Friday, December 28, 2012

Dec. 24-30 | Your News & Comments: Part 2

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40 comments:

  1. With all of the discussion of whether or not Westchester should have published the names of handgun owners in their coverage area, I thought it's worth pointing out that one Gannett paper was singled out on NPR's "On the Media" for accurate and responsible coverage of the Newtown shooting and mental health. The Poughkeepsie Journal. To the folks in Pok, I say nice job. The mention of the Pojo's reporting comes at the 5:38 mark of the six minute story.
    http://www.onthemedia.org/2012/dec/21/speculating-about-adam-lanzas-mind/

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    1. Accurate and responsible reporting of mental health issues surely is to be applauded, but the concern seems a bit misplaced when you consider the preposterously hyperbolic and hysterical character of the coverage as a whole.

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    2. There are some great people at Poughkeepsie and I'm glad they were recognized for their efforts.

      Regarding the Journal News/LoHud gun map and database, it lacks context, and readers can only conclude the paper is passing judgement on gun owners. As Roy Clark at Poynter told the AP: "I want to be persuaded that this story or this practice has some higher social purpose, but I can't find it."

      It's interesting to see TJN's editors and publishers caught by surprise by the social media backlash. The last time they did a similar story was in 2006.

      A lot has changed in six years, hasn't it? You've got widespread adoption of Facebook and Twitter, two online-only community news publications (Daily Voice and Patch), one regional hybrid print/online competitor (Examiner), a few very good independent, community-based blogs (TheLoop, Scarsdale10583, Talk of the Sound), and of course, now there's Newsday/News12.

      That's a lot of competition, perhaps more than in any other market. Readers have options, and TJN's falling circulation indicates those readers are jumping ship.

      My not-quite educated guess is that the TJN editors felt they'd benefit from an uptick in pageviews and expected some backlash, but not on a national level like this. The problem is, now is the worst time to be ideologues, when so many readers have already fled. I don't think the temporary bump in traffic will offset the anger and canceled subscriptions, but we'll see.

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    3. Is there a nation wide boycott of Gannett planned for January 1st?

      http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/27/us/new-york-gun-permit-map/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

      The comments section is all a buzz about it???

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  3. Well,
    I guess that's what you get for hard earned millions.(sarcasism)
    Too bad it came on the backs of so many hardworking life long Gannett employees that were layed off.

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  4. The year end financials will be out very soon.
    I suppose all you still employed Gannetteers think you are safe and your job is secure for another quarter.
    Doubtful however,so don't give up on the Valium quite yet.
    I see the revenue slide continues in a big way,
    and that still means cost cutting measures will have to be taken once again.

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    1. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Really, that's all you have to contribute? Gee, every day this blog sees retreaded words of banal wisdom -- much of it from people who don't even work at Gannett or who seem to think their colleagues are more clueless than they are. Honestly, get a life or post something useful.

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    2. Amen to that

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  5. 10:17 AM…I wonder what results the company would find if they did random drug tests, even with the big dogs as well as the little people who've been with the company. A few Valium's work well.

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  6. The Journal News (the Rockland Rag) made the discussion on CNBC ! Wow only known for generating past gigantic profits for the mothership, management did something for people to think about. whether you agree or don't this is shocking for any Gannett paper.

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  7. Gannett pay for a drug test get real.

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  8. cancelled my subscription.One sided coverage, as a middle class gun owner you apparently don't need my money.

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  9. 10:17 random drug testing is a joke, As an Ex manager in Atlanta I PERSONALLY would get hints of upcoming "surprise tests" At least a month in advance as well as others to purposely allow the crews time to prepare.

    And whats so damn ironic is that I have seen at least two MANAGERS/SUPERVISORS go to prison for dealing... and they did so out of the Atlanta plant knowingly.... I will never forget when a pressman showed up during one of these random tests shitfaced drunk....at 9AM, and got a slap on the hand....only because it was witnessed by 90% of the staff and they HAD to do something.

    I learned quick to keep my mouth shut, after just 6 months of employment I reported to the GM at the time that I witnessed 2 employees running out to their truck every hour or so to have a beer out of a cooler that was in the back... I was promptly told to worry about my department.

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    1. Gannett doesn't have random testing. Another fabrication.

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  10. Is it an invasion of privacy to publish home sales?

    What Westchester published was public information. Slowly now:

    Public

    Information

    Which of those things don't people understand?

    An NRA official just told CNN the names "demonize'' gun owners. Projection? No judgment was made; some might see the names as heroes.

    Again: Public. Information.

    Both are very good things. Bravo to The Journal-News.

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    1. But now also the thieves, or worse, know where the guns might be...and where the guns aren't. Wouldn't you feel safer knowing the crooks know where the unarmed people were...if YOU were one of them?

      Just because you can doesn't mean you should!

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    2. There is a difference between publishing home sales and a gun permit map. One is community news and the other is simply snooping into how lawful citizens live their lives for the sake of political grandstanding. I'm sorry you can't see the distinction.
      Slowly now:
      Editorial

      judgement

      and responsibility

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    3. I totally agree word for word.

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  11. Wow....it keeps getting better....
    Sauce for the goose or, home address and phone number of Journal-News publisher
    http://christopherfountain.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/sauce-for-the-goose/

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  12. It's charming how Google AdSense is flooding your page with body armor and gun advocacy ads, Jim. It's as if they know... what, I'm not sure.

    I'm inclined to lump all SEO and other optimization with witchcraft - I don't understand it, I'm not sure it's effective, but somebody gets paid to wave a wand.

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  13. The Five show on Fox News used the Journal News mess to bash the "Liberal Media" again ... Yes, LoHud is all over cable news. So, is any publicity really good publicity? Wonder how long Cyndee will last at the paper ...

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    1. The Five Show includes some of the silliest, stupidest, most bias conservative crap on Tv. These people arent qualifed to comment on anything.

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  14. Once again, embarrassed to be associated with Gannett.

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  15. Half the staff at Usa Today is stoned most of the time. Another 25% acts as if they are, too.

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    1. Jim this is ok with you?

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    2. On its face, clearly over-the-top hyperbole.

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    4. So YES, it's ok with you! Wow that is amazing. Very disappointing

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    5. It is the truth. Someone should propose mandatory drug testing.

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  18. Gannett's elite... Once you see their digs, you come away with a different opinion of their closeness to the "people."

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  19. Newsgate is a despicable abomination.

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  20. You can't drug test GANNETT employees there wouldn't be any one to work!

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  21. Yes, Newsgate is bad. But it is better than Presto.

    Anything is better than Presto. The productivity lost because of that miserable system must be huge. Who is responsible for the abomination forced upon the USA Today newsroom?

    One thing is for sure: Whoever it is doesn't have to use it every day like the rest of us.



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    1. Whoever chose it is probably in line for a promotion especially if that person is a woman or black.

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    2. Lets hope they have no more input on hires, given the recent track record.

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  22. We hear Burgandy, AKA, Botard, AKA the emperor with no clothes, AKA, used car salesman, AKA, the Big Blowhard, AKA The Wilmington Whopper (for the lies he tells), AKA Mr. 7 months pregnant has been passing the blame for his woes on all of his former executives....Really Griffy? Now its their fault? Where are all those great leadership skills you brought to the Journal? Maybe you should read one of those framed sayings in your office to find another cliche that will help...stay classy my friend.....

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  23. 10;13..."Layed" off...can't imagine why that would happen to you.

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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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