Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
45 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."
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
With circulation down,and ad revenue down,albeit not as much as perhaps thought, is it not logical that layoffs will follow? This has been the normal mode of operation for the past four years.
ReplyDeleteRevenue down ,so cut the equivilent cost,I.E.employees.
I canceled my subscription to the newspaper and will not become a digital subscriber because our local TV station has picked up where Gannett has left off and does a much better job at keeping the news fresh. They've even added a new section to their website touting local news that now covers things they never used to such as town hall meetings, city council meetings, school board decisions, etc. I'll bet you're going to be seeing this in many local markets because these television stations are going to capitalize on Gannett's stupidity.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things the salesperson on the other end tried to tell me to entice me to stay with the newspaper is that we will soon have colored comics every day. I laughed out loud because we've had daily colored comics in our community for three years now. The statement about the comics proved to me how out of touch Gannett truly is with their local markets. I went ahead and canceled my subscription.
Gannett is factoring in lost subscribers in each pay wall market. one reason subscription prices so high.
ReplyDeleteDickey needs to update his picture.
ReplyDeleteColored comics. How insulting. Yeah, yeah, I know people love their comics... but to use that as a selling point? Comics over news content? But then again I can see why they'd do that, given the lack of the latter as a point of pride.
ReplyDelete@8:58, we had a double fatal crash near my city Sunday afternoon. The driver was a girl of 15.
ReplyDeleteThe hometown Gannett newspaper had nothing in print Monday, and nothing on the web until 10 a.m. Monday.
A TV station an hour away had something on the web by 3 a.m. Monday.
I agree with you. I think we'll see the TV stations become much more aggressive in covering the news, because they know the Gannett sites are slow at real news.
the problem is that while Gannett talks a good game about digital it does not invest in the personnel to make digital a 24/7 NEWS operation.
ReplyDeleteNew York's Newsday is pushing its coverage area northward, aggressively covering news in Westchester, Orange and Putnam (and even as far north as Dutchess) counties north of NYC because it sees that The Journal News (and to some extent, the Poughkeepsie Journal) can't cover their markets well because the Gannett papers (excuse me, multimedia outlets) are so woefully understaffed. Newsday is investing in its resources, staff and marketing while Gannett does the opposite.
ReplyDeleteGannett sites are slow to get breaking news posted. Even USA Today's site is usually behind the competition. Seems to be no urgency in that newsroom lately, which is obviously a problem for the flagship brand in a highly competitive business that is struggling.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that USA Today has suffered losses of real news people who worked with a sense of urgency and understood deadlines and the importance of getting it first and getting it right. I am presuming they thinned the gray-haired herd. Very tragic if I am correct.
Many other Gannett papers used to be training grounds (maybe USAT is that now). Because there are fewer moving parts, it shouldn't take long to get news posted on local sites. Yet, we suffer from a different problem than a USA Today. We don't have the people in place to teach the younger journalists the values that were instilled in us. Never did in most markets. Ditto on other resources, too. If you haven't visited a small to mid-sized Gannett property, you should. It will explain a lot of things about this company and how it has been run for decades, and how it has actually gotten worse.
Honestly, I dont' see what the good of having all this technology is if we can't use it to our advantage because we've lost the newsroom culture that used to drive people. And in places where there are still copy editors and senior staffers, well, they just don't have the time to do their jobs well anymore.
A sad state of affairs that Gannett has made worse in recent years. There is running a tight ship, and then there is running that ship into the ground. We all know what direction corporate is taking us.
What must USAT do before it can add a paywall of its own?
ReplyDeleteThe whole Gannett plan reminds me of a huge plan Karen Crotchfelt took credit for in Phoenix where she "invented" several specialty magazines that would bring in huge revenue. She then instructed ad reps to move ad dollars from existing contracts to these publications essentially creating no incremental growth. Within a couple years all publications were gone and advertisers were not interested in returning to the paper as they were told the paper didn't provide the targeted audience they needed. Then Karen took credit for eliminating the publications "Saving Gannett countless dollars".
ReplyDeleteWhats going on in Cincinnati?? I can't find a USA Today in racks much anymore. Racks are always empty.
ReplyDeleteIf they are not going to service them--why have them?
