Friday, July 13, 2012

July 9-15 | Your News & Comments: Part 5

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31 comments:

  1. Wow I was surprised to find that maintenance hasn't finished steeling everything else when I came into work this morning with this being their last day

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  2. It would be nice if we could take this blog to a new level. Do we have to constantly read the same stuff day in and day out?

    1. All managers are stupid and all non managers are brilliant
    2. Anyone who has left was brilliant, they found higher paying jobs, with better benefits and their new bosses treat them like gold
    3. Anyone hired into a management position is overpaid and a loser
    4. Any new product introduced sucks and stands no chance of success.
    5. CEOs make too much money
    6. There are too many women in charge and the guys don’t like it
    7. I hate the company but I stay because I love newspapers
    8. Digital is not the answer, more reporters and better editors will revive newspapers throughout America
    I may have left something out but you get my drift. Doesn’t anyone have anything else to say? And no I don’t want to leave the blog, I’d like to read about some real ideas for a change

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  3. 9:01 brings up a great point that there seems to be the same negative comments. However, after spending some time with friends at AZ Republic this week it's with good reason. All that's changed is things have gotten worse for many employees. Less direction, Managers now have regional responsibilities and less time to address or even understand/recognize local needs and issues. People no longer work for the Az Republic in favor of some corporate brand which was launched as positive for all, but no all see it as positive or understand it at all other than being more work.

    I know it seems unfortunate but keep in mind there are new unemployeed Gannett people every week now leaning on this very viable and valuable blog to help them sort their feelings and find comfort. Not just the same group of us who may have left a year ago, 2 years ago... Look at Gannett's numbers, they are forced to chase declining revenue with reductions in costs and that will ultimately mean furloughs and/or layoffs as recently discussed here. Jim does a great job providing this important avenue and it takes the shape of it's readers as a reflection of their needs.

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  4. 9:01 You are welcome to start your own blog and list all of your "real ideas."

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  5. Wow 9:01 has so nailed it.

    This Blog has really become an oppressive place, too often neither intelligent nor even relevant.

    Through the clamor information does emerge, but for the actual discussion to be so low and unpleasant really makes this one of the worst places on the Web.

    We can all do better. Please. And Jim should delete a lot more things.

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  6. When you have the same two or three people making a majority of the comments, the message will always be the same.

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  7. Digital is the answer -combined with more content producers, new modern equipment and new, progressive attitudes.
    At my shop, we are stuck in the middle. We don't have enough people to produce a good digital product AND a 7-day-per-week print product, so we muddle along, doing a mediocre job on both while using 7- and 8-yr-old technology. We have a few good papers here and there, but our overall grade is not good.
    What's sad is that w/ more people and new equipment we could be pretty good

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  8. If that's all the perception and reality for the majority of the blog readers, 9:01 - why should they want to talk about anything else?

    It's like moving to the country then complaining about the smell of cow manure and petitioning to get a Starbucks on every corner. Wishing something to change its very nature because it doesn't fit your ideal is the recipe to strike out on your own and create your blog.

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  9. @9:01 Couldn't agree more. Hopkins doesn't like or find value in reporting the unbiased truth about GCI. Why? because it doesn't stick with these sickly douche bags who only find pleasure in the bad.

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  10. Hi folks - UnitedNannyCare reminds you to have your physical by Aug. 15 to avoid the 2013 surcharge. -That is all-

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  11. 9:01 AM - Spot on.

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

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  13. For a good example of a Gannett clusterfark, get a look at today's Courier News in central New Jersey.

    Front page above the fold: "Cable boxes needed for TVs" starting in the fall. Turn to the paper's TV page and what do you find? Listings for Philadelphia TV (not available in the C-N area), almost no listings for local Spanish TV (which all providers carry), ID info for stereo sound (trivial), no ID for shows in high definition (important).

    Sports section lead, page C1: "Bigger and Better" cheerleaders for the Snapple Bowl, local high school all-star football game. Big story and picture, too -- the day after the Freeh Report on the Penn State child rape scandal was released. (The C-N buried the Freeh Report on page A3 with a small headline.)

    Kicks, weekly entertainment pullout: Fanboy write-up on "The Amazing Spider-Man" with the writer saying the movie came out through Fox. That mistake was made all throughout the article. "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a Marvel release through Columbia Pictures.

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  14. 9:01 My thoughts as well, Jim did say this was the summer slow down so every one is negative because all we have nerd from corp. is the naming of new VPs. No positive news to report

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  15. Funny, 9:01. But you forgot: "Jim, there was breaking news about Gannett in corporate and you missed it. Just another sign that this blog has no credibility and all Gannett employees reading it should log off now and crawl back into their dungeons."

