:58 AM as if people looked at the page you cite more closely (linked below)all will see headlines from stories published weeks ago including one on how Obama is coming to Dayton for March Madness.
ReplyDeletePeople will stop visiting this site the more it continues; turn on paywalls and charge for this crap and they’ll flee it even more.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=NEWS
Gannett is going to accept all 26 of the offers they've extended. Other than the 6 people in advertising who are bailing out, I don't know how many are taking the offers from the other depts.
ReplyDeleteDon't cry for the people taking the buyout, they are happy campers. It's easier to leave this train wreck than you believe it will be.
ReplyDeleteRemember Andrea McCarren? She's the reporter from WUSA9 in D.C. who brought about a kerfuffle with her stories about underage drinking. Now she's pulled strings with her children's high school to ban a student newspaper that reported about her.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't the web site being updated? When Ron Liebau was here the site was updated so fast that stories lasted on the page for about 30 minutes before replaced by new news.
ReplyDeleteWhen are you all going to realize that content doesn't matter anymore? As long as the advertisers are paying, Corporate is happy!! When the advertisers stop paying, we'll start listening and pretend to care. I know, maybe we should send them a survey!
ReplyDeleteThis whole digital strategy workshop is just a scam. another waste of time and money, unless you are attending the special suckup and ass kissing symposium.
ReplyDeleteThere is a MAJOR cover up going on within Pointroll and it is getting ugly. It appears that Rob Gatto and his hench(wo)men are trying to cover up their mess before Gannett's figures everything out.
ReplyDeleteJim the Blogger,
You should be all over this action. This is probably one of the biggest downfall of Gannett's mismanagement.
My fellow collegues are Pointroll are worried they are doing some illegal things and will get caught up in the mess.
Sarah Ripmaster is asking the team to do some crazy stuff that doesn't make sense.
As long as Cincinnati can keep throwing up photo galleries of T&A around town, they don't need reporters.
ReplyDeleteTo all of you who are lucky enough to be able to accept buyout offers: You have no idea how I envy you. Although I easily "qualified" for an offer, it was not extended to me. I guess I'll just have to roll up my sleeves and work even harder to make myself more expendable. Surely, this long nightmare has an ending.
ReplyDelete2:07 Jim has no time for Pointroll. He is too busy chasing down that RD story
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete2:07 - That is a really bothersome post, like so many others on here. Employees are doing things they never would otherwise for fear of losing their jobs. In the end, the things they're doing may cost them their jobs anyway so is it really worth it? If a manager is telling you to do something that you think in your heart is wrong, please say no. This company is not worth a lawsuit, or worse yet, jail.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete9:00am
ReplyDeleteThat would be Evan Ray- VP of GPS
GPS VP Evan Ray is laying way to low sense taking on that position. The reason is he has no clue in how to manage, let alone run a Division of this size. So how about Mr. Ray, how about sending some memo's to your employees on just what the plan for GPS is, because no one who works for you has a clue. Do you?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is not likely, he is a figure head who one day soon will be st up to take the fall for the down fall of print revenues. And this will happen, no vision, no sales reps beating doors down looking for commercial work, no leaders at Printing plants worth a shit, The top secret GPS Division is like working for the CIA..no one knows what the other is doing and no one gives a shit any more. Take that to the Bank Rayman....We are sinking, do you or your suits have a plan or not?
The Happy Pressman
You know why I am The happy Pressman, because if I loose my job, money and family is no issue, so I am happy, as far as working for Gannett, that is were I am not Happy. I used to love going to work and putting out a great newspaper, know its just a pay check. I don't care because Corp. does not care.
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ReplyDelete4:03
ReplyDeleteYour right about Ray and GPS. We have no idea at our site what is going on or who is Ray and what are the plans for the division. Most of our guys are looking for jobs, place sucks any more. Furloughs anyone?
Yeah agreed with earlier posters: Leadership at GPS is a farce, what with Evan Ray and Austin Ryan in charge. All of us in that group count on scatterbrained and poor communications, bullying tactics and their favorites getting all the pie. Quite the old-boy network there, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteNeither have a clue that their dumbed-down approach leaves staff feeling unwanted, unsupported and angry -- and vendors think they are the laughing stock. Just look at the butt smoochers who work for those people directly, like Tons Humphfries and rest of the sycophants who are afraid to challenge weak-minded leadership.
There are 30,000 employees at Gannett. So, there are probably 5000-8000 managers. Since everything I read here is bad, how about naming the good managers. Let's see, that means just 50-80 in the company. Who are they? When can they take over?
ReplyDelete6:39 - we start naming the good managers they are sure to get laid off, right? Can't have anyone be successful and liked in this company.
ReplyDelete6:39 I can't name one good manager SORRY!
ReplyDeleteI think naming employees at the manager level is disallowed on Hopkins' blog, and, I'm right, for good reason.