I bought a paper yesterday, and it was dated 5/25
Is there a problem?
12:37 p.m. is spot on, sadly enough.
ReplyDeleteHate to break it to you, but the selling point ALWAYS was the comics (or obits, or coupons, or garage sale listings). If you think a telemarketer's pitch EVER led off talking about prize-winning journalism, you must be one of those innocent souls who think "journalism" is going to save the newspaper business.
ReplyDeleteWow Gannett stock is climbing fast today
ReplyDeleteI am not a journalist but a blogger who has been an eye-witness into what Gannett is helping to fund and reaping profit from........... Topix. And all the while, Chris Tolles has been trashing newspapers and journalism and making claims of a take-over.
ReplyDeleteIt is not secret, but it has been kept secret, by the Gannett, McClatchy and Tribune corporation and all of Silicon Valley media. Profit over people, bad move.
All I can tell you people, is that I know for a fact, that American's face real danger without trained journalists, impartial, fair reporting, and most importantly, media ethics which stress human safety about all. The fact that the harm to American's and their businesses caused by Topix has been hidden, does not negate the fact that it is there, and in large numbers.
Newspapers and journalists are essential, they must be preserved literally, for our safety.
Gannett's vision of journalists: doe eyed twentysomethings making under 30k who dont question the crap management spews.
Deletethats the future, people.
Here's a great example of what's wrong with Gannett (Brian Tolley is the Executive Editor of The Clarion-Ledger)...
ReplyDeleteFrom: "Tolley, Brian"
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:42:45 -0400
To: JacksonMS-News-Email
Conversation: About metro jackson
Subject: About metro jackson
Gang,
Need some help. The folks who are writing ads for our new subscription model are seeking answers to the following questions to help them understand our market better.
Any suggestions and other help are appreciated.
1. What is your town famous for?
2. What are the local sayings unique to your community?
3. Is there a famous landmark not for tourists, but for locals?
4. Who are the personalities known by everyone in town?
5. Who are your local heroes-and why?
6. Who are your local villains?
7. What events only happen in your community? (charity events, yearly runs/walks not associated with national programs)
OMG.
DeleteShouldnt Brian and management already know?
DeleteIt's gotta have unique content. The paper is so bland now that going to Yahoo or CNBC or CBS Sports or your local website - TV or print - will get you 95% of what's in USAT. And you don't have to go to a hotel or airport to get it.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you're a hotel with WiFi, WHY do you need a few dozen USATs clooging your corridors and trash bins?
Some (lower-priced) motels give you free WiFi if you put up with local ads. Perhaps USAT could deal with hotels to be THE gate when a guest accesses free WiFi.
They let me go and it had nothing to do with going digital, or revenue. They are just clueless.
ReplyDeleteI'm a now-retired former EE of a Gannett newspaper and I can tell you I'd have slashed my wrists if I had to turn to the staff to answer those questions. I lived and worked in the community, had children in the schools, had friends in my neighbors and didn't need focus groups or readership surveys to tell me what was important to our readers. When I was hired the newspaper had a general manager who had been a reporter -- and a good one -- 30 years earlier. I lived within easy commuting distance, but the first question he asked me in our interview was, "If you get this job, when are you moving here?" Now general managers are gone, editors come with tickets in hand for their next destination and corporate leadership might just as well be running a Scotch tape factory for all they know or care about the news business. Only a Gannett carpetbagger editor could write that email asking for help with his homework without feeling totally humiliated in doing so.
ReplyDelete"Fergus Mellon has been named senior vice president of pricing and planning, National Sales, according to a statement from Corporate yesterday. He will be responsible for sales pricing, planning and operational leadership and strategy of the National Sales Team."
ReplyDeleteNews is missing the boat. No, make that missing the fleet.
I want to be Senior Vice President of News for the letter M, someday hoping to be SVP of Verbs.
We now have vice presidents in charge of pricing when a rate card used to do the trick.
I sure would like to know how GPS is on pace to generate 40 million in savings? Is that all from out sourcing, buyouts, and layoffs? Think they lost subscribers and revenue but not as much as they expected so everything is going as planned.The cuts had nothing to do with increased revenue by charging for websites.
