Sunday, January 20, 2013

Jan. 14-20 | Your News & Comments: Part 4

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57 comments:

  1. With all the criticism the press is getting over its big fail on the Manti Te'o story I would argue that sports reporters are not the best when it comes to cross checking, sourcing or expressing skepticism in a line of work in which they primarily schmooze their sources and write about what they see going on at a sports event. Pretty much observationsl reporting. I can remember several occasions in our newsroom when a sports-related story requiring investigation would be kicked over to the city desk. I am sure there are many who would disagree.

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    1. An excellent observation.

      Too often, sports journalism winds up being an extension of the marketing operations of college and pro-sports organizations.

      But, then, sports is a big subset of the broader entertainment industry, where traditional features section reporters often make the same mistake.

      I'll never understand why pro-sports companies -- and, let's face it, that's what these teams are: businesses -- don't get covered by business-minded reporters and editors.

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  2. I think the media embarrassed themselves with the over-the-top coverage of this situation. He's a 21 year old kid and yet grown men were jumping up and down with indignation over it. It's why the media is one notch above politicians in the scumbag rankings.

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    1. I suspect the media's anger/indignation will be turned especially toward Notre Dame's athletic director and sports publicity department.

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  3. jim check publisher letter at lohud.com

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  4. Lohud.com took down the gun permit map. http://www.lohud.com/article/20130118/NEWS02/301180125?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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    1. The fascinating thing about the Publisher's Letter isn't the letter itself. To the right of the letter are the "Top 5" stories. Right now, number 5 is . . . the gun permit story AND map. The link works.

      Maybe they'll "take it down" Monday . . .

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  5. I'm sure I missed this earlier in the week . . . but the irony is just too rich.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/business/media/google-seen-as-prints-nemesis-is-honored-by-usa-today-for-creativity.html?_r=1&

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  6. It's that time again. Show some modest profit by slashing budgets, cutting benefits, freezing new hires, stalling any raises and more lay offs. It's the Gannett way. I've already been told by my pitiful manager "just do it."

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    1. Oh, man, have I have heard that admonition before! Someone who doesn't even do the job at hand, dismissively telling me... "Just do it." It's odd how one would never tolerate being addressed in such a fashion in the Real World, yet at work one just bites one's tongue and pops another blood pressure pill... only to later see said manager yucking it up in her office with the other manager types, none of them working.

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    2. The managers are a disgrace. All yes men with no sense. Get rid of them all and see more happy and productive employees.

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  7. USAT and Gallup done after 20 years: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/01/18/gallup-and-usa-today-part-ways/

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    1. After Gallup's piss poor performance in the presidential election I wouldn't be surprised if more outlets are cancelling subscriptions.

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  8. Ever since USA Today merged with the Gannett papers there have been jobs that have been eliminated i.e. all GM positions, gone, Marketing and Circulation CD & CM positions as well, gone. What will become of USA Today? Seems to me that their "wisdom teeth" have been removed (they were only a financial pain) and the ship now is being run by Gannett management from the dailies. I love the saying at USAT, “We do more with less”. Do we have a choice?

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  9. The only paper that will make it is The Wall Street Journal. As a child I remember reading an artical in "Heard on the Street" that the WSJ predicted all of this over 25 years ago. They also predicted that people would talk to people all over the world for free. That we would watch tv on our home computers. This was 1983, how many of you had a computer in 1983? I took the paper into my class and the teacher laughed and said they were way off. O yea they also predicted cell phones that would be as powerfull as a NASA computer by the year 2000. Go figure. Maybe that paper will tell us whats next because it sure will not be the USA Today with there tacky small print and ugly cover ad's that make people walk right past the paper. But its the $ and not the reader. Personaly I would never drive a Chrysler so why would I spend a buck for something that looks like a Chrysler info sales pitch? Why dont they make the ad look like the real paper? Just make all the stories on the fake front page about Chrysler? A real looking front page. More people would buy a paper if they did that.

