Saturday, April 28, 2012

April 23-29 | Your News & Comments: Part 6

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44 comments:

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

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  2. Has anyone else prepared large prints of the hotties on BNQT for the Shareholders Meeting next week?

    Cant wait for the opportunity to hold them up and ask some "questions of clarity" about Gannett's content vetting and standards across the brand.

    Bring 'em if you've got 'em, folks.

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  3. Speaking of publishers being let go-may be some truth to it. DB was not on site yesterday and he was not missed. Operation ran like a charm. What they send him down here for? Maybe he went away with EE? Would be best for a better atmosphere!

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  4. Serious question: does Kate Marymount still work for Gannett? What does she do? There has to be someone who can answer that question. Someone who visits here must work with her or see her. What is she working on?

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  5. Isn't it sad how this company is so intent on committing suicide?

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  6. Lots off chatter about Micek canning a bunch of marketing folks yesterday. Any details about how many and what they actually didn't do at the company? I saw her have a heart to heart with someone in the gilded hallway of the Crystal Palace yesterday. She seems far less ruthless than some of the people she works for. But of course, appearances can be just that.

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  7. Dear Martore, Jones, Ellwood, Banikarim and Micek: we are still waiting for the invitation to the White House dinner tonight. Party on. Hope it pays off with alot of big advertising buys as in the past. Remind us again how much this business dinner and party is costing USA Today.

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  8. If you don't like this blog then get your corporate asses off of here and go fawn over gannett.com.

    This blog, for better or worse, remains the only truthful and candid communication with insight into the outrageous behavior of our laughable leadership screwing with remains of Gannett.

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  9. Anything to be said about the Gannett retirement plan funding levels and PBGC coverage? Are lump-sum distributions afforded the same protection as a benefit that provides an annuity, or is there a walk-away risk? The number with a stake in this is dwindling, I am aware.

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  10. April 26.
    More layoffs at USA TODAY.

    Additionally, restructuring again - 3rd time in about 2 years.

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  11. To 2:35 - can your write without using some type of code. WTF

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  12. Micek canned six people: One in Tyson's, five in NYC, four of the NYC people researchers.

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    1. Five weren't in research. Get your facts correct M.

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  13. 2:44 asked: Serious question: does Kate Marymount still work for Gannett?

    Apparently Marymont works only for herself, as she doesn't seem to be doing anything for anyone else's benefit!

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  14. 1224, are you sure you aren't describing our Chief Marketing Officer or some of the other self absorbed senior managers at Gannett? The see no, hear no, do no nothing's such as Kate cause far less damage.

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  16. So when are they going to can people who make big salaries? Like to 20 vice presidents Hunke hired/appointed or the entire worthless Heather Frank team? What about Frank disciple Greenberg, now with a big title,moffice and pretend power because Gelman felt sorry for him? This guy has done absolutely nothing but surf the Internet since he's been here.

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  18. Marymount is not doing anything. She's keeping her head low and out of the limelight. Phil Currie's head probably spinning. She's done nothing.

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  19. USA Today hasn't had a research dept since Catherine Captain got the hell out of here seven years ago.

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  20. Micek canned the last of Cindy Freed's design group in NY to make way for Banikarim's new staff. Cheap young things instead of experience or talent.

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    1. Why so many posts about Marketing?

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  21. How much is Maryam Banikarim's plan to redesign all the floors of USAT NY offices going to cost us?

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    1. Let's see, because the floor is designed like an office in Mad Men! It's a dump.

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  22. Jim why do you bother to defend yourself to the obvious corp and HR fools trying to undermine you.

    Keep on.. You're all we have for the truth, with comments and all.

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  23. The Asbury Park Press will soon institute pay walls. There is a story online announcing the improvements. There will be more emphasis on education and food. There will be a consumer advocate. There will be a reporter who will tell people where to shop. There will be more watchdog reporting. So far, 74 people have written their opinions about paywalls_and 74 are against them. I fail to see how these improvements will work. The Press must get back to covering municipal governments, meaning council meetings, school board, planning board and zoning board. The Press was in its heyday when it covered government meetings closely. I see the paywalls and the new types of coverage not only failing, but failing miserably. After that, the downsizing will increase and The Press, whose building in Neptune is virtually empty, will wind up operating in rented office space out of an auto dealership.
    Gannett will wind up selling the building to either the federal or state governments within two or three years. The current building sits on a tract of about 10 acres. The Press is continuing to run fluff news.
    What is needs in the paper and online is news that has substance.

