Thursday, September 06, 2012

Sept. 3-9 | Your News & Comments: Part 2

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41 comments:

  1. Yes, I recall that incident and many more. Jodi will go to every depth in order to roadblock the success of others. She has even told people not to work with star players, that she was obviously threatened by. And she'll often roadblock someone, while campaigning for the other person's job or expected promotion. She's the Tonya Harding of Head Quarters.

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  2. As much as your h.q. soap operas are fascinating to read, out here in the profit centers we'd like to see real results out of marketing.

    The MSNBC ad campaign, the entire rollout of the corporate logo/identity, the Cannes trips, "On The Road", porpoise walls - none of this has meant dollar one in bringing advertisers to our paper, broadcast or web properties in East Bumfuck, Ohio, North Cowlick, Wisconsin or West Chester, NY.

    Keep your palace intrigue. We'd like decent and up-to-date research, programs and collateral - or at least the free rein to address the local needs of our community. We're tired of pretending that Phoenix collateral just needs a logo change to play in Peoria.

    The least we would like to expect is that an overhead department is useful. We're not getting that now.





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  3. USA Today article this morning...
    "Column: How Wall Street creates criminals"

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-09-04/wall-street-scandal-crim/57585822/1

    This reminds me of how the times and numbers are changed at my site to fit Gannett's spreadsheet. I wonder: if this happens at the lowest of levels, what goes on at the highest?

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  4. Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch just posted that it's delaying rollout of redesigned paper due to mechanical problems. It was supposed to go live next week; this comes after a couple of very late deliveries last week. This could impact move of production of Cincinnati Enquirer to Columbus planned for later this year:

    "Due to unexpected mechanical problems in our production facility, the launch of The Dispatch’s new format is being temporarily delayed, the Dispatch Printing Co. announced today.

    "Since the mechanical issues could lead to the risk of having late newspaper deliveries, the company decided to postpone the kickoff of the new format until these issues are resolved. The new format was scheduled to begin Sept. 10.

    "The Dispatch is working with its vendors and will announce a new launch date once one is set."

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  5. 11:36 good for them. Thanks for brining this to our attention. I know I feel better.

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  6. Marketing dollars directed towards MSLSD are a waste.
    Nobody watches that channel.

    Move that money to the local Fox stations and you'll get some ROI.

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  7. I heard Marie Mason is taking over Digital Sales for USATODAY.com
    Can anybody confirm?

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  8. https://ssl1.gmti.com//jackson/forms/icon/JV-secure-form.html

    Just noticed this over at the Clarion-Ledger site. Read it, and if you've got a journalism degree like me you'll likely be equally gobsmacked and probably offended.

    I almost want to believe someone hacked their site and this is a joke. How can they be serious?

    Is this their own brilliant plan to churn out paywall-worthy content, or is this happening anywhere else at Gannett?

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  9. 5:39 Reading that application for freelance writers, I laughed when I saw the C-L asking whether applicants have a MySpace page.

    MySpace? In 2012?

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  10. Pointroll hired a new manager in Chicago, we give it six months before he walks away.

    Deann Harvey has landed at MediaMind.

    Pointroll Q3 revenue continues to fall below expectations at only 90% of a drastically reduced YOY goal.

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  11. I'm a former C-L employee who got the boot last June. Since then they've gutted their newsroom down to less than a skeleton crew, and their coverage shows it.

    Now this? Let's get some people and give them a day's worth of training and suddenly they're reporters, like journalism is a basket-weaving class or something?

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  12. Oh no, the VP of sales for GPS has gotten himself into some hot water.... poor puppy!

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  13. 10:04,
    You had mentioned: "none of this has meant dollar one in bringing advertisers to our paper, broadcast or web properties"

    - Not to down play your concern over revenue. But, the effort and responsibility to generate advertising revenue belongs to the Sales division, not corporate marketing.

