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Monday, February 25, 2013
54 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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Open letter to Dave Callaway;
ReplyDeleteDave; we like your energy and sense of hopping on the news. Unfortunately, you have selected managers and perfunctories incapable of making smart decisions or effective management.
You need to evaluate the people you have and really decide if the are truly the right people for the job. You need to see who does the work and who simply pretends to. Walk through the newsroom and see who actually is at their desk beyond bankers' hours and Fridays.
Seriously listen to who is contributing ideas at editor meetings. Better yet, see who challenges the half baked ideas that surface each week. Finally, start reading the poorly written and poorly edited copy that gets thrown into the paper and website. Take aencil to each story and spot the holes no basic reporting professor would allow of first year students.
An even more interesting exercise: Read some of the stories turned in before they've been edited.
DeleteWhich section, Jim? Most of the editors are long checked out and aren't interested in getting their hands dirty? You want quality control? Not in Money, News and certainly not Sports. life doesn't count because of the fluff.
DeleteAnd 3:16 comes back with the immediate, faulty spin. It's not the writers' fault for turning in bad copy! It's the editor's fault for not fixing it!
DeleteWe've heard this tune here before. I am surprised Jim is opening the door for any criticism of the writers. I'll be even more surprised if this post is not deleted.
It's amazing! Everyone on this Blog who works at USAT who isn't an editor is brilliant but the editir's are failures. Folks really have an inflated opinion of their own abilities and a tragically damaged view of coworkers. Truly sad people.
Delete10:53 AM — "Perfunctory" is not a noun. And do you have the slightest idea what a semicolon is for?
Delete7:06, isn't it? And people here have been expressing that attitude for close to 4 years now.
DeleteI'm just waiting to see Kramer and Callaway demonstrate an eye for talent, which they have yet to demonstrate when it comes to this sorry ass group of holdovers at both the reporter and editor level. Half or more should have been given their walking papers long ago.
DeleteCallaway and Kramer both seem to know what they're doing. I've been impressed with both of them. Callway has good news judgement; Kramer isn't easily snowed under by the digital folks. Both are bringing good talent to USAT, and good for them.
DeleteWhat I don't think they understand is the Gannett culture of sucking up. They are surrounded by some of the most astounding sycophants in the universe. I hope that Dave and Larry can see through them. But it's not easy.
I wish both of them the best.
Anybody know how much Gannett is asking for the building that the Mansfield, Newsjournal is in, which they just put up for sell?
ReplyDeleteI think it was $399,000 which keeps it below the $400,000 mark that appears to be the tipping point for the local market according to pillow.
DeleteNo, we do not know the asking price. Are we supposed to?
DeleteMiami finally gets notified of their "lack of institutional control" by the NCAA:
ReplyDeletehttp://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8964435/ncaa-accuses-miami-lack-institutional-control-notice-allegations
"We deeply regret any violations, but we have suffered enough," Miami president Donna Shalala said.
Gee, she could have used that same phrase when she was a Gannett director.
I guess "lack of competent leadership" must not be an NCAA violation.
Is it Monday already? Going back to war with the brainless managers and begging for ads for the thin rag called the daily paper.
DeleteAd reps begging for ads seems to be the Gannett theme.
DeleteIt's not working here, as very few paid ads of any substance.It seems the only real ads are coming from advertisers who are personal friends with business owners and are just being done a favor out of pity.
The shoppers are made up of poorly designed house promos.These promos are repeated constantly.The readers must think that the layouts are being done by minimum wage folks who just got hired off the street.Pathetic.
Good morning. Is Shreveport open today? Is the always broken press still trying to get the paper printed?
ReplyDeleteMy Shreveport paper was actually on time TODAY, by 6:30am. But twice last week it was at least 8:30 or later before it was delivered. The "mechanical issues" statment has gotten very old, for advertisers and subscribers alike. Not acceptable.
DeleteGannett won't put the money into the press to fix the issues so you had better just accept it. Gannett just wants your money, they don't care about their product or their employees.
DeleteThe Freedom Forum has had to cancel its annual journalism workshop for Native Americans.
ReplyDeletePublicly it's because of "a funding squeeze". To this observer it's because of lavish spending on bigshots' salaries -- and the workshop would only have cost $35,000.
So how many papers missed deadline Saturday night because of the Newsgate upgrade?
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to blame Louisville's missed deadlines on Newsgate. However, it was once again press problems.
DeleteOh? You mean someone other than Florida Today has problems getting them out...on time and with all inserts? Stores and readers getting fed up with one or more coupon book (?) missing and getting out later. Not in months have they started the press at 11:30pm...the last known press time for Sun. papers. Now, for the last month, carriers are getting papers missing either the Smart Source coupon book or the Red Plum. Sometimes both.
DeleteKeep pissing people off here and they'll stop buying FT and start buying Orlando Sentinel. Seems they hardly ever miss their coupons. Why do we have so much trouble?
No worries, Tony Simmons has everything under control.
DeleteIt's official: Joe Posnanski joined NBCSports.com as lead columnist, leaving USA TODAY SPORTS' feeble "Sports on Earth" web site.
ReplyDeleteGotta give Joe credit. He played the new geniuses in SPORTS for big bucks, induced them to build a whole vanity web site around him, then bolted in 6 months after giving them no return for their money. Well-played Joe! Let's see how Gracia spins this to the analysts.
