Tuesday, May 15, 2012

May 14-20 | Your News & Comments: Part 3

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48 comments:

  1. Yesterday, Romenesko reported about a paper paying a blogger $500 for lifting his story (http://jimromenesko.com/2012/05/14/paper-pays-blogger-500-after-lifting-his-story/).

    Do you think the “Courier-Post” in Cherry Hill will do the same after their hockey writer and sports editor did something similar?

    “Adventures in plagiarism: Local paper rips off blog, thinks it did nothing wrong” (http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2012/5/12/3014597/plagiarism-courier-post-yahoo)

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  2. I haven't delved into the USA Today photographers/Olympics/US Presswire controversy because of this:

    Unless I'm mistaken, USAT has never had more than a handful of staff photographers. In other words, the paper has always relied on freelancers to cover most of its assignments.

    The issue here, I believe, is whether the switch to US Presswire photogs means that USAT is using second- and third-string freelancers for a major sports event.

    What do you think?

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  3. Sorry to post another item about the Cincinnati Enquirer, but I have to ask if the recent trend of posting photo essays (recycled ones, in some cases) in place of news stories the result of dwindling traffic, or the result of Washburn and company firing all the reporters?

    The one positive is that you can't make a spelling or grammatical error in a photo.

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  4. Depends on the area, but some of the Us presswire freelancers are excellent shooters. They know their sport or sports and have a lot of experience. Many are former newspaper photogs

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  7. 1:23 I remove name-calling posts, such as referring to someone as a "hack."

    1:27 And, of course, I remove comments in response to those posts.

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  8. I'm curious- who actually decides which presswire photographer gets hired for a particular assignment? Does Gannett make the choice of which photog goes to the olympics?

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  9. 1:16 PM is right, Jim. The shooters picked for the Olympics are hand-picked by someone who's covered a couple dozen Olympics. And many of them have covered past Olympics themselves.

    USAT shooters used to cover the Olympics decades ago in force, but staffing levels currently don't allow that, of course.

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  10. The way it worked in the past. USAT would send 5 or 6 of there staff of Photographers to the Olympics along with 5 or 6 staff members of other big and little Gannett paper's to cover the winter and summer game's. Doing the same with reports and some of their editor’s staff. I now this first hand, as I was a member of one of the USAT Olympic staff. Give you a USAT bye line. Your pay came from your newspaper budgets no OT but did got a back pack and three shirts and a windbreaker and Olympics pins ya ya. Was fun but long day’s and nights.

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  11. I agree. Calling someone a hack would imply someone wasn't nearly as good as they think they are. And that wouldn't be nice. We all know we are nice and truthful, espcially about execs around here, right Jimbo?

    But how about that poster from Cincinnati who complains (over, and over, and over, and over)about trivial matters like punctuation and spelling. And then forgets a verb in the post.

    But I totally agree. It would be bad to call someone a hack.

    Jim, what's worse, calling someone a hack, or the time you wrongly suggested a couple of top execs were having an affair? Can you post a chart of "sins" so we can rank them?

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  12. When did punctuation and spelling become trivial matters for a newspaper?

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  13. When the newspaper is a Gannett newspaper, silly! Punctuation is optional with this organization. Hee hee.

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  14. 2:38, you left out a space between the end parenthesis and the word about. Also, in your post at 12:31 AM on 5/15 you misspelled the word "given" in the fifth paragraph.

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  15. It's not necessarily just about the Olympics. USAT is choosing to cover the Olympics with freelancers from Presswire. I'm sure they'll be Presswire's best (that is not sarcastic). The experiment works, so later in the summer they choose not to cover the RNC and DNC instead relying on freelancers, some of whom may or may not be Presswire photographers. Same thing when NFL season starts. Gannett could order the Indianapolis or Green Bay or Phoenix still credentials to go to Presswire photographers and order us to use Presswire photos.

    Presswire photographers are paid about $125 a day for a game (vs about $250 a day for a staffer in Phoenix) they get no benefits, have to pay their own gas and parking and they have to provide their own gear. Using Presswire costs a fraction of staffers. This is the beginning of the end of staff photographers at USAT and eventually USCP.

    That's why the Presswire / Olympics thing is a big deal.

