Monday, June 22, 2009

Monday | Your News & Comments

Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)

36 comments:

  1. buenas dias, jim! hope you're having a lovely day. i took the weekend off from the blog and now i'm confused. you're not posting (or reading) comments? blood money? what's going on! i see no mention of this stuff earlier on, either. help a brother out, friend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alan Mutter analyzes Hopkins' blog success/failures.
    http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. ANOTHER OUTREACH TO NJ EX-EMPLOYEES;

    After your initial 26 weeks of unemployment ends, what have you experienced with extensions? Is it a seamless process or are there new requirements and hassles?

    THANKS....NJ ONLY!

    ReplyDelete
  4. 12:54, It was seamless. They automatically extend you. You will receive a notice to claimant of extended eligibility before your 26 weeks ends and the extension just continues. They did reassign my call in date from a tuesday to thursday. That was it. Best to you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. question. if we're facing layoffs, why are some Gannett papers advertising for part-time positions that could be done by current employees without adding a ton to their work load?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Re: extension. I just got my first one, and it was seamless. It was automatically filed by unemployment and I got a letter telling me I qualified and what the total was for 20 weeks (excluding the federal stimulus).
    Hope this helps.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1:43 Perhaps the part time employees will replace those being let go at a substantially reduced rate and no benefits.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gannett will announce second quarter earning on July 15. Wonder if the layoffs will be done before or after that date.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Part-time employees don't get benefits and it saves a company zillions all tolled. If you ever get laid off and are eligible for COBRA, you'll see how expensive COBRA is, at least before the price break from the feds. And the premium isn't one iota of what it actually costs any company to provide health and life insurance benefits to a full-time employee. I ain't no corporate hacker, either. I got laid off in December.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Someone picked up the layoffs info from Jim's blog:

    http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/06/22/daily3.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. 2:17. You nailed it. I see that happening at several places with people I talk to.

    Those of you who have had unemployment extended: What makes you "qualify" to get it? What would make a person "unqualified" to get it? Anyone know, or have experience with the question?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Not sure if this is related to anything, but:

    http://bit.ly/4ogT9

    Any reason there's so many copy editor openings on Gannett's page, all based in Asbury Park? I'm guessing it has to do with the Information Center consolidations that will be coming or might already be under way.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jim you might be interested in this study to support the new blog.

    eMarketerUS gays and lesbians are using social media in record numbers. http://bit.ly/17iT03 #fb

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am a December Layoffe & have not heard anything from Unemployment about extension. Should I be worried?

    ReplyDelete
  15. 3:38 -- all those openings are part of the merger mishap - Gannett NJ, when it decided to merge, didn't have a plan, and just started letting editors go at a rapid pace (myself included, from the DR in Parsippany).

    What they didn't realize was that many of the editors they "expected" to stay on and move to the Asbury Park Press's office thought better of the situation and bailed. Now there's about 100x more work than can be done in Asbury, where all the production takes place and they're still short on staff.

    Bunch of morons...

    ReplyDelete
  16. As far as Part-Time Employees--check everywhere except in White Plains, New York. You see, at White Plains you will find the choice few who have driven their newspaper into the ground, yet they are saved -year in and year out.The very same Directors and Managers from 10 years ago are still there, so Corporate Gannett must love a group of people who lose circulation, advertising sales , and anything that has to do with profitability. As for the Webcast of Gannett quarterly results---Stick them where the sun don't shine---because if Corporate hasn't made changes in White Plains, New York---Quite Frankly , My Dear---They don't give a Shit111

    ReplyDelete
  17. Question. for Gannett lay offs, when is the axe going to fall july 8th or the 15th?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Greetings. I am a HS journalism teacher who is attending the Reynolds Institute at the Cronkite School in Phoenix. I want to doa story about 'life after the newsroom.' Could some former writers, photographers, editors, reporters give me some ideas as to how you are faring after leaving the newspaper. Are you still involved in journalism?
    Thanks so much.
    Rick Burd

    ReplyDelete
  19. What are people hearing about severance packages? A few weeks ago people were saying the "one week per year of service/max 26 weeks" was going away.
    What are you hearing?