ReplyDeleteOne reason Gannett was up today was News corps possible spin off of their
ReplyDeletePublishing units. This lead investors to believe there is value in Publishing stocks. That is something the Gannett board has never realized.
Chicago Tribune story indicates they are taking the first steps toward a pay wall.
ReplyDeleteGotta wonder whether that Tolley e-mail is made up. Anyone?
ReplyDelete3:19 Thanks many people don't care or have any consideration for those that have been laid off. While some on here brag at how much better they are now to be away from Gannett it truly can be devastating to long time employees that gave many years of hard labor to help keep Gannett profitable.
ReplyDeleteJim: I can assure you the Tolley Email is not made up. I was one of the recipients.
ReplyDeleteNo, I doubt the Tolley email is made up. His LinkedIn profile explains it:
ReplyDeleteExecutive editor/director of audience growth and engagement
The Clarion-Ledger Media Group (Miss.)
March 2012 – Present (4 months)
Executive editor
The Daily Advertiser/Daily World (La.)
April 2010 – March 2012 (2 years)
Executive editor
The Fayetteville Observer
Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Newspapers industry
2005 – 2009 (4 years)
Assistant managing editor
The State newspaper
1998 – 2005 (7 years)
Editor, various
The Palm Beach Post
Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Newspapers industry
1987 – 1998 (11 years)
News editor
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
1984 – 1987 (3 years)
-----
It's really hard to believe that Gannett papers can sell "Local news" and "community engagement" as their strengths when they run their editors around the country like Walmart managers. But then, that's always been Gannett's way ...
Tolley is new to Metro Jackson, so he gets a pass. This time. To me, the more disturbing piece of that Email is that the "folks" who are writing the ads are uninformed and obviously have no connection to the market or product they plan to promote.
ReplyDeleteWith the "retirement" of the Cleveland Brothers, David Hampton, et al, The Clarion-Ledger has lost its identity for all intents and purposes. Jerry Mitchell remains, but for how long? Last I knew, he was working on a screenplay.
4:03 I'm sure you are glad to have been able to escape when you did.
ReplyDeleteGet it through your self righteous skulls. Gannett is a company and owes you nothing than what you earn. You come to work and you are paid to do a job. You can move on at any time. If you don't like managements' decisions then please resign and move on to a company you think you will respect more. Just imagine if Gannett started a blog with their opinions about what they really thought of their employees and EX employees -- the good and the bad. It's time to grow up and become professional or depart.
ReplyDeleteLayoffs? Really? Courier Post in Cherry Hill just hired 6 new sales reps.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they'll get rid of, or are preparing to get rid of the many losers who populate the sales department along with the useless managers who draw a paycheck but do next to nothing.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete12:46 another Cablevision employee. The Newsday Westchester site is an embarrassment. LoHud has completely dominated every story and every possible coverage area. Understaffed? You really want to get those comparisons going? You're just silly.
ReplyDelete8:15: do you say that over and over so you will believe it yourself or do you keep repeating the same lies because your publisher reading this blog. Stop it or I will make a list of stories that will shut you up.
ReplyDeleteJust had my 6 month review with the new place and my merit increase was more than I received in the last three years with Gannett.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of how little the little g (no longer big) cares for its people or nuturing talent.
"Colored" comics"???? Shouldn't they be called "Animated American"?
ReplyDeleteOK, so will the new USAT editor be Merrill Brown or Jim Brady. Those are the names rounding the USAT watercooler circuit this week.
ReplyDelete9:11 You're funny.
ReplyDeleteTolley's email is legit, I'm sure. The same list of inane questions was circulated at my site recently.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: "Gannett's vision of journalists: doe eyed twentysomethings making under 30k who dont question the crap management spews. thats the future, people."
ReplyDeleteNo it is not. All journalists have to do is to organize to take back the Media from these bullies.
Speaking of which..........
Anonymous: "Get it through your self righteous skulls. Gannett is a company and owes you nothing than what you earn. You come to work and you are paid to do a job. You can move on at any time. If you don't like managements' decisions then please resign and move on to a company you think you will respect more. Just imagine if Gannett started a blog with their opinions about what they really thought of their employees and EX employees -- the good and the bad. It's time to grow up and become professional or depart."
Are you threatening them? Sure sounds like it. They have the right to Free Speech and that includes criticism.