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Saturday, November 03, 2012
39 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."
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Shreveport has a new advertising director. Not sure of the details. Does anyone know who it is?
ReplyDelete“Analysis: Even at 7.9%, mostly good news for Obama” USA Today.
ReplyDeleteStories like this one is exactly why so many have turned away from newspapers for anything but local news and even the latter is a stretch. Unfortunately, Page’s musings along with other stories that USAT won’t even touch remind me why on the occasion that I do turn to USAT for news of all the reasons why I do so increasingly less.
Pretty balls and a redesign may draw new attention, but in the end it's about quality content and on that USAT falls increasingly short.
After 2,000,000+ TV political adverts, we've stopped caring. We know that neither candidate is a strong leader, viz. Bloomberg's "endorsement." With 43,000,000 people on food stamps, the real workers are going to riot soon, we're tired of always paying.
ReplyDeleteSorry that Susan Page's analysis doesn't match your preconceived notions. The point of good journalism is writing the facts, not providing fodder for each side's "talking points.''
ReplyDeleteIt is a good, smart story and hope people read it.
The problem isnt so much with Susan as it is with the juvenile coverage of the White House and politics in general. Usa Today isnt a big leaguer on this front, no matter how many "exclusive" interviews we get.
ReplyDelete“It is a good, smart story and hope people read it.” writes 11:04
ReplyDeleteReally?
• The unemployment rate ticking up is “a positive” ?
• Obama can argue “25 consecutive months of job growth” which suggests all should ignore the past 42 months of 8% plus unemployment and how work force participation rates are two percentage points lower than when he arrived?
• The “nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.8% in September,” yet zero mention of how many challenged that number for valid reasons nor how one state failed to turn in data skewing numbers lower the following week?
A good, smart story would have been more objective and added at least some of those additional points. It also would have included how adding an estimated 171,000 jobs doesn’t even keep this nation even with what it needs to keep pace with organic growth.
Furthermore, it’s not just my preconceived notion that it falls short, it’s likely held by a majority who’ve become accustomed to receiving that type of detail in more serious publications like the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
So again, its absence in Page’s “analysis” serves as proof why it fails short and why people like me rely on USAT even less and that’s unfortunate as in my humble opinion it wouldn’t take a lot of effort to do a better job.
Covering conspiracy theories is something else.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: If Gannett's Imaging and Ad Design Center in Des Moines is so great, why am I still getting contacted by my former customers to freelance on projects for them? The sales reps I used to work with are all gone, and most of them gave my contact information to customers before leaving Gannett. I feel sorry for these small business who want to do more advertising, but I really don't have the time or resources to help them right now. I wonder how bad their experiences with the Des Moines facility are.
ReplyDelete10%8 You go girl
ReplyDelete8:14 Bailey told us yesterday it was Kevin Hall. Run Kevin run!
ReplyDelete12:15 I remove comments that are virtual copy and paste versions of earlier comments.
ReplyDeleteJim, what Susan Page and Ms. Gracia need to do is read the "Christian Science Monitor."
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the old K-R. Fresh, different, clearly thought-out takes on stuff that's been pounded to DOA.
Not perfect, but at least they try. Repeating the AP just doesn't make it, it won't sell anything, there is no profit - or jobs.
Oh, and their sentences often have more than 12 words in them. And there are more than one sentence, which is more than 35% of this blog has to live with.
Useless. Name one, any media, any political analyst, one significant Sunday morning news program, anybody quoting or referring to USAT in this political season. USAT, it's game over.
ReplyDelete4:48 p.m.: POLITICO refers to USAT political coverage almost daily, just for one. Game not over, as much as you would like it to be.
ReplyDelete6:05, "Politico" is in the volume business. That's no sign of quality. Heck, every week day, they have a Limbaugh show summary. BFD.
ReplyDeleteEditors need to be way more discerning about what gets published. Less meetings, more thinking about copy. Because when silly ideas, writing and headlines go public, it makes Usa Today look dumber than it actually is. We're trying to change our rep. Unfortunately, its still bad.
ReplyDeleteMaybe our blue ball should be red in some states. Less perceived bias. Im gonna ask the incoming Vice President of Balls about this.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the pictures of the destruction left by Hurricane Sandy. Looks like newspapers and websites after Gannett got a hold of 'em. Just sayin'!!!!