    Oh, and: "No company. No job."

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  16. 7/13/2012 9:01 AM -- so what have you contributed today?

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  17. According to the Washington Business Journal June 2012 roster, Gannett Co. Inc ranks 21st (Washington Post Co at 18th) in Corporate Philanthropy at local giving of $562,000 out of a total 2011 philanthropic giving of $7.98 million from $5.44 billion revenue. Also states 2,000 local D.C. employees from a total of 32,600, with Robin Pence reporting and executive in charge of local giving.

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  18. KUSA uses parody logo of Summer Olympics that spells shit.

    http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/kusa-uses-fake-olympics-logo-that-spells-sh-t_b54542#more-54542

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  20. 9:01 - Well said!

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  21. 9:01 is right.

    Jim especially misses the point when actual news happens. The new leadership at USA Today is being greeted very warmly, but you'd never know it from the nabobs who keep saying the same things over and over here.

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  22. To 9:01 and others.
    How many thousands of employees have been layed off just to meet the PROFIT MARGIN quotas?
    They have not been layed off because the corporation is near being in the red budget wise,not because the corpoartion is near banruptcy.No,they have been layed off because profit margins of the past,35% or more are not being met. Sure,every corporation needs to be profitable,that is the sole reason they exist.But the ruthless way this corp treats employees is beyond humane. They are treated like disposable numbers on an expense sheet.That is why most are are so negative and that is why moral is so terrible.Most would love to see this company go bankrupt,except their jobs go would with it.

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  23. 5:29 millions of people have lost their jobs. Millions! Stop already with the ruthless silliness.

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  24. Ok, lets take this blog to a new level. If you believe you have a career at Gannett, even if you are the chosen one — you are delusional.

    If you look up the meaning of delusional this may give you more insight into how you are feeling.

    I have three job interviews next week and by the grace of GOD I will be out of this god forsaken sweat shop. I advise you do the same. Hows that for a new level?

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  25. L A I D

    1. A few commenters have told the masses, when the ship is going down, look for a friggin' lifeboat. Now.

    2. Pension issues -- very serious.

    3. Great movie line -- "the reporter is the story." Well, stop being the story, stop the pity-party -- look for a friggin' lifeboat. Then help others.

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  26. WASH-POST ON J-LAYOFFS

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/for-mr-unemployment-a-nice-epiphany/2012/07/09/gJQAahsXfW_story.html

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/20/AR2008052001489.html

    Per previous -- "help others. Stop the pity-party. You'll feel better."

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  27. Although this is off the beaten path about VP'S, understaffed newsrooms managed by the incompetent, this is of some value for those who produce a newspaper, sell ads and otherwise try to make a living in the news industry.
    I finally got a few moments to look through the questionnaire sent out by the South Group, which will determine future staffing and operation of IT service for the South Group.
    It is centered around the business system aspect, and 95% or more of that can be done via a remote connection. This leads me to wonder, if the powers that be are considering contracting out hardware support to an outside vendor, something along the lines of ABM taking over building maintenance.
    On paper and in the planning stages that may sound like a very good idea, but in real life such a move will not do anyone any favors.
    In any case, you heard it here first...

    Now back to the questionnaire. Should I lie my a$$ off and say I am brilliant in all areas, or should I answer it honestly? I guess that will come to me next week, when I get around to filling it out.

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  28. Wow, the 1st comment of the day is from some idiot ragging on the laid off maintenance personnel "steeling" everything from your property. I happen to be one of those maintenance guys who was laid off after 27 years of taking care of everyone's needs, including morons like you who make baseless allegations. If a screwdriver or wrench came home with someone, it belonged to Gannett and not a fellow employee. Maybe it helped offset the years of not receiving a raise, the never ending furloughs and being forced to do more with less-the same as all of us, regardless of job title, have endured as Gannett employees.I didn't know that there was a job title for an accusatory whiner with the testicles of a hummingbird, but obviously, you have that position locked up.I hope that the next crew don't "steel" you blind....tool!

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  29. The difference between the negativity in the Gannett Blog and the negativity at your Gannett job? In the Gannett Blog, when people tell you things can be better, you don't feel like laughing in their faces.

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  31. 4:27 not everyone is greeting the new guys warmly. There is a lot of passed over bitterness among senior editors. They can barely contain their contempt as they suck up to the new team to preserve what little time they have left.

    What galls me is the founder mentality that putting in your time entitles you. That worked for a long time and it shows in how bad the paper and most leaders really are.

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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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