ReplyDeleteIt would by association identify workers who use this blog who named those managers, jeopardizing both the manager and the manager's subordinates.
Sad, but that's Gannett's toxic culture, not the posters'. I, myself, had a great manager: very intelligent and respectful. An actual advocate.
The individual who preceded this manager, though, had no such qualities, and the individual before that person was a flaming jerk who should have been in a straightjacket.
Today in Cincy an email went out lamenting that so many readers were either cancelling their newspaper subscriptions or downgrading to Sunday only. The email from CW's assistant aka office manager asked for volunteers to call out subscribers and find out what we could do to get them back. Pretty ridiculous to ask an already overstressed staff to take on another task. After all didn't Gannett already outsource circulation customer service? Let them do it.
ReplyDeletePretty soon the newsroom will be asked to sell advertising, shoot video, take stills with those nifty new iPhones, report, write, edit and post our own stories. We already do most of that.
Is anyone else out there being asked to do the same thing? I'm sure CW's gaggle of regular A-kissers will offer so, naively thinking it will help them keep their jobs.
Bob Campbell is an excellent manager. Ask any one of his crew and they will confirm that he knows how to get the job done.
ReplyDeletePlease share buyout names. Those of us who've played Gannett hopskotch will want to know which of our former coworkers were eased into the afterlife.
ReplyDelete7:10 here. Guess I was mistaken. Naming a manager is O.K. Not to be the negative sort, the plus side is that at least someone gets some positive recognition. That's a rarity with this outfit. And fleeting.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteSince you don't respond to emails, here is what I know of the buyouts offered at Florida Today.
Offered/Accepted:
Advertising 6/1 (rumors have it one more taking the offer)
News 4/1
IT 2/2
Admin 1/1
In all honesty, there could be one less offer in Adv and one more in News, but total number of accepted are correct.
These are unconfirmed numbers, but scuttlebutt has been pretty accurate in the past.
Rumor has it that PointRoll is now a Dry shop... No more mid day drinking in King of Prussia PA.
ReplyDelete8:25 I'm sorry if I failed to respond to an earlier e-mail from you.
ReplyDeleteI've now added these figures to the buyout spreadsheet.
Please e-mail me anytime in the future, and reference the fact that I didn't respond during previous exchanges.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9209
ReplyDeletevery interesting take on the journalists that signed the petition.... :)
I am a good manager
ReplyDeleteHey 7:12 PM, some of us are being asked to sell advertising, sort of. Our Deal Chicken rep asked if reporters could tweet out the daily deals to add to the buzz.
ReplyDelete9:27 . . . so bradblog's point is if you DIDN'T sign the petition, then you SUPPORT Gov. Walker. Nice stretch of logic, that. I suspect this guy is angling for a guest spot on "The Ed Show". All we need now is to find out the Koch brothers own a few million Gannett shares, and Brad's head will explode.
ReplyDeleteUSA Today is imploding.
ReplyDeleteWe are all imploding. How much time do you think we have left? Five years? Two?
ReplyDeleteLess.
ReplyDeleteIf Cincy is losing subscribers at an increased rate now, then just wait until the compact format arrives as even more will.
ReplyDeleteAnd why wouldn’t they as in all seriousness, does anyone really think cutting newshole by a rumored 7% and then shrinking it even more through increased photo sizes will actually retain subscribers who are left? Will it bring back those who already fled due to concerns over lack of content and increased fluff? Of course not, yet Cincinnati’s publisher long ago proved she had little tolerance for those types of discussions.
The switch to Facebook commenting (unique posters and comments overall markedly dropped) and extending the shelf life of website stories by letting many run for days, if not weeks threatens online too, yet those practices continue.
All of which makes calling former subscribers a truly interesting move as it seems really designed to appease corporate as much, if not all, of what will be learned has been long known by many employees. Too bad much of what they had to offer was often ignored. Why? Because this publisher has created a culture whereby openness is, well, far from valued.
Moreover, that’s the problem here and elsewhere throughout Gannett as blaming the economy and internet growth can only go so far.
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ReplyDeleteIn the immortal words of Butthead: "OK, Beavis."
ReplyDeleteIn Shreveport, the economic decline has nothing to do with the way this place is going to tank by the end of the year.
ReplyDelete7:13 That's a joke right?
ReplyDeleteBob Campbell doesn't work, if he gets the job done he does it by yelling, bullying, being disrespectful, or foaming at the mouth. He sits on his but, mumbles when he talks, and is demeaning to employees! Truly you jest!
TRUE, unless of course that is your protocol for a good manager?
Another re-org is coming to USA Today next week. That would be the third in about 18 months. Mismanagement, sales channel conflict, short-term thinking, and no marketing to speak of. But, we'll get the next re-org right!
ReplyDelete