Call it karma. These new guys came in with nothing but contempt for the people who built SPORTS up from nothing. They humiliated staff by making them draw up resumes and reapply for jobs. They openly laughed at job concerns in meetings.
When you send the message loud and clear that you have zero loyalty to your employees, no matter who they are and what they've done, you get zero loyalty in return. Posnanski proves that.
Everybody's just going through motions now and hoping job climate improves so they can bolt. Now Posnanski's crying on his personal web site about what a tough a decision it was to leave SOE for NBC. Please Joe. A lot of people lost their jobs to pay for your salary. Then you left skid marks.
Well,at least someone play them for a change.
DeleteHe took the money, saw the handwriting on the wall and left for greener pastures.
I'll bet every Gannett employee would love to do the same.
9:53 makes extremely solid points.
DeleteHere is the problem with the large-scale math: Gannett's soul-cancer suits and greedy major stockholders will NEVER "pay" for any blowback resulting from its vicious disloyalty to longtime employees. Employees are gnats on the elephant's ass.
Who _will_ pay? The remaining employees will pay with their jobs -- again. Moral victories always seem to extract their price.
Dividend announcement this week?
ReplyDeleteNEWS FROM PHOENIX
ReplyDeleteZidich, Lovely and Hiland to announce IC cuts either end of this week or first week in March in response to Q4 Full Access digital subscriptions and circulation declines....
Any guesses from those in Phoenix where these cuts might fall?
they will cut the older, higher paid and most costly to insure people first !
DeleteSerious? More CUTS? Our Editor hinted at some talks and meetings. I didn't believe it though. I do know that editorial is a target.
Delete9:48, the meetings your editor hinted at are likely the same meetings they have every year at this time. The "where we'd like the next year to go."
DeleteI'm not buying this. The Republic wouldn't be The Republic without a lot of unfounded rumors. First of all, subscription declines were expected.
DeleteIt was not a "where we'd like the next year to go" meeting. It was almost an "update your resume" meeting.
DeleteThe continuing local tv news and overall television viewership declines are one thing, but major advertisers intentionally pulling money out of TV and into digital is another...
ReplyDeleteP&G plans to save money with bigger ads
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2013/02/pg-plans-to-save-money-with-bigger-ads.html
Just wondering. Any of the accountants asking why Murcko is spending so much freakin money on her Gannett Upfront event for advertisers next week?
ReplyDeleteCincinnati’s Horseshoe Casino is set to open downtown next Monday and the best the Enquirer can do is post an old file photo of it under construction on it’s homepage and story about meal deals.
ReplyDeleteYeah, readers will love paying for “full access” to that info. Not.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?NoCache=1&Dato=20130225&Kategori=BIZ&Lopenr=302250133&Ref=AR
How many people honestly think Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimization and the like work for clients?
ReplyDeleteYou are joking right? They work BUT they do not bring in customers. I know because I am an EX advertiser. Your business gets seen BUT no money comes in your store. I was ripped off by signing a contract. Never again. I said goodbye to Gannett and Gannett Local.
DeleteWhat is the name of your business? Oh that's right we don't say that here even when we shoot our mouths off like a tough guy
DeleteDigital does not work for everyone. This is what Gannett needs to understand. They are going to say goodbye to the advertisers by pushing them into digital.
DeleteAnd whatever happened with Orange Soda?
DeleteOrange soda is fantastic. The most underrated of the sodas.
Delete@7:47 PM – Bullying someone because you disagree with his or her experience – which by the way is not unique, is pathetic.
DeleteAttacking their anonymity all while remaining anonymous yourself is too.
1:03 I'm not the tough guy "advertiser" shooting off his mouth. Read between the lines. I was challenging his "advertiser" status. But I am intimidated by you. You obviously are a real tough guy. How many kids did you bully in high school?
Delete@8:07 – And, now you seek to anonymously bully me for daring to challenge the way you attacked someone who shared exactly what advertisers are saying about some of Gannett’s digital offerings.
DeleteToo funny.
1:03 PM
Wait, I thought this was the Orange Soda Appreciation thread?
Delete10:46 Our FT managers suck therefore operations is doing terrible! Go figure!
ReplyDeleteAll managers suck it does not matter which paper. Do like I say not like I do.
ReplyDeleteGannett management is very poor they should have rode out the storm in print, instead they abandoned ship.
ReplyDeleteIt ain't a passing storm, pal.
DeleteAnyone who still uses the word pal is out clearly out of touch and probably a manager.
DeleteThey are derelict of duty. They abandoned the customers, and employees. They made sure Craig Dubow got his money first, then Garcia Martore and the rest at the top while they threw the crew and the passengers overboard.
DeleteI love the company suck-up 7:47. He personally attacks the advertiser for saying Gannett ripped him off without naming his business. But he posts anonymously!
ReplyDeleteHey tough guy, if you're such an adherent why don't you give us YOUR name and position so we can better judge your comments.
Personally, I trust the advertiser, not a company butt-kisser like you. You're laughable and pathetic.
I am the EX advertiser that posted my digital experience. I have posted on this blog before voicing my advertising concerns because my salesperson listened but their hands were tied by management.
DeleteI saw traffic reports. I saw my store move to the first page of search. I am telling you none of this brought me sales. After spending over 20k my store sales were flat to prior year. I should have saved those advertising dollars and used them on tangible advertising. I own and operate a family jewelry store.