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  16. It's official, The Paper in Lafayette , Indiana is closing its doors in 2 weeks, herd it from corp. top brass

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  17. Should we know what that is, 3:16? Certainly you are not referring to the Gannett paper and are too lazy to get the name.

    And can we ask who you "herd" this bit of information from? Is it someone credible? And if so, why not say who?

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  18. "GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook" WSJ

    http://tinyurl.com/bo9l4sl

    If Facebook can’t deliver increased revenues through advertising, then there’s one place it can, business home pages that all enjoy now for free (something they should charge for in some way or another anyway).

    Yet another reason why Gannett should have created its own way to authenticate people who comment on its sites versus using Facebook.

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  19. That's why I check this blog: some civil, reasoned point of view such as 3:09's above.

    His or her post is in stark contrast to the childish lapses into smarmy "cat/dogfight" stuff which also pop up.

    Really, folks, no one's interested in your personal attacks against total strangers. No points are scored for your anonymous ego.

    Sure, such stuff is great for junior high, but it's depressingly alienating past that.

    Thanks, Hopkins, for deleting the name-callers.

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  20. It appears Wall Street isn't impressed with all the big appointments and news from USA Today. Thats just their negative two cents worth.

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  21. Usat may not have reporters covering the Olympics but I guarantee brass Buesse, Banikarim, Payne, jones, Hunke, Micek, Murcko will be in London partying it up. Err, I mean finding revenue.

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    1. We used to have someone in marketing that went to these type of events. Once the plane landed they were never seen until the plane left for home. Boondogglers come at all levels. Trust me it's true

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  22. Last time I checked, Gannett had a presence in the UK called Newsquest. I assume those properties have photogs. I assume they have reporters who can do stories on American athletes. Why send ANYONE over?

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    1. Good thinking! Why don't they use Newsquest?

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  23. Here's what I really want to know. Is Gannett really as horrible as you all paint it? I was being considered for an editing position in Des Moines....but after reading this blog for a few days, didn't even return a call to set up an interview.

    Is that fair?

    Time after after time,I've seen Gannett staffers tee off on corporate folks...savaging them...anonymously. It just doesn't seem fair...unless the corporate culture is so TOXIC that it justifies the piling on.

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    1. If you need a job - take it. If you don 't, run as fast as you can..,,

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    2. Even if you really need a job for now, take the one at Gannett but keep looking and get out as fast as you can. Remember, they don't care about employees and will crap on you whenever it is convenient for them. So, give them a taste of what they truly deserve...use them for your personal benefit.

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  25. 7:36, Gannett is bad for many reasons. But a lot of those reasons are linked to things that people here supported. They backed the dumbing-down of the newspaper because they thought it would make their jobs easier.

    Now the plan has failed, so they pretend they were against it. In addition, many of the people here could no longer function in a news organization that demanded output. As soon as they had to adapt to new tasks, they were out of their league.

    Instead of trying to improve or looking at their own flaws, they blame Gannett. That's why 3 1/2 years later, you see people still citing a strength of this blog as a place to vent. They have to attack Gannett because the other alternative is to place the blame where it really lies.

    They also have created this fantasy world where Jim breaks news. It's hilarious to see the weekly pleas for Jim to investigate PointRoll or something else.

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  26. 7:49, you're probably right about the intentions.

    That's why I answered in the fashion I did. It takes the bat out of the hands of the people who just want to trash the company. They never respond to that criticism, either, because they have no response. It's valid criticism, backed with evidence. Anyone who disagrees just doesn't get it.

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  27. Why does Gannett keep trying things that fail over and over again. Do they think this time it will be different? I mean Deal Chicken was tried in select markets three years ago and it failed. So they see Groupon stock go up and decide lets bring it back. At my local paper they let go of all the in house drivers for Single Copy routes recently and replaced them with a distributor. Does that make sense? They already tried that twice in the last 12 years then returned to the in house drivers after the quality of service dropped to the point that customers were leaving. They found out then that it wasn't worth it to lose the experienced drivers, so they brought them back. Why can't they see the harm they are causing to people, and the community not to mention the money they are throwing away.

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  29. 7:51 -- Anyone who uses the phrase "just doesn't get it" has lost the argument.

