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Friday, April 12, 2013
63 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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Where's Disappearing Dave Callaway today?
ReplyDeleteDave's busy negotiating Wolff's new 5 year contract.
DeleteHe participated in a lovefest in the Los Angeles bureau and nownis spreading cheer with the folks in NY. Rack up those frequent flier miles, big guy. It doesnt improve the product or morale.
ReplyDeleteIn a more relevant matter, USA Today will no longer use the term "illegal immigrant" except within direct quotes. This is in line with a similar change to the AP Stylebook made last week.
ReplyDeleteI will no longer use "Charles Everett" and "relevant" in the same sentence. But that would not be anything new or different.
DeleteMaybe "those that will do the shit jobs in America that no one else will do at the long hours and despicable wages"?
DeleteSuch as the lack of tomato pickers in Alabama.
Fuck all you rightous morons.
For the record, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou 8:04, Cesar Chavez himself condemned illegal workers. Because they DEPRESSED WAGES for HIS WORKERS. He went down to Mexican villages and nicely asked the inhabitants to not come north. They ignored him 40 years ago the same way they ignore our laws today.
DeleteThanks Charles....sprung-up out of bed around 3:30 AM wondering if they were going to do that.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI spent 35 years in the news industry. I don't do shout-outs or ask stupid questions or act like a know-it-all.
DeleteIn other words, I don't post here unless I have something relevant to say.
Who or what is a Charles Everett? Never heard of the guy. Thirty five years where?
DeleteCharles Everett is one of the people who drifts in here from time to time to impart wisdom. Most of it is usually incredibly obvious stuff, useless stuff, or hype of the same brand Jim tries to pass off.
DeleteAt least Reinan tries to be clever. Fails, but tries.
On Tuesday as employees were being told of the closing of Gannett Direct Marketing Jerry Hill made a comment to Bob Peibler and Jerry started laughing. This was at the same time when some of the employees became emotional about the loss of their jobs. Several employees witness this act. It takes a real ass to act this way! To all the employees at GDMS I wish you all the best of luck!
ReplyDeletePeople laugh at funerals too. Taking affront at everything that happens in your personal sphere is one way to drive yourself to an early grave.
DeleteI bought my boss a beer the day he laid me off, and he bought me one back. The next year when he got canned, we did the same.
Worry about the people that matter, not the ones that don't.
I witnessed the same uncaring act. We were told to be professional until the end. Jerry Hill was the most unprofessional, rude, crude, ignorant, sick SOB I have ever met. Most of these employees have been with the company for many, many years and were in tears while he laughed. As terrible as this is for me and others, if Jerry Hill is an example of the Gannett upper management, then I am glad to be parting ways.
DeleteI lost my Dad last August and we did laugh. Friends and family laughed with us and they also cried with us.
DeleteNo one else laughed about what Jerry Hill said not even Bob Peibler whom the comment was director too.
Laughing just like crying has duel meaning. Just pick the meaning you want.
Jim's brain died a few years ago, and we still laugh at him.
DeleteThey did the same thing to me when I left. They were grinning like a cheshire cat. They must have "Ass" training at those big meetings they go to all day and still don't know a thing. Especially how to treat people with respect.
ReplyDeleteLet's think this through logically: Managers are paid, at least partially, based upon the number of people working for them. Layoffs diminish that kingdom, cutting some of the reasoning behind their pay level. It stands to reason that someone managing 50 people is paid more than 25, right?
DeleteThe only reason anyone would be happy about losing someone in a layoff is if that person was more of a pain in the ass than they were worth, if they fulfilled their job description adequately but still needed to move on to another position.
Even then, an asshole with a pulse is better than a cold position that never gets filled.
Your managers aren't getting a huge bonus to cut staff. They're keeping their jobs by making the decisions to keep the property running. Just because we don't wring our hands and cry in public about it doesn't mean many of us aren't saddened by these business necessities.
I don't know that situation but in my situation they let go of the staff and replaced us by outsourcing. All the managers kept their jobs and some got promotions. So Gannett does reward those that could care less about other people and their problems.
DeleteAnd what about the rumors that all auto and key reps will get huge raises in p3 based on dollar volume. Rumor has it this is company wide. Any truth to this?
DeleteThey're already paying more thanks to higher gas prices and wave after wave of quantitative easing.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that once these illegal aliens get citizenship, they will continue to pick strawberries and clean toilets? LOL. Good grief.
