Sunday, April 01, 2012

March 26-April 1 | Your News & Comments: Part 7

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56 comments:

  1. Taking a huge, huge leap into the big lottery drawing yesterday, I bought a $1 ticket. And I won $3!

    As a reader told me in an e-mail, the astronomically high odds of winning are still better than the odds of getting a pay raise from Gannett.

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  2. "Astronomically high odds of winning" would be fortunate. Presumably you mean low odds of winning, or high odds of losing. Not to be pedantic.

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  3. Question for out-of-work Gannettoids over 55: Has anyone bought their own health insurance? I am wondering if there are any options cheaper/better than the Gannett Retirement Plan. Any advice would be welcome!

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  4. To 8:35 in Part 1 from this morning.
    I got news for you, weather your an elite writer who thinks your shit don't stink, if GPS goes down...YOU go down! If Gannett goes all digital they will not need reporters and editors and all the other departments they have know. It will be done with a couple hundred people for a year or so, and up in smoke goes the whole company. We bust our ass to put out a dam good looking newspaper, but its a pride thing for us, most of us are looking for new jobs and we Fing hate working for Ray and Gannett!
    Happy Pressman

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  5. 4:03 and others.You are exactly correct.If Scott Walker were a democrat there would be hell to pay for the petitioners if they were backing a republican agenda.In fact they would be hunted down and addresses,place of work and kids names probably made public as well.

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  6. 4:18 is correct. My suddenly gained wealth left me temporarily confused.

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  7. Jim,
    What has your investigation of Pointroll turned up? Do you still keep in tough with Saradakis? We would be curious to get his thoughts.

    It appears that Gannett has hired some high power attorney's to investigate Pointroll management and their privacy breach.

    It also seems like there are more questions surrounding the ethics of this leadership team.

    It would be great if you can help us out.

    Thank you!

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

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  9. For those over 55, the only option are the state-run high-risk plans, better than nothing. However, it could die if Obamacare is tossed.

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  10. Today's Cincinnati Enquirer offers a glimpse at the future without the 19 newsroom folks it's buying out. The Opinion page, which is losing its last editorial editor, gives us a length-of-the-page guest column written by two county commissioners who write to correct misinformation written by Enquirer reporters and repeated by the editorial writer. There is no opposing view, so it's obvious that the paper was obligated to give the commissioners all the space they needed.

    Then, the skimpy four-page business section doesn't have a single staff-written story, which is pretty bad for a city the size of Cincinnati. Instead, we get two "guest stories" written by executives of two banks. Both are first-person pieces, and they take up two-thirds of the business front. This must be what Buchanan and Washburn have in mind for their proclaimed continuing commitment to watchdog journalism.

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    1. Face it 2:12 the only conversations people on this blog seem to care about seem to be USAT and Pointroll. Perhaps Jim will add separate blogs so we can actually have meaningful convos about what's going on at the sites where most of us arm employed.

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  11. Gannett Co., Inc., is searching for a Consolidated Wire Chief to manage a newly-formed national desk in Des Moines, IA.
    www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1340931

    A Corporate National desk? WTF?

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  12. 4:24, a high-deductible plan, purchased on the open market, is cheaper than Gannett -- if you don't have pre-existing conditions.

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    1. When you say high deductible, what do you mean? How much is the deductible? $500, $1000, $2000?

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  13. The sad thing about "crowd-sourcing" at a blog like this is that there is no way to know whether all this Pointroll "scandal" stuff is real, or just someone trying to stir up a fuss for the fun of it.

    Interestingly, no one seems to be knocking it down -- that there is a problem -- but there's still no evidence at all that there is an "investigation,' lawyers and things like that.

    Will be interesting to see.

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  14. 4:24 - Here's a good place to start looking for insurance, especially if you have any pre-exisiting conditions: http://finder.healthcare.gov/

    Some states have high risk pools but are usually fairly expensive. There is lower cost insurance available for people with pre-existing conditions but often you must be without insurance for six months to qualify. Most of us with pre-existing conditions can't take that chance.

    Many states also have excellent webpages to help you find low cost insurance.

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  15. Speaking of the lottery... Here in Phoenix we have a duplicate numbers story at a local TV station.

    http://www.azfamily.com/news/consumer/Duplicate-Lottery-tickets-raise-questions-over-games-legitimacy-145226305.html

    Makes one wonder?

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  16. Watched a hockey game yesterday with Boston feed. During the game there was an ad for the Boston Globe, focusing on all the ways to get BG online...computer, phone, tablet. As much as I despise newspapers forhoing print I must say I was impressed. Pretty classy. Haven't seen but a couple of TV ads about Brevard's paper and it pales in comparison.

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  17. Reno
    IC side says:
    We want to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.