    Gannett is a struggling company that treats its employees brutally -- even those who have been superb workers. That's what people should take away from this blog. As should you.

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    1. Please give examples of this brutal behavior other than layoffs and furloughs. This melodramatic crap has gotten so old.

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  30. 9:26 has no response to the valid criticism. As usual, it's "blame corporate."

    What people should take away from this blog is you've had 3 1/2 years to advance a topic or do something other than vent. You haven't, and that speaks volumes about the lack of talent possessed by the people who vent here.

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  31. 3 1/2 years later Gannett is a shell of its former self, having fallen victim to bad decisions, a lack of vision, and a decimated work force. Under the leadership of Craig DuBow, thousands of lives were turned upside down, all so he and other members of senior management could collect multi-million dollar paychecks. Gannett stock is worth a fraction of what it was 3 1/2 years ago. The company is a laughingstock nationally and in the communities it serves, and it produces a substandard product both online and in print.

    That is why people continue to vent. Blaming Jim and this blog doesn't change what Gannett has become.

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  32. 9:37 Repeat after me: Repeatedly asserting the same thing doesn't make it true.

    Also, reading can be fun! It was a perfectly valid criticism of Gannett.

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  33. 9:43, that's the most laughable post yet. You and the venters have done nothing other than repeat the same things again and again. For 3 1/2 years! Doesn't it get dull? Pointless? It should.

    9:38, Jim and others are getting blamed for not advancing a reasonable discussion on any issue ever. Try to keep your conspiracy theories in check for a short time.

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  34. 9:53, cotinuing to deflect the conversation away from Gannett and towards Jim does not change what a crap company Gannett has become.

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  35. 9:53 -- I'm taken aback by your blazing wit and closely reasoned defense of Gannett's treatment of its employees. Wait. No, I'm not. That's because you have neither wit nor a reasoned defense.

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  36. News flash -- I'm not trying to defend Gannett. If you still have not figured that out, then you have issues of your own.

    But you and the other people who vent have only one response -- to accuse anyone who criticizes you of being pro-corporate. That wore thin two years ago.

    Now, start offering a defense, or admit you have none. You have advanced no topics in 3 1/2 years. You should be well past the venting stage by now. If not, then you probably have nothing to offer as an employee.

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  37. Since you asked 10:50 PM…

    • Throwing items at managers.
    • Routinely, aggressively dressing down people even in front of their own subordinates.
    • Yelling at employees just inches from their face.
    • Demanding employees leave even doctor’s appointments for non-important issues.
    • Using IT staff to repair and home-deliver even their children’s computer equipment.
    • Quietly allowing people who’ve been terminated to recieve extra weeks of pay without paperwork so group publisher, corporate won’t inquire why.
    • Firing employees at will who if challenged it legally would win monies.
    • Creating hostile environments whereby no one dares bring bad news or even question clearly bad decisions.

    Acts like these are hardly secrets in Gannett, yet you act as if yoiu are unawre of any and all know why.

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  38. 7:05 Newsquest's 17 dailies are very small community papers, and they've suffered big layoffs, too.

    In some years, the layoff rate in the Newsquest division was highest in Gannett.

    Those papers' reporters have communities to cover, and the photogs have local photos to shoot.

    They're not there to do stories on Olympic athletes, including especially American ones.

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  40. Hostile posters will be ignored.

    Same thing with repetitive posts. Supporter or detractor, if I've read it before I'll move along. I got into the business because I enjoyed news, not reading the classics.

    Just as an editor weeds out astroturf letters within a few words, I'm going to move to something a bit more interesting when I see '3 1/2' pop up again.

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  41. 4:10 thanks. You echo the sentiments of many who come here, including myself.

    Sometimes I think the malcontent naysayer(s) think they'll drive us away, but they won't. I still come here for the snippets of news it provides, and to hear word of how my colleagues elsewhere are being treated.

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  42. To the person who thought about applying for the job in Des Moines, 2:28 speaks the truth. LH is one of the worst publishers I've ever worked for. She is uninspiring and mean spirited. You're better off looking elsewhere for a job. Her new motto is "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable." I'm not kidding. They don't like happy employees in Gannett.

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  43. Great news that we are using freelancers for our Olympics photos. I'm sure SI will be doing the same thing. Right!

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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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