    ReplyDelete
  20. At my site there are more than a dozen full-time employees that could be made part-time and the dwindling product would never miss a beat. News graphics is one obvious example, full-timers sitting around surfing the net all day producing next to nothing. If they survive the next round of cuts it will be a shock to everyone in the newsroom.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Rick,

    Check out jiltedjournalists.com web site operated by a former Republic editor.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Posted on Gannettoid:

    As a manager who has been asked to make cuts, I can say that I've been told July 8 is the day. I don't know the numbers overall, but it's big at my site, I think above 10 percent. Names went to group two weeks ago, and group was supposed to turn them around quickly to corporate, so yes, corporate has the list of names.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Watch for more full-time employees to be replaced by part-timers and stringers in the future to save money on benefits. That will leave more of a burden on the remaining full-timers, but the suits don't care. It's all about saving money!

    ReplyDelete
  24. 4:23 same in Phoenix! There's a Senior VP who's done very little other than create and eliminate a lot of specialty publications over the years, yet somehow gets credit for the latter. Brought "great" ideas from Reno that failed in the Phoenix market (10 times larger) and if looked into, probably cost the company a good pile of money.

    She lucked heading up the circulation department as the Tribune eliminated sales and circulation resulting in an estimated 15,000 subscriptions by default and a lot of single copy sales, yet got (and accepted) credit for the increase. She runs a bloated marketing department with a lot of butt kissers (managers) and continues her ascent. Of course in Phoenix, it seems every VP has a few direct reports as do Directors and of course there's a Senior VP? If drawn as an org chart it would appear to be an upside down pyramid!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Any word on how new P.C.F. Home Delivery is working out for Asbury Park Press? Just curious; I'm an ex-District Manager; whacked on May 3rd, 2009. I haven't checked into the Blog much because I shut down home internet access. Just curious to see how un-need I am.

    ReplyDelete
  26. July 15 is the date when GCI releases its second quarter results, not a layoff day. Layoffs by July 8. Big ones, I hear.

    ReplyDelete
  27. What was the income level for employees who had to take two weeks furlough? Just curious, since I know a few people who have taken their second week.

    ReplyDelete
  28. bets, anyone? how long 'til Jim changes the end date of this blog to sometime after his new date for the Grand Layoff Event?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hey Rick B...Life sucks after the newsroom. Teach your oversexed high schoolers that journalism sucks!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Didn't see this yet on this blog, but a former frequent poster - Tim Chavez - passed away a few days ago:

    http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/06/19/tim-chavez-rip/

    ReplyDelete
  31. 2nd Quarter reports- I'm just guessing here, but I think they'll announce ad revenues continue their slide as does circulation both of which they're offsetting by eliminating 70% of their employees which they expect will help make the 3rd quarter numbers look better. All of the remaining employees will be awarded rings following their 3rd and 4th quarter furloughs during which time the papers will deliver the same paper on Mondays and Tuesdays, (repurposing), providing twice as many eyes for advertisers at a special rate as the Monday rate will be full price with Tuesday at half price.

    In addition, following accolades received throughout the education industry, Gannett will send a press release announcing it's the best place to work in the world with a manager to employee ratio of 1:1.

    ReplyDelete
  32. 90K+ for 2 weeks of furloughs

    ReplyDelete
  33. 9:35 100k annual or more had to take two weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  34. 9:35 p.m., the income level requiring two weeks of furlough was $90K/annually.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous said...
    90K+ for 2 weeks of furloughs

    6/23/2009 12:32 AM


    Anonymous said...
    9:35 100k annual or more had to take two weeks.

    6/23/2009 12:43 AM


    Anonymous said...
    9:35 p.m., the income level requiring two weeks of furlough was $90K/annually.

    6/23/2009 1:56 AM
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Here is a perfect example of why this blog can often be stupid. Which is it? 90 or 100? Who knows? Who cares? If you can't figure out who is above either level in your organization you deserve everything this blog provides.

    ReplyDelete
  36. It was 90K for a fact.

    ReplyDelete

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."

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.