    Sales and advertising side says:
    We want to target the 25 to 44 year age group. And the Well-to-do.

    But what if the IC side Afflicts the Well-to-do first?

    rah, friggin rah rah

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  18. A lottery win is the only American dream left. Sad but true.

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  19. 3/31/2012 4:58 PM - To claim that your ideology is just nonpartisan good citizenship doesn't pass the laugh test.

    For God's sake, get a grownup to explain the ethical situation to you — somebody outside your psychedelic fog and Occupy drum circle.

    And while you're out broadening your horizons, you might also actually engage in adult conversation with fellow citizens who have viewpoints other than your own.

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  20. IC?
    It's the newsroom.

    Please quit with the corporate-speak IC crap.

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  21. 7:29 is correct but you will still find it hard to find insurance that is affordable, esp. with a pre-existing condition ... the high-rish pools are as expensive or more so that Gannett retirement healthcare. If the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare, you can forget about buying insurance at all on the open market.

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  22. Thanks to those of you who weighed in on health insurance. Anyone familiar with AARP's plans?

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  23. Kudos to Howard Kurtz on CNN's Reliable Sources for taking Wisconsin Gannett Journalists for signing the petition.

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  24. March Madness ends tomorrow night in New Orleans and the Cincinnati Enquirer still has a headline on it’s main news page that “Obama (is) coming to Dayton…” for it.

    Yeah, people will love paying for that type of news once paywalls go up.

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  25. @5:12 - yet another reason I refuse to renew my subscription. The Enquirer sent me a "we want you back" mailer offering 37% off for six months. Why would I pay even a discounted rate for that garbage? They should be paying me to read it.

    I'm still flabbergasted that they think enough people will pay for the content online to make money.

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  26. What do you mean by the Gannett Retirement Health Plan? Unless you just mean Cobra. I have a $5000 deductible BCBS Plan for my wife until she can get on Medicare and its costing me $4580 in premium payments a year. The deductible actually comes out to a payment of $5800. for the year.

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  27. To 12:45: If you're over 55 and retire from Gannett, you're eligible for the retiree health plan. My premium this year, for myself only, is $626/month. I'm going to be very glad to turn 65.

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  28. Did any of the WI 25 do more than sign? Hope not, but with some of the overblown rhetoric that's been offered in their defense, you have to wonder.

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  29. Agree with 11:07 on insurance info. Have a family member in a state high risk pool (only insurance he can get due to pre-existing conditions). Premiums go up each year on his birthday and because it is only high risk people, the premiums are very high. He is 55 and his monthly premium is $975 per month with a $1500 deductible which includes medications. This time of year, his bill at the drug store is around $200 per month. Family is pitching in to help but more than $1200 a month is not possible for much longer. He could qualify for lower cost insurance but would have to without insurance for six months first which really isn't an option either.

    If you signed the buyout and still have time to rescind, make sure you checked out your insurance options before tomorrow's deadline.

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  30. @12:02 Where is Kurtz taking the journalists?

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    1. Ha!!! Taking them to task

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  31. Why has nothing about the retiree health plan been provided people receiving the buyout offer? Has anyone had trouble getting details about the benefits until after you signed to accept?

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  32. Sadly, 9:16 IC is more appropriate since what is being produced is not really news anymore - which is why NEWSpapers don't sell now.

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  33. mention of retiree benefits was in the FAQ sent out with the packet. Did anyone read it??? You have to be 55

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  34. I was one of those laid off in the big 2008 downsizing, and I found that I was still eligible for employee retiree benefits as long as I claimed them before my severance payments ran out. I don't know whether that's still the case this time around, but it's certainly worth checking on. I pay $500-plus a month for the same United Healthcare plan that the employees at the paper get. The employees get it cheaper, obviously, but I'm glad to have it because of a pre-existing condition.

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  35. I have to say I am also one of those who believe reporters really should not be signing petitions - but having said that, because of a past experience in a newsroom I worked in (and to clarify - it was non-Gannett), I have to wonder how far this is taken and to what degree.

    Just because a reporter should not/ can not sign a petition, does that bar their spouse or others living in their homes from putting a placard in their yard? If a private shared car has a bumper sticker on it - who gets the blame?

    The political sticker thing sticks in my craw a bit because of something that happened to a co-worker at a non-Gannett shop. Because we did not have enough company-owned vehicles one day, he took his private car to cover a political rally. While he was working, some over-zealous political campaign worker went out to the parking lot and slapped bumper stickers on every car in the lot.

    I don't know about you but I don't (didn't) check my car for bumper stickers every day. Sure enough, someone complained to management - and my co-worker served a day suspension before we got to the bottom of things.

