Monday, October 08, 2012

Oct. 8-14 | Your News & Comments: Part 1

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48 comments:

  1. So the Anchorman got demoted? Oh the irony.

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  2. Seems like everyone just loves talking about their balls.

    Juan Pelota: Lance Armstrong's Austin Coffee Shop More Than Just A Pun
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/juan-pelota-lance-armstrong-coffee_n_1943828.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

    If two dots were side by side, you could argue they would be considered boobs. And then, I'd have a dream that everyone would want to read my boobs.

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  3. How is the USAT Editor & Chief doing?

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  4. Maybe he plans to split the job in two and brong in real leaders.

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  5. I meant bring

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  6. Stoney LaDouche we hardly knew ye.

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  7. USAT is on a mission to dumb itself down. Whether it's the Editor & Chief fiasco, the embarrassment of the new logo or the just the ongoing implied threats against anyone with more than a few years of experience, USAT leaders have done everything possible to transition the brand into something other than a legitimate source of news. The place has been a mess for five years, not that it was a well-oiled machine prior, but at least it had some integrity and respected diversity in its workforce. USAT was a place where you wouldn't necessarily get rich, but you could have a stable job as long as your work met certain standards. There really are no more standards, which is pretty obvious to anyone who reads USAT day in and day out. A few good people are keeping the ship from sinking entirely, but the product is on the decline because of one nutty and immoral decision after another.

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  8. Another blow to newspaper classified sales coming?

    Your right to resell your own stuff is in peril
    It could become illegal to resell your iPhone 4, car or family antiques

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/your-right-to-resell-your-own-stuff-is-in-peril-2012-10-04

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  9. Bad Bosses Cause Employee Stress, Poor Health

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/bad-bosses-employee-stress_n_1747565.html

    This is why so many have left Gannett recently.

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  10. Numbers 6, 7, and 8 describe a LOT of the experiences people are having with the "new" management at the big shiny. I wonder if sr mgmt realizes how much of this is happening from a select few of these "new" managers. Oh, yeah, this behavior is modeled from the very top of the organization. So, uh, no.


    Work Help: 8 Reasons To Tell Your Boss To F*** Themselves

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-mcquaid/work-help-book_b_1923710.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003#slide=1580884

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  11. Martore and board have firmly affixed a muzzle on Banikarim.

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  12. Banikarim's sister gets a bump up:

    The hiring binge continues at The Newsweek/Daily Beast Co. LLC, as ABC News World News with Diane Sawyer producer Susie Banikarim was named executive producer of video for The Daily Beast and Newsweek.

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    Replies
    1. Susie is the smart, politicaly astute one of the family. She also understands newsrooms.

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  13. Ed Cassidy is NOT working for DealChicken or any place in Gannett. Maryam Banikarim will not allow it. Where do these stupid rumors come from? MAC, do you know?

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  14. From today's Sherman Report story about Sports on Earth:

    "The way the world works, Bob Bowman got to know Tom Beusse (president of USA Today Sports Media Group) because their sons go to school together. They started to kick around ways to work together. It seemed to make sense. BAM has this new technology and USA Today has been aggressive about building a sports destination. It seemed like a good idea to work together to do it."

    Romanesko included this in his roundup today. Here's the link:
    http://www.shermanreport.com/sports-earth-notes/

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  15. If corporate thinks we've all forgotten about the Banikarim email they are sadly mistaken. The more they say nothing, the more the reality that Gannett stands for NOTHING is driven home.

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  16. There has been zero momentum created from all the redesign, marketing, and re-branding efforts - in print and digital. Seems to have been a complete waste of time.

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  17. Re: 3:02pm's Romenesko link.

    That's correct, that is how SOE originated. Same New Canaan / Greenwich cabal that has plagued USAT management as of late. Nothing against the end product, except - truth be told, it is just a competitor to Grantland, and a way for Beusse to (try to) pump his chest in front of ESPN and SI (but fail cause they ain't scared). In the marketplace, USAT doesn't give SOE value cause of any perceived USAT editorial gravitas - but rather because USAT gives a wide distribution through story links and promotion. SOE's raft of writers are impressive, but none are USAT...

    Very curious to see any audience #'s for SOE. Don't see much ads there. If the ad sales were up to Lazarus (or Sippel?) & co....good grief.



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  18. 4:20 pm You can't hang the lack of marketing and rebranding on Maryam Banikarim this time around. This falls squarely on Sandra Micek without a plan or effort or skills of any kind. Once again the USAT marketing team sinks and stinks. Go plan another lame waste of money Cannes party. That's all they seem to be good for.

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  19. 4:32,
    Agree but you don't think Maryam approved every move every step of the way? Both failed us miserably.

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  20. Management has wasted it's time making poor decisions the last four years. Never really showed a clue that they knew what they were doing in marketing and operations. Leadership at the top has got to be changed for this company to thrive.

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  21. I understand a furlough may be in the works for GPS prior to the end of the year. I could only hope this is true, why? My self and other who now wrk at GPS are slaves, they have turned their printing plants into sweat shops and we f---king hate working for these clowns. Do us a favor, shut it down, lay us off, so we can collect unemployment and pursue another career, because this just sucks, and the big wheels don't do shit to make it any better, JUST worse.
    Thanks Evan and your stable of yes men

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  22. Hey, 10:32: If you're attributing those rumors to the person with those initials, you're dead wrong. And you're a stooge.

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  23. 5:57 she can't stay off this blog.

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  24. banikarim hired micek. This mess is on her, and it's on martore, too, for hiring her.

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  25. 4:20 is correct. If anything, readers are confused the new website.

    Maybe the editor & chief can fix.