Barring a huge change in the economy's structure, of course they'll continue to take these awful jobs. How would citizenship change their economic situation?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever spoken with one of these people? I have. Our economies in California and Florida would collapse without Mexicans and Central Americans.
Because they would no longer be hired to do these menial jobs. Why? Because they would be paid at least a minimum wage and then higher wages when the unions come in. There would be no incentive for companies to add these extra costs.
ReplyDeleteWhen Alabama and Georgia passed their stringent anti-illegal immigration laws, their economies didn't collapse. Unless California and Florida have a monopoly on strawberry picking and clean toilets.
If the shoe fits...you are a hack Gannett manager.
ReplyDeleteJim - the only reason they can't get unskilled American workers to clean and pick produce is because the Americans are better off financially to collect public checks. Of course, "public" in this context means "forcibly seized from productive citizens under penalty of imprisonment."
ReplyDeletePopulations as a whole will do what they are incentivized to do. We need laws that make it more attractive to be a field worker or cleaning person, rather than to make babies and live off other people's money.
You are quite right. We need to strengthen our laws to empower unions to organize workers for better pay, benefits, and pensions.
DeleteStill waiting to hear more about Butterfly...my site is already scrambling to meet the other "initiatives" ref. video and social media.
ReplyDeleteProject Butterfly will be a royal waste of your time. Once you learn what it is you will understand why. Push back as hard are you can. Do not do it. It will ruin your site.
Delete9:29 AM - Well, now, there's an intelligent, professional attitude for you.
DeleteButterflies are free. Gannett initiatives are for the most part costly wastes of time. It is and always will be about content and giving readers and advertisers reason to buy the product.
ReplyDeleteOur site is all "happy days" because we went 6% over on the expected number of video views in March.
ReplyDeleteVideo is our future. Embrace it. Hug it. Love it. It's our meal ticket to a healthy Gannett.
This is probably stating the obvious, but the whole concept of USA Today just doesn't make sense any more.
ReplyDeleteWhy put a dollar into a machine to buy something that contains content that you can get for free from countless sources with just one or two taps on your smartphone?
USA Today's content is neither unique nor compelling. In fact, your average community weekly (paper) probably has a better future than USAT. At least the content and advertising in some local papers is somewhat exclusive. If you want to learn about the house fire down the street in small town America, you're best bet is still the local paper, particularly in places where news sites like Patch.com don't exist. I won't get that fire story in USAT, and I can certainly read about the latest on North Korea or the Masters without dropping coins into a clunky machine.
I'm not sure how USAT pays the bills these days. Racks are disappearing. Content is getting sloppy and less credible in my humble opinion. The website is often stale and bordering on juvenile in its approach to presenting the news. Even the logo is dumb as all get out.
So it's astonishing that USAT survives in that grand palace in one of the most expensive areas of the country. Where is the money coming from to support that staff and campus? And how many more months or years can USAT last before someone realizes that these recent baby steps toward changing the model are just that...baby steps that might keep the flagship afloat a little longer but will not save it from sinking. The core of the problem is that USAT in any recognizable form is obsolete.
Whether you're young or seasoned, I would be very cautious about thinking you can settle in at any gas-guzzling media brand, whether it's the network broadcast newscasts or USAT. These places just can't support the overhead that still exists despite all the cutbacks. They are going to have to reinvent themselves by downsizing and targeting niche audiences. That is the only way to survive and that involves way more cuts than we've seen to this point.
Where is the money coming from, you ask? From all us poor slobs at sites in the hinterland. We have to send X amount of profit to McLean, so we can hardly afford toilet paper or printer paper. Been that way for years.
DeleteThe rest of you don't need to pay attention to these USAT posts. It's one or two people repeatedly posting to make it look like they're many.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous. More so for a site frequented by professional journalists as you have zero proof to support what you allege.
DeleteSadly, too many like you attempt diversions like this to keep people from hearing information you and your ilk would prefer not come to light.
It's one or two people, just like with the Cincinnati criticism.
DeleteJust like one person keeps re-posting that allegation that only one or two people are posting about USAT and Cincinnati.
DeleteWow...big relief 12:00. Thanks for letting me know what to pay attention to.
Delete@5:26:
DeleteThere are only one or two people that ever post on here. Well, three if you count the blog owner.