    Because placards and bumper stickers were brought up in earlier discussions of this whole issue, I just thought I might point out that it is not always as simple as it seems.

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  36. As Gannett continues to slowly lead from behind in building its brand, led by Banikarim’s intense focus on her own, others sharpen their focus on profitability building theirs….Beginning in April, visitors to NYTimes.com can access 10 free articles each month, rather than 20.

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  37. 2:45 - Read it but the answer doesn't contain much detail "you will be able to continue health insurance coverage, if eligible, under retiree medical program . . ."

    3:58 - Thanks for the info, more detail than the FAQ or info received from the folks on the HR 800-line have provided.

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  38. Always nice to learn from Gannett Blog that my job is being eliminated. Nary a word of this had been spoken, but obvioulsy planning has been ongoing for some time.


    Anonymous said...
    Gannett Co., Inc., is searching for a Consolidated Wire Chief to manage a newly-formed national desk in Des Moines, IA.
    www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1340931

    A Corporate National desk? WTF?

    3/31/2012 6:38 PM

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  39. Jimmy ,

    Got the Rudd shit? On the trail? Just on the Castro?

    Tea dance?

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  40. Does anyone know anything about our life insurance policy after we took the buy out at the Courier Post at Gannett.

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    1. It ends unless you purchase a policy through Met Life

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  41. Lansing State Journal going to paywall. My subhead: Readers not pleased

    http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20120401/NEWS01/304010187/Major-changes-coming-your-LSJ?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

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  42. "Nary a word of this had been spoken,..." that's how Gannett rolls. Witnessed it many, many times. And it's always demeaning.

    The earliest instance: a great "assistant manager" worked her entire shift, skipping breaks, skipping lunch, a fixture of my department. A very conscientious employee.

    In thanks for that at the end of her shift, they just walked up and escorted her out of the building.

    Escorted. Like an insult.

    It really affected her.

    No irony that my site is next to the city dump.

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  43. We haven't heard anything from DealChicken lately. With the latest bad news from Groupon, (http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/30/technology/groupon-earnings-refunds/) where "Groupon revealed that its independent auditor uttered the dreaded phrase "material weakness."

    I am curious as to how Gannett's Groupon wannabe is getting along. Anyone heard anything?

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  44. 7:22 "Tea dance"? You're showing your age, Miss Thing.

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  45. Fly on the Wall4/01/2012 9:20 PM

    @5:12 pm, didn't you know, the examples you cited are content evolution at it's finest. We get bloggers and citizen journalists to help fill in that white space while the "real" journalists are pursuing the corporate determined Passion topics. And if those "citizens" happen to be county commissioners, their spokesfaces and bank big shots, well so much the better. Maybe one of them will buy an add on the website, print, tablet and smartphone platforms. Oh, wait.....the last two haven't been rolled out yet.
    @5:20 The last time i looked we were in America, where citizens, even those who work for Gannett, have the right to freedom of expression. And while common sense should prevail (ie: don't slap a Bumper sticker on your car, for a candidate in a race in your market), the right to sign a petition is as American as voting, or should journalists give that up too?
    Again, common sense should prevail, which would include a reporter who signed a recall petition to disclose that to their editor, especially if they cover the state house or perhaps the courts where it could land. I would expect any ethic reporter to make that disclosure and recuse themselves from covering the issue. But I doubt 25 people will be covering that issue, so this smacks of corporate overreaching.
    Would that the ethics policy were enforced with equal zeal on the higher ups as it is on the workers in the trenches.....

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  46. Everybody whining about Wisconsin does realize that the Gannett papers would have been raked over the coals in every other medium in every market in the state, had we not run that collaborative publishers' mea culpa?

    Keeping with the Latin, it's no fait accompli that we will editorially support Scott Walker in the recall, either.

    If anything, Gannett stands to profit the more elections we have. Rather than suppress the recall, it's in our financial best interest to get as much advertising as possible. It hasn't come to that, yet.

    Adversus solem ne loquitor.

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  49. So, 7:34, which do you suppose it is? 175 years or 157?

    Yeah, I'd pay for this site. This is from the first two grafs of the Lansing paywall story.

    "For most of Michigan’s 175-year history, the Lansing State Journal, in one form or another, has been a valued voice in the state capital and its nearby communities.

    It has served its readers and advertisers by fulfilling their expectations, changing as they’ve changed. Through the Civil War, the birth and growth of the auto industry, the transformation of Michigan Agricultural College to Michigan State University — all 157 years of our history — the Lansing State Journal has provided sustained and valued leadership."

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  50. Simple, 2:30. Michigan has been a state for 175 years and the LSJ has been around for 157 of them.

    Where did you go to school, that you can't understand that?

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  51. Editor who runs coverage of state college = paid to teach at state college.

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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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