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

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  15. Things are pretty gloomy here in Cincinnati. The paywall -- oops, subscription platform -- will be going up this fall, and the cloud hanging over us just gets lower and darker. The sense of desperation grows with each published reminder from the editor and publisher that the Enquirer will be a better paper after it shrinks in size, reduces stories in quantity and length, charges for access to an already laughable website, and doesn't lower ad rates to reflect the inferior product. Everyone is on pins and needles until then. One gets the feeling that Gannett's response to failure will be drastic and that the ax will fall on workers instead of the publisher, under whose watch the Enquirer has declined precipitously in quality. Even the people whose company and respect she cherishes are dumbstruck by the steepness of the Enquirer's fall.

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  16. 10:04,
    I think it has already been established (Part I) within this thread, that the current Marketing group is out performing those that they have replaced. The previous head of marketing created external marketing presentations that looked like they were produced by a child. So, it doesn't surprise me that people are attacking an obvious progression past previous hiring mistakes. Those "mistakes" are out there posting nasty comments about someone who is talented. And, quite frankly the previous marketing department contained too many people who were untalented and uneducated, and everyone was aware of it.

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  17. As Romenesko details, Journal Register has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in three years. They're doing it to get rid of the last vestiges of defined employee pensions and to dump workers who still get paid a living wage. That's what "Digital First" really means for the hucksters who "lead" media companies is about. A much smaller, less experienced workforce with Wal-Mart like benefits. Those digital dimes are not stacking up fast enough for Wall Street or media execs who want to lard their seven-figure salaries before jumping ship.

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  18. This was part of this week's Politics and Prejudices column by Jack Lessenberry of the Metro Times:

    Life at the Detroit Free Press: The other day, I ran into an excited Oneita Jackson in a downtown bookstore. A few years ago, her O Street blog and column provided one of the most original and interesting voices in the newspaper. Then, it disappeared.

    Oneita was caught doing something, in the words of editorial page editor Stephen Henderson, that "completely contravened the values of this newspaper. She also tarnished her own efforts on Detroit's behalf," he intoned gravely.

    When I read that, I thought she must have poisoned the reservoir for sure, or worse, given money to the Republicans.

    But no. What she did was ready for this? write her name with a felt pen on a bench on the new Bagley Street Bridge. Within days it rained, and her name was washed away. But no matter.

    She had somehow insulted Comrade Stalin oops Gannett. Corporate Guardian of Ideological Purity Henderson intoned: "When she returns, she'll have work to do rebuilding some of the trust and community she has enjoyed with her followers."

    So I wasn't too surprised to learn that Jackson soon decided she didn't want to write the column or the blog anymore. She was given a behind-the scenes job as a minor editor, and disappeared from view.

    Till last week, when I found her bubbling over with excitement. Two weeks ago, she quit the Free Press, and is embarking on a career that may offer her far more intellectual satisfaction.

    She's going to be driving a cab on Detroit's mean streets.

    Bettering herself? I asked. Oneita agreed, beaming. And why not? To anyone who knows what's going on with today's newspapers, it ought to be perfectly clear that she certainly has.

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  19. Re. Clarion Ledger community correspondents: It started in 2011 and in December the paper announced a lineup of correspondents who apparently were going to blog. There's a link to the correspondents blogs/main page under the "Blogs" tab on the C-L's homepage.

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  20. 6:37 re: Cincinnati. They'll be fine. All they need to do is increase the number of photo essays to replace news stories. As you know, everyone loves photo galleries!

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  21. Speaking of cheapo Gannett system failures, did anyone hear about the digital archive meltdown in Cinci?

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  22. 6:16 Maryam Banikarim also oversees Sales. It is the job of marketing to support sales.

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  23. Regarding the publishing sofware glitch in NY, technology is a nightmare. Rarely does anything work and it's changing all the time and nobody can keep up with it.

    News is our job. If we can't get the technology to work, we can't deliver the news.

    We seem to keep forgetting this.

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  24. 10:04 Why do you believe the current marketing group is outperforming the past group? I'm not a marketer and I don't know people in the marketing group at corporate.

    But I do know revenue has been on a steady decline and nobody can show any results of the new marketing group to help change this.