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  24. So are we going to see these kinds of posts every time the pay wall goes up at every site? Can't we just say content sucks, too many layoffs, no one will pay, every manager is stupid? There, we are done. Do we really have to suffer through these no it all posts?

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  25. 7:03: Do we have to suffer through your lousy spelling? As in no it all posts????!!!!!

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  26. 2:35, "Where does the animosity for the EE come from? Must be new to Gannett and have no clue that corporate dictates when you are out of the office ... and if they have you on the fast track, you are almost never there. I would venture to say EE would much prefer to be in the newsroom, helping what's left of it make a positive mark on the community instead of fielding calls about the joke the paper has become - holes in stories, so many typos that folks now count to see how many they can find in a given story. We all know that's what the community thinks of us - we even joke about it ourselves. So really, before being so entirely critical of the EE, spellcheck that story one more time before hitting send and make sure you're doing the best you can before throwing stones."

    I thought this quote from a previous thread was worth reposting since 2:35 reposted their comment. I have to agree. The EE is in a no win situation in Shreveport. The publisher came into town and started hacking before he even knew what was what, just like a good puppet would. The paper has become a joke since he arrived and the community is not happy, and obviously, no one who works here is happy either. I don't fault the Executive Editor.

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  27. 4:44, if Jim is all you have for the truth, then you should surrender right now.

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  28. Doesn't matter how much the tables cost USAT at the dinner tonight. All they have to do is institute more furloughs to lowlifes like me to cover the cost.

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    1. Mr "low life" why don't you share your annual salary with folks so the reporters in Louisiana can feel sorry for you!

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  29. Watching WHC Dinner on CSPAN... Very cool. Glad we are there with CNN, ABC News etc!

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  30. Lindsey Lohan and Greta Van Sustern. Greta looked better!

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  31. There is a weekly in LH's Midwest Group that is down 45% from 2010 revenue and is still pushing the same number of reps WTF !
    How can this be ?
    And why still open? Must be a whole lotta goofin going on there!

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  32. Does Maryim have a design degree? What's the point of redoing the offices in NYC? Shes never there and her henchwoman Micek is canning everyone.

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  33. I am embarrassed by the fluff stories we are running. I can't imagine corporate intended us to focus on fluff as core topics, so was something lost in translation or is fluff cheaper, easier, faster and we are doing that by default? Or is this intentional, to keep from pissing off advertisers? The answers are conjecture but the result is, we have lost focus and readers will look elsewhere for information

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  34. I've said this before, repeating for others: typos, shallow, lightly researched and poorly sourced stories are now the norm, not the exception. The EEs understand they have lost so much experience in reporting and so many copy editors that the best the can expect each day is mediocrity bordering on downright shitty reporting and stories. EEs are resigned to this fact, that the best they can hope for are some OK web updates daily, some videos and 1-2 pretty good stories on Sundays.

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  35. 9:27 I know first-hand how LH works....passive/aggressive. I'm sure the under performing publisher has been whipped privately but doesn't make waves publicly....so, keeps their job.

    You can be an idiot and survive...."Just take the beating and get out of the Meeting" Live to see another day.

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  36. Money section in USA today is a particular joke. None of their reporters seem to put the web first or are even in the stodgy print section very often. Editors seem disengaged from news and much enterprise beyond filler.

    That section needs to be Beussed next.

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  37. 10:27 AM-Mr. Lowlife's salary is 34K a year.

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  38. Also 10:27 AM-not every USAT employee lives in DC with Crystal Palace perks and wages. There are people nationwide from clerks and rack repair people making under $10 an hour to circulation district managers making under 40K while using the basement of their homes as their office.

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  39. The 20 or so Veeps on Hunke's payroll are all at $175k and up, plus bonuses and stock. Nice work, if you want to call doing nothing work.

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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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