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  26. The new USAT site is the perfect example of what is wrong with the web and all the "journalists " that want to be TV people. It is all picture porn now. Here is a tip, replace those photos with the first section of the article so peeps don't have to drill down into each article to get a taste of things. You know, kinda like an old newspaper... I went to the new USAT site once and felt dirty, like I just read people magazine.

    Wait, why don't you just scrap the articles and let users log in with their Facebook accounts and just post comments on the pictures. Budget cuts baby.

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  27. From yesterday's Post-Crescent.

    "Gov. Scott Walker has ordered flags to fly at half-staff today as a mark of respect for Pfc. Arthur W. Hopfensperger of the U.S. Army, who died while serving during the Korean War.

    The Appleton man, who died in 1950, will be buried today in Appleton. Flags should fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset."

    Guess what paper didn't have its flags at half-staff at its buildings?

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  28. 9:36 -- She's happy and busy in her new job. I know she doesn't post here, and why she certainly would not have done so any time recently. Go be a good anonymous lickspittle and find someone else to slime.

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  29. KNOW-NOTHINGS

    " .. I went to the new USAT site once and felt dirty, like I just read people magazine."

    Just another example of how lame many of the posters here are.

    An acquaintance works as a regional correspondent for Time-Warner's "People." She has a third-tier law degree and 20 years at K-R. She notes that anything deemed questionable at "People" is read twice by TWC lawyers. They obviously want to avoid lawsuits.

    And BTW: she makes at least 20% more than NYC Newspaper Guild average levels.

    No one forces anyone to buy "People." As opposed to the USA's "voluntary" IRS compliance programs. At least "People" isn't glomming onto the hotel crowd, like USAT.

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  30. Every time I see an all caps into with some bizarre intro, I know that 9:25 a.m. is back with a scintillating and confusing melange of observations. Keep up the good work!

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  31. GRAMPS

    Beats mopping at McDonald's and finding your authentic level of competence in your mid-50s. Be sure to get those corners clean, Gramps.

    --

    Every time I see an all caps into with some bizarre intro, I know that 9:25 a.m. is back with a scintillating and confusing melange of observations.

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  32. Most of this stuff in here I just breeze over. I always go back and read the stuff that brings out the trolls and personal attacks though. If you get called "Grandpa" I always go back and read what you said, because it really gets the little minds mad.

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  33. "Beats mopping at McDonald's and finding your authentic level of competence in your mid-50s. Be sure to get those corners clean, Gramps" like this guy. Really, personal attacks on people you don't even know? This stuff always makes laugh.

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

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  35. I don't work in this line of business and my job is pretty secure, unless you somehow convince all my clients to go elsewhere. I seriously doubt you could get past the receptionist with most of my clients.

    No, I would be a former customer. One of the many that appear to be leaving your customer base in droves. Might be some correlation there and these "hard times" you are so concerned about.

    Somehow I just didn't picture people with your nasty disposition populating the employment roles in the newspaper business. Now construction, roofing maybe, would have been my guess.

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  36. SERIOUS DOUBT

    Seriously doubt your alleged "clients" are worth spending two cents on, Chuckles.

    You come on this board, insult people, then when they respond you begin crying like a little child. The term is "bully creep" -- you don't get your way, you start crying "bully!" Sick, sad and inane.

    Wish your alleged "clients" could see what they are paying for.

    They'd laugh their heads off, then terminate your contract, in a NYC minute. For acting like a little child.

    Oh, and those roofers you spat on?

    If you had a clue, you'd know that those decent, hard-working Americans and their jobs were economically destroyed by tens of thousands of the "undocumented."

    You need to try to connect with reality, Chuckles. That's doubtful, but keep trying. Heck, someone wins the lotto with 175,000,000-to-1 odds.

    Have an "alleged" client day.

    ---

    Somehow I just didn't picture people with your nasty disposition populating the employment roles in the newspaper business. Now construction, roofing maybe, would have been my guess.

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  37. Yeah umm, unfortunately you are assuming that all those posts you are responding to are from the same person. They are not. Even if they were, I would say you really cranked up the personal attacks and brought in the disparaging McDonald's reference.

    Reading back over that, I made a general comment about little minds and then I did characterize your disposition as "nasty" after a few rounds of low brow McDonald's comments in reply to another's post. I think you have me beat in the "bully, creep" "sick sad and inane" department.

    Now I know this may a subtle point but, but my comments about roofers were not meant to be disparaging to them. There is nothing wrong with a nasty disposition in proper line of work. I would suggest that it is not appropriate for someone in the news business and in your case it really undermines any credibility you might otherwise have.

    My suggestion is is to be careful with your assumptions or you will get way off in left field. In your case, the arguments you are making are far better suited when they are levied against yourself than they are against me. I would not choose them, but perhaps they will resonate with self reflection.







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  38. DUH - RE-SEND

    You need to try to connect with reality, Chuckles. That's doubtful, but keep trying. Heck, someone wins the lotto with 175,000,000-to-1 odds.

    --

    "I would not choose them, but perhaps they will resonate with self reflection."

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  39. and the DIGITAL CORPORATE EXECUTIVE INSIDER goes down with a loud thud.

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  40. WTF?

    This is as obtuse, dorky, and weird as not knowing who Big Al is. Gad, there are some real losers here.

    ---

    and the DIGITAL CORPORATE EXECUTIVE INSIDER goes down with a loud thud.

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  44. From now on, I'm removing these annoying ALL-CAPS posts. You're welcome!

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  45. Jim, if you're going to cut the last couple of comments you need to cut the original insults from the O.P. - he's a flamer and he's devaluing your blog.

    Thanks - a fan.

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  46. AMEN! Thanks Jim.

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

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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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