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Sunday, April 28, 2013
30 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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Anybody know anything about or go to Al's funeral? What was it like?
ReplyDeleteIt was actually the one-time in his life whereby he really did need to ride in his own, separate limo despite others going to the same event with him.
DeleteWhat, too soon to joke about it?
“I've heard of about 50 ad designer layoffs today” was the headline Jim wrote Wednesday, one that frankly, only softens what Gannett continues to do which is terminate employees.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, layoff - in its long-known meaning, implies they’ll be called back, something that is clearly not the case with Gannett’s “layoffs” in the past, nor now.
So, let’s be honest as those who were terminated know it all to well.
This tiresome canard keeps getting recycled on this site. Ninety-nine percent of the working population understands full well that to be laid off means to be made redundant, to be RIFfed, sacked, terminated, placed into a state of involuntary unemployment. Nor would a rational person harbor any illusions about being rehired into an industry that is half the size it was a few years ago.
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DeleteUSA Today columnists Michael Hiestand, Jon Saraceno and Mike Lopresti accepted buyouts on Friday. Can you confirm Jim?
ReplyDeleteAgain, asking Jim to analyze or even confirm anything is a waste of time.
DeleteYou could take a 10-minute break from work and confirm (or disprove) one or two of these, I wager. I'll try it now.
7-8 minutes later, I have confirmation of one and non-denial of the other two. Still waiting for callbacks.
DeleteI don't plan on rushing back here on a splendid Friday with those results, though. We'll see how others do.
From Friday's Sports Business Daily:
DeleteSources: Three Longtime USA Today Sports Columnists Take Buyouts
By John Ourand, Staff Writer
Published April 26, 2013
Three USA Today sports reporters took a buyout from the paper today, according to sources. The three columnists' buyouts contain a contingency that allows them to rescind those buyouts within a two-week period, sources said. Longtime columnists Michael Hiestand, Jon Saraceno and Mike Lopresti accepted buyouts on Friday. Saraceno has been with the paper for 25 years, while Hiestand has written for the paper for two decades. Lopresti has been a columnist for USA Today and Gannett newspapers for 38 years.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2013/04/26/USA-today.aspx
Obviously a personal, individual decision on the part of each of them and their own situation. But since it is now public news and could have impact on SMG...let's talk.
DeleteWill be interesting to see if any of the three activate that 'rescind', which probably would mean Beusse came back with a counter.
Those three carry a lot of name recognition within sports industry (which is why SBDaily had a sbreaking news), and varying respect on the beat, Hiestand and Saraceno as columnists and Lopresti as a reporter. Losing them would further cement the overhauling of the newsroom for Sports. I just don't see USAT having the same 'respect' in lockerrooms and sports communications offices the same way with this new crowd. For anyone who follows SMG, it will be interesting to see how Morgan and Beusse spin this. They probably thought that SMG folk were immune a bit from Gannett and USAT's buyout / layoff turmoil, but guess again - and welcome to Gannett!
Again, obviously it's an individual decision for folk eligible, and some may be happy or need to stay and hang on. Fine. But, anyone with 10 years+ of service better realize they're looked at as dinosaurs in that new org, and take a hard look at taking the clue and move on.
It's their business not ours. Why are you people talking about it?
ReplyDeleteAs for the layoffs of the 50 advertising designers, it appears Dickey is getting ready to play in a golf outing on the Gannett Dime. Getting rid of those people will save Gannett enough money to enable Dickey to play. Gannettblog caught him years ago playing on the Gannett Dime. Only when he was caught did he pay the money back to Gannett. What a nobleman!!!!!!
ReplyDeletehey those green fees are expensive. dickey can't afford to pay them on his small salary. i'm sure it was a business event, they talked business on the first tee and that qualified to be a business expense. he can't putt, probably shot a 90 ! gracia was his caddie and cleaned his balls.
DeleteUsa Today os losing some veteran reporters and editors in the buyouts. Sure, there are people that wont be missed, given what little they contribute to the product. But it is shameful that some of the highest paid, least productive people will be staying. If Callaway and Kramer want to change the equation, they need to let these people go. They dont buy in to the new way of business and they are not held accountable for their lazy, clueless attitude. Im afraid the people who remain after the buyouts are going to get all sorts of work dumped on them and the prima donnas and untouchable will continue to do what theyve always done: nothing of substance and minimal effort.
ReplyDeleteOh please. You haters all play the same ignorant song. If someone you hate doesn't take the deal, the sky is falling. If they do take the deal Big Bad Gannett is forcing "Founders" out. Face it, you hate the company that pays your salary no matter what happens. Why don't YOU leave and we can all be happy
DeleteDon't pay attention to the phoney 'crowd noise" here. Its one, maybe two, bitter ex USAT employees who got canned and are still bitter.
ReplyDeleteRight. Who got canned in editorial that would make these observations? No one. The place is a toxic snakepit of bad editors and reporters who avoid work like the plague.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Gracia Martore and her henchmen, all good little girls and boys marching along on orders. Any hints or traces of that annoying Craig Moon regime with USA Today and Gannett are now finally and fully eliminated and/or buried (including Al Neuharth). You win, Martore. Bet you are feeling mighty proud of yourself now. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteThe problem isnt with what Moon left behind, but all the crap Hunke dumped. The Aol crew at Weekend, Hillkirk, the half ass content rings, vice presidents galore.
DeleteWhen will it all come to an end? Print is already dead, it's just no one has announced it yet. Revenue continues to drop and drop, circulation volume is like a lead balloon. USAT has repositioned their GM's to Marketing, Circulation and even one spot on the Editorial front. Managers have been moved to other positions including those at Gannett papers in various different positions. District Managers are disappearing by the boat load. There's no one left to watch the store (no pun intended). Racks have been removed from the streets by as much as 60% in most Markets. And now we have picked some strange bedfellows to sleep with in this business. Waking up in the morning and riding along with our competition and being placed on the bottom shelf of their display rack. Gracia Martore, all done with your blessings, thank you.
ReplyDeleteProving that "spelchek" is the most useless invention since the car alarm:
ReplyDeletehttp://movies.yahoo.com/news/rolling-stones-bring-hits-stars-surprise-club-show-050000868.html
Maybe they were thinking of the movie "Freejack" when they put Mick's name in. I liked him better in "Let's Rip Off Mick Jagger."
Instead of buying out employees Gannett should be buying company stock.
ReplyDeleteWhat an utterly moronic notion. Gannett should be buying talent while it's cheap, not pissing it away on its own stock.
DeleteRead an article in Businesss insider that the Koch brothers are going to bid on the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times. With Rupert Murdoch owning the WSJ The far Right have been slowly but surely taking over.Gannett has already been an anti union paper and treated their employees like they have the plague.
ReplyDeleteOther tribune papers mentioned in the article they may bid on include the Baltimore Sun, The Hartford Courant, and The Orlando Sentinal.
DeleteThe New York times ran that story April 20th but I see that Think Progress did an article about it being rumored back in March.
DeleteAnd finally USA Today got around to the story on April 28th. Article by Michael Wolff in the Money section.
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ReplyDeleteJim does not permit real reporting to be visible here,
ReplyDeleteJust talk about the bias in the press,be it Gannett or other wise and poof,just like national media it goes away.