After the Knight Foundation last night said it regretted paying disgraced journalist Jonah Lehrer a $20,000 speaking fee, I wondered how much the journalism philanthropy paid its own officers.
Answer: plenty.
CEO Alberto Ibarguen got $734,815 in 2011, according to the Miami non-profit's IRS tax return for that year, the latest available. That was up $67,000 from the year before. His 2011 pay included a $649,000 salary plus $86,000 in benefits.
But one officer's pay will be of particular interest to Gannett Blog readers: Michael Maness, who joined the foundation in 2011 as vice president for journalism and media innovation after running Gannett's innovation and design efforts.
He was paid $360,906 during his first year on the job -- making him the foundation's second-highest paid officer overall. (Maness' Gannett pay isn't public because he wasn't among the five-highest compensated employees, a group whose compensation must be disclosed under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules.)
Knight said it was considering Lehrer, 31, as a speaker before he was exposed last year as a plagiarist. Tuesday, speaking to Knight's community foundation conference, Lehrer discussed the scandal in a speech for the first time in public. Ibarguen then led a Q&A with him.
This spreadsheet shows 2011 pay to all the foundation's nine officers.
Earlier: Freedom Forum paid new CEO $1.6 million in 2011. Plus: Gannett reveals dramatic 2011 pay cuts for Martore, others.
Answer: plenty.
 |
| Ibarguen |
But one officer's pay will be of particular interest to Gannett Blog readers: Michael Maness, who joined the foundation in 2011 as vice president for journalism and media innovation after running Gannett's innovation and design efforts.
 |
| Maness |
Knight said it was considering Lehrer, 31, as a speaker before he was exposed last year as a plagiarist. Tuesday, speaking to Knight's community foundation conference, Lehrer discussed the scandal in a speech for the first time in public. Ibarguen then led a Q&A with him.
This spreadsheet shows 2011 pay to all the foundation's nine officers.
Earlier: Freedom Forum paid new CEO $1.6 million in 2011. Plus: Gannett reveals dramatic 2011 pay cuts for Martore, others.
If you were around Mike Maness when he was in Springfield (Mo.) you would be as astounded as we are that he remains employed anywhere in this industry, let alone at such a lofty pay grade. He was a non-entity professionally and a disaster personally while here.
ReplyDelete11:02 -
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S why he's so valued.
In G-World, incompetence is richly rewarded.
So a guy leaves Gannett for a better job and you dump on him? I thought that was the mantra here, leave Gannett, double pay, don't pay for benefits and find a new manager who thinks you walk on water. Isn't that what everyone says? Why is that wrong for MM?
ReplyDeleteManess was the biggest mess. Did you not hear his shtick about how he "created" Groupon in Phoenix - later called Deal Chicken?
ReplyDeleteGood Lord - only less of a mess than Heymer!
Do hotels still by papers? What are John Peters and Jill Heymer selling?
DeleteHe never claimed to have created Groupon in Phoenix. At a workshop in Phoenix - held some time before Groupon launched - a team came up with the idea of creating an online, daily deal site. He never claimed it as his own idea. He talked about it later as an example of how the company is capable of creating ideas, but not always willing to take the risk on something that might compete with the core advertising business. As for Springfield, I guess those still stuck there are pining for the return of Bernie Griffin.
ReplyDeleteYou never saw his presentation to Gracia...
DeleteYes, I did.
DeleteThen you didn't pay attention.
DeleteI was in the Phoenix session. I also saw the presentation - some 4 years later - that you say he made to Gracia, before it was presented to her and the other members of the leadership team. The guy NEVER claimed to have created Groupon. Four years after the Phoenix workshop he was making a point about how there are many smart people in the company that have great ideas, but that the company does not know how to take advantage, especially if those ideas threaten the core business in any way. It is a classic disruptive innovation argument and was part of a larger point about the company taking more risks. And by the way, the point was not lost on Gracia or any of the other Gannett leadership team members.
DeleteMichael Maness is brilliant. He's also a good, kind person. The haters here are unbelievable. Anyone who's successful is automatically suspect. Self-loathing begets loathing of others, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI like that, "self loathing begets loathing of others." Aka Gannett Blog
ReplyDelete