    From out here, all we see is money being spent and no results to show.

    Most CMOs are accountable for revenue growth at some level.



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  25. The third quarter is over at the end of September.What is the speculation about revenue numbers?
    I would venture to guess that the
    revenues for print will be down again,as in previous quarters,in the 8 to 10% loss range. If so,what will happen in terms of cost cutting to match revenue losses?Will the masterminds once again start to layoff even more of the worked to the bone robots.

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  26. 6:16 says that marketing isn't responsible for increasing revenue.

    I'd suggest that is a load of hooey. Bud Light isn't advertised by their sales division. McDonalds doesn't run ads to make people feel better about clowns.

    If marketing isn't there to help revenue or control expense, there is no need for them and the entire apparatus should be dismantled.

    I have no idea if the current administration is better or worse than the past, but I do know my site is not better off because of marketing than they were four years ago.

    I posted 10:04 yesterday morning, and I approve this message.

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  27. 5:25 - that is confirmed. An new era has begun.

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  28. Marie Mason & Mariyam wouldn't know a CTR from CPR

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  29. Gannett buys another company I've never heard of:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gannett-acquires-mobestream-media-developer-133200039.html

    I hope they replace Captcha, because I CAN"T READ that stupid shit at the bottom of this!

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  30. Why the tease, 8:03? Tell us: What happened to the digital archive in Cincy?

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  31. Get excited about the future of USA TODAY. We will be bolder and more innovative than ever before… join us!
    If you are located in Tysons, please attend the presentation at The Frank E. Gannett Auditorium, in the overflow rooms (Dining Room A and B) or tune to channel 74.
    If you are joining from one of our properties, please check out the live-streaming webcast of the presentation here [http://gannett.gci/chat/live.asp?chatid=230] or dial in with the information below.
    Domestic dial-in number: 1-800-207-6717
    Participant passcode: 265401

    Reception to follow at Tysons location.

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  32. Can't wait for the Keyring bashing to begin. Wake up angry people.

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  33. Detroit paywall? Anyone?

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  34. I heard Hunke is taking credit for the new USAT web site. He also is taking credit for paper...and the internet....and chocolate cake...and purpose walls.

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  35. Be sure to read the comments on this worthy USAT posting: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/09/jerry-jones-has-someone-wipe-his-glasses-for-him-photos/1?csp=hf#.UEjDchzN7TN

    Careful readers see the Chris Chase (who Yahoo readers universally hated) has now moved to USAT. I guess that's one way to brand USAT Sports and bring 'personalities' to the table.

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  36. https://www.facebook.com/fire.chris.chase

    Yup, go USAT Sports!

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  37. Actually, the Jerry Jones glasses wiper story is amusingly written. Jones having a glasses wiper is the type of thing radio personalities will feast on.
    Of course, if not for the story being mentioned on this blog, I wouldn't have read it because I don't read McPaper or their McWebsite.

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  38. Motley Fool sours on GCI stock:
    http://beta.fool.com/makinmoney2424/2012/09/06/paper-boy-running-out-routes-run/10798/?ticker=GCI&source=eogyholnk0000001

    That next-to-last chart is pretty fugly.

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  39. "Why the tease, 8:03? Tell us: What happened to the digital archive in Cincy?"

    Not just in Cincy. At other sites (many other?), the digital archives have completely disappeared. So archive photos, archive stories, everything, is gone. And no one seems to know how to find it or get it back.

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  40. 6:00 PM Sorry the Clarion-Ledger let you go from what was once an outstanding newspaper/website. But it is very apparent Mississippi's top newspaper no longer values or respects true journalism if they believe bloggers are the solution to lack of content. So much for credibility -- their readers are smarter than that. The C-L showed such ignorance with the question about having a MySpace account! Talk about being behind the times! It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

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  41. 6:41 Current marketing people manage to combine arrogance with lack of talent and results. The company has spent a great deal of money for Maryam's retinue, and has gotten precious little back for it. And no, I'm not in marketing, never have been.

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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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