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    1. 25 years ago in 1983? What is a post from 2008 doing here???

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  10. Now that the damage is done by the Journal Press, the Gannett organization has done a "mia copa" and hopes that it now can be seen as "doing the right thing".
    It has demonstrated a total disreagard for people that choose to be citizens complying with the law and instead chooses to conspire in aiding those that seek to violate the law; all in it's pursuit of profit. The morality of their actions displays the values of those running the paper.

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    1. When will the owners fire the incompetent?

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    2. The only lesson learned in the gun registry debacle is that nothing is achieved by picking a fight with the lunatic fringe without an endgame

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    3. Fringe?

      The NRA is more popular than Obama

      http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/01/poll_nra_more_popular_than_obama.html

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    4. Some context is in order:

      1. American Thinker is a conservative website.

      2. The American Thinker page you link to shows the NRA's approval rating is 54% vs. 53% for Obama -- only a one percentage-point difference.

      3. While American thinker admits Gallup's results are within the margin of error, it doesn't note how big that margin is: +/-4%. So, the one-point difference is largely meaningless.

      4. Finally, those polling figures are by Gallup, according to American Thinker. And Gallup has been so discredited that USA Today just dropped the company as its pollster.

      Gallup, after all, was predicting Romney would win the presidency when most other polls had him losing.

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    5. The point, summed up, is that "fringe" is not a realistic term to the Journal New's detractors.

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    6. I think I dated Mia Copa in college.

      I dumped her because she couldn't spell.

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    7. That all changed when she married that Farrow guy.

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    8. Journal Press?

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    9. 12:01, when you're getting smacked down by Jim, you know you have lost miserably.

      Just wait until Monday when you can turn on Rush again and have him tell you what to think. Until then, try to sit calmly and let the rest of the world pass you by.

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    10. So, the founding fathers were wrong?
      The Second Amendment was just some foolish nonsense?
      Only in the Obama world view where the Constitution documents are just another waste of good paper and would be better used as trash !

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    11. Yes by the fringe left, law abiding citizens are the bad guys.
      A 100%, God loving American, who has never ,ever committed a crime is now a bad guy in the new America.
      The gun haters blame the legal gun owners for deaths, not the crazies who would find any means to kill if their wacked out minds were so determined.

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    12. 3:25AM,

      As in 2008 and now, I no longer don’t underestimate the stupidity of the low-information Obama gimme-freebies voters.

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    13. I value my 2nd amendment rights as much as you value your 1st. The way I see it, neither can survive without the other.

      On an related note:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR3t7j2tUec&list=UU193r5YXcpQJV34N99ZbhzQ&index=2


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    14. 10:01 writes that "crazies" will find any means to kill if they're determined.

      Yes, but the point of limiting access to weapons that fire multiple rounds quickly is that a mentally disturbed person would have a much harder time killing, for example, 20 children with a conventional handgun.

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    15. Really, Jim? So are you saying that a conventional handgun does not fire multiple rounds as quickly as some other gun that you'd like to ban? Could you be more specific? Your point makes little sense.

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  11. I heard we are going down to two shifts in our Pressroom. I guess next thing is 3 day a week printing. Circulation down all over Gannett print products. Does Gannett really want to be in the Print business? Only papers surviving now are the ones that have a niche with local news. This company doesn't get it, but then again they never did. Get out while you can if your young, as there is no upside. What I'm hearing is definite Furloughs second quarter as a direct result of down advertising revenue.

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    1. and were is it that you work? Have some balls and let us know

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    2. Who said there are definite furloughs? Provide a source and not this bullcrap of: "I heard this, so it has to be true!!!111"

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    3. will take 3 days of week printing at this point. I hate my job with The GPS Division, and 3 days is better than 5 to have to go in and put up with the poorly mismanaged cluster f-----ks I have as so called bosses.
      Bring it on, sooner thr better

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    4. I will work weekends , 2 day a week, that sounds even better. This company is the worst run company in the USA, feels like we work in the Auto Industry. Please Mr. President bail us out of our self inflicted mess

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    5. Heard an interview with Serio Montagne, CEO Chrysler/Fiat: "whenever you run businesses that are dysfunctional, that the real problem sits at the top."