11:29, forget trying to talk economic reality to Jim. He's spoken with one of "these people."
ReplyDelete11:29, Google "Alabama rotting tomatoes." I got 72,000 hits. Here's the first one. This one farmer only lost a $100,000 crop.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/14/alabama-immigration-law-workers
11:22 hit on exactly what many people feel about Usa Today. It is a sentiment that has been articulated and shared by others here in McLean and the bureaus. You may want to drink the koolaide, 12 pm., but we have to.
ReplyDeleteDont believe what you read here or dont share the sentiment? Dont read it.
Ah, it's the old "If you don't like our constant whining, go away" response.
DeleteOne or two people -- that's it.
Yea, like you are the same fucking critic over and over. What brillance do you have for us other tHan slamming others?
Delete5:28 is simply pointing out that only one or two people are actually posting these anti-Gannett criticisms, but pretending to be a crowd.
DeleteOnce illegals get a way to stay in the Country legally and seek citizenship they will be replaced with undocumented workers that came after the cut off and those that will continue to enter illegally.The people who hire them are not looking for legal workers they are looking for the cheapest workers they can exploit.
ReplyDeleteWe will miss you Gannett Direct, Some of you have been here 30 plus years and taken a sharp sacrifice to work here. To have Jerry Hill laugh during your hardship seems like Corporate summed up.
ReplyDeleteIs it better to punch an Asshole while your still an employee or wait till after your fired??
I wonder how much Salary is being wasted on the top half of our company with decisions that are reckless and hurt us as a product every day. Many people that are left here are doing the job of 3 people compared to 3 or 4 years ago. which is the same time they stopped paying us yearly increases. I wish I could bring in a couple hundred K for bonuses on decisions that are killing us. How many of our upper management class have houses that cost upwards into million range, or have summer homes......
12:58, that's why all of Alabama is currently starving.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't jive with the South havinghigh obesity rates.
Why is Tony Simmons still employed by Gannett ?
ReplyDeleteLast week a drone from corporate said he only did what THEY wanted him to do???? Are for freaking kidding me?!!?
The man is a nightmare to the Newspaper/Publishing Industry!!!
Make us proud ---Gannett---Dismiss this nightmare Immediately!!!!
He has destroyed enough lives!
Why are you still posting here? You have destroyed enough brain cells!
DeleteWhoever you are, let it go. You have been repeating the same inarticulate hatred for years on this blog. You sound demented. Go get help already. Whatever your obsession is with Tony Simmons, it is unhealthy.
Delete3:29, they are not interested in bottom up opinions. They are all knowing, all important and all over paid.
ReplyDeleteJim is interested in bottom up opinions.
DeleteTrue.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to ignore the single idiot abusive poster on here. Jim's blog record speaks for itself, and that's why I send money and return for news. Thanks for sticking with it Jim. A fan.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are a number of abusive posters here. There are the schadenfreude enthusiasts who become positively giddy at the prospect of their colleagues being laid off and/or furloughed. There are the posters who loudly boast, with few details, of their incredibly successful exploits after leaving evil Gannett. And then there are the sad posters who cannot let go after leaving the company, or who continually rage against certain people, or who are sick homophobes. Or a combination of the above. I read the blog because I can glean useful information, even after wading through the garbage. Jim should be praised for his restraint in dealing with these unpleasant people and for giving us insight into the goings on at Gannett.
DeleteWell said! I feel the same way.
DeletePretending to be a crowd?
Delete9:17, Jim created that atmosphere. He wanted to have a place where people could rip Gannett managers without fear of reprisals.
DeleteThere is baggage with that approach. You must not realize that. Either you are naive or selectively intelligent, to be kind.
Praising Jim for the atmosphere, however, is pretty foolish. You should rethink that.
Hello 11:52. I think you're trying to make a point. Give it another attempt.
Delete7:37 and 9:17 Thank you. It's a pleasure all but 5% of the time.
ReplyDeleteWhile we are debating the number of people spewing vile toward the company and each other, one fact remains. The business as we know it continues to wither and shrink. Companies in similar industries have both downsized management and labor costs. But that solves only the business end of the problem. You still have to offer potential customers a compelling reason to buy the product. If you are just telling people you are new and improved, you arent fooling anyone. Going for cheap, outside content (or cheap inexperienced labor) only works if you want to keep your business on life support.
ReplyDelete