ReplyDeleteJim, look at Friday's front page @ USAT print.
ReplyDeleteNot one original story. All the headlines at least 18 hours old.
Kind of dull, isn't it? Why spend time on something in the past?
Jim, my post at 12:15 was NOT a “virtual copy and paste version” and you know it.
ReplyDeleteThe fact of the matter is it raised but two stories that USA Today has repeatedly ignored and/or barely touched to counter 12:03’s comment that it ignores only conspiracies to which both are not.
So, again, the first questioned why USA Today hasn’t covered what its sister publication the Federal Times wrote about a month ago regarding the White House saying it will cover all costs for defense contractors who violate the WARN act. Those notices, according to current laws, should have also been sent to potentially millions of defense workers Nov. 1 due to sequestration, the latter of which is also current law.
The other referenced coverage of Libya as what was first shared by this administration has been clearly exposed as not since by others.
Both are important to consumers and USAT’s credibility with them. Even more so to people like me who served this country with children who’ve committed to the same. That audience is no doubt large and invested in learning more, news they’ll get elsewhere and that’s not good for this brand.
But hey, use whatever excuse you’d like to spike issues that may conflict with your personal “agenda.”
We heard about circulation for the top 25 papers. This webpage will allow you to access to the latest circulation figures for other papers.
ReplyDeletehttp://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newsform.asp
No real surprises here...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/winning_media_campaign_2012
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete11:28: You can take your anti-Obama shit elsewhere. USAT is doing the best it can under difficult conditions despite poor leadership. Somebody earlier mentioned the Christian Science Monitor and how they manage to continue to do such good work. I think that you will find the CSM doesn't lavish high salaries on its management and they value good reporting.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFive days have past since Sandy crushed the East Coast and not a single word of encouragement from USAT senior sales management.
ReplyDeleteWhere have Banikarim, Murcko, or even Safran been? Where is the leadership? Employees from Virginia to New York were devastated by this storm and these three dunderheads are asleep at the wheel. Bad start for Safran and unfortunately more of the same from Banikarim and Murcko. And they wonder why morale is in the shitter.
Heh 1:33 Banikarim and her family live in NYC. They have yet to have power restored. Two kids, no power, 40 degrees. How about you offer a little compassion. Oh that's right you don't care
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete1:33 has a point. But Banikarim has always been about looking out for Numero Uno. She is no leader, except for self promoting and size of ego.
ReplyDeleteAs I post this, there's not a single election story on USA Today's homepage. I realize this is an aberration, but coming just three days before the presidential race, that's pretty sad.
ReplyDelete1:12, you don't like your job, leave. That simple. Lots of people are ex-Gannetteers.
ReplyDeleteHey, prove you're worth more than Ms. Gracia. Make more profit -- that's the way the game is.
Example: NYT just had story about how the new Chinese Commie leader's family is worth $2.1 billion. Why don't you blame them, too?
If you're holding your breath waiting for sales management to send you an encouraging email because it rained, just go ahead and gasp.
ReplyDeleteDon't mistake real friends for people who've never heard of you, who don't care the least about your personal life, and will lay you off in a moment if their bonus is threatened.
>>>As I post this, there's not a single election story on USA Today's homepage.<<
ReplyDeleteJim what are you talking about? There's a standing Election 2012 listing that's been on the Homefront all weekend, and the Iowa Poll is now main art.
It's like you're just scratching around to find little crap instead of anything substantial. Par for the course for the (yawn) Gannett Blog.
They have power. They are not together, though.
ReplyDelete11:03 Key words: "As I post this..."
ReplyDeleteAlso, I saw the Election 2012 link. At the the time I posted my comment, there wasn't anything election-related under it. Now, there are four stories.
Here's a screenshot showing how the homepage looked when I first posted my comment at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Jim, ya think they see what you say and then scramble to fix things? I do. Way to keep them honest.
ReplyDeleteYou be say'n do'in speak'in ... Must writ'in USAT...
Delete11:03 I should have said, however, that I really, really like USA Today's Poll Tracker II, which summarizes current polls in a nice, very visual style. I check it every day now.
ReplyDelete