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  12. I thought maybe Gannett was trolling for more "citizen journalists". Guess it's just SPAM!!!!!

    Aaaarrrghhh!

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  13. When did furloughs start, 2009? Guess what, they are not going to go away, ha, ha, ha, ha. Happy New Year everyone. Lets see I make $50,000 (I wish) less 4 weeks of furloughs equals. What did you say my starting pay was? Oh, and the company can't affort pay raises and no company retirement anymore just my good old 401K with matching funds, ha, ha ha, ha, ya right. Thank you sir I'll take another one. Thank you sir I'll take another one.

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    1. Furloughs started in the first quarter of 2009.

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    2. It has been called The Furlough program in budget meetings, were have you been? It is a program that will never go away. Wishful thinking if you thought we were done with that mess. Bring them on, I need another vacation, 2nd Q sounds like a warm weather get away

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  14. If you are still Gannett employee don't expect sympathy.
    You have had nearly four years to get away.
    Four years knowing that Gannett could lay you off at any time ,with no warning, and like so much common trash to be disposed when no longer needed.

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    1. Go away. Your trash is old now.

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    2. And if you're not an employee now, why do you come here? Some of us either has no alternative, or maybe we just like our jobs and hope the industry can right itself, however remote that might be. Newspapers are and always will be relevant. Just will take someone to understand that and act accordingly.

      If you are gone and happy you are, good enough, but since you come here after leaving, what does that say about you?

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    3. I am no longer with Gannett.
      I visit this site to stay updated with what is happening to the company that I spent many years with.
      Yes I am very glad to be gone, am doing well financially and finally shed the emotional stress that was a part of Gannett life.
      I am not a rocket scientist, so if I managed to get away from Gannett, I certainly can see no reason why others cannot do the same. I am sure the oter former Gannett employee that come here, do so for much of the same reasons.
      I am also certain that there is a common thread amongst all former employees ,whether being laid off or having left of their own accord as I did,
      they are all loving life again and are glad to be able to read about Gannett and not have to live that Gannett life again.

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  15. what going on in Columbus? Have they starting printing the Cinncy paper yet? The original launch date was Jan. 1, 2013 I herd they are looking for pressman. What is that all about, how much do the press guys make? Any answers with some sense are welcome please

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  16. Press fail in Shreveport Saturday. Last papers came off the press about 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Lots of customers and single-copy locations didn't get any Saturday. Some of the carriers delivered the Saturday papers with the Sunday one today. Not sure how it affected the News-Star, which also prints in Shreveport.

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    1. Why is Shreveport still having trouble with that new press so long after its September 2010 installation?

      More than two years is way too long.

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    2. Jim, Because it was not a new Press. It was a used press they purchased and from what I herd, it was a piece of crap to start with, why do you think Gannett bought it. The problems will continue because they have no clue on how to operate it or maintain the dam thing
      HP

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  17. Because Gannett never gave the dollars it needed to be installed the right way. It's all about digital.

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    1. All about digital, what? Niece try, you must be a editorial flunky

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    2. Gannett is all about newspaper sales staff selling digital applications which have nothing to do with news. search engine optimization, maps, Facebook ads, pay per click.....
      Don' t you get it? Need a picture?

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

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    4. were talking about a printing press , not digital media, or any of that other crap. Read the post guy, fools are fools because they think they know it all, o bot I forgot, you most likely read this on your I phone so you are clueless anyways

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    5. Dude, Gannett wAnts out of the newspaper business. Either in print (who needs presses) or in digital (not enough buying the digital subscriptions) The salespeople are selling things that are totally unrelated to the paper.

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    6. Gannett made over 70% of it revenue IE PROFIT from newspapers last year, do you think digital can even come close. I don't think so guy. They are driving the plane into the ground until it is no longer viable to be a company

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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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