Thursday, February 17, 2011

Layoffs | Estimated job cuts have surpassed 140

[Updated at 9:50 p.m. ET with fresh numbers.]

Gannett has now eliminated an estimated 145 jobs in recent weeks at 20 sites across the U.S. newspaper division, all part of an unannounced round of layoffs and other cost-cutting, according to Gannett Blog readers. About a third of those jobs were at four N.J. dailies. And as many as 12 were at The Cincinnati Enquirer.

We're tracking these reductions in this online spreadsheet. Please check whether your site is listed, then post updated figures in the comments section, below.

Note: We're counting jobs at all divisions -- not just among newspapers. In November, Gannett eliminated an estimated 255 jobs at 63 newspaper sites.

Earlier: Dozens of other recent layoff reports and comments in this post, and in this one.

Related:
GCI replaced traditional severance benefits with so-called transition pay during the mass July 2009 layoff. This three-page FAQ explains how it works.

[Image: today's Enquirer, Newseum]

81 comments:

  1. What were the cuts in Jackson, Ms??

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  2. 5 in Jackson, MS; Marketing Director, Classified Mgr., Reporter, Key Accounts Supervisor

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  3. For Clarion Ledger, spread sheet says three, post says five and list 4, Which is correct?

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  4. I've heard 5th person is someone who is leaving that will not be replaced.

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  5. I'm going with five; will update spreadsheet later.

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  6. 5th person was told late this afternoon that her position was eliminated

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  7. The Names Known Currently:
    Jim Broyles ~ Classified Manager
    Judy Foster ~ Marketing Director
    Amy Forsyth ~ Key Accounts
    Chuck Long ~ Graphic Designer for VIP Magazine

    I don't know the reporters name

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  8. What's typical of Gannett's crap, for example: I know several folks in different now skeltal departments at the Reno site, and the take is understood, i.e., any second a gutted staff will be further reamed. But here's the reality: no layoffs at the Reno site since the unannounced ones in November '10. And one works in that environment, giving their all. Thank god I no longer have to.

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  9. Reporter's name? Was it a long time reporter?

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  10. What is VIP magazine? Is that a young
    reader publication?

    What size marketing department did the VP manage?

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  11. VIP Jackson is an overwhelmingly white party-pics magazine... been criticized for so little coverage of "VIP" blacks and just mails to rich mostly white areas. Jackson is over 2/3 black.

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  12. Is VIP for upscale rich whites?

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  13. No doubt. Vip is all about rich white people. Makes the gannett diversity pledge sound very hollow, especially in MIssissippi.

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  14. They bought VIP in 2006, hilarious how they paid a high price, then hired the former owner to run it with a big salary. Typical Gannett. True it is/was too white; they never get the message......

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  15. Definitely not geared to young readers. Middle age and up.

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  16. The marketing director who got laid off was the head of the online department. Dunno how many employees they have these days, but it's historically been pretty small -- three or four people.

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  17. All the suits at cin Enquirer gotta be worry. They had a field day laying off people in 2008 smirking laughing high fivin each other and laughing at people they laid off after long hard decitated years they put in. And the people who they Laughed at while telling them with a smirk on their face you dont have a job no more when they have not been the company for 10 years and think that they know it all i hope the person who tells you dont have a job smirks and laughs in your face like you did me.HAHA I GOT UNEMPLOYMENT AND ALL THAT BEFORE GANNETT REALIZE THEY MADE A BIG MISTAKE BACK THEN NOW YOU CANT GET A DAMN THING LOL>

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  18. Would someone please outline the positions just dumped at the courierpost in cherry hill? Jim's spreadsheet shows 11 positions. Thanks.

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  19. 5 more in Indy today
    3 from Production
    1 from Advertising
    1 from Finance

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  20. Four in Battle Creek
    Two information desk techs
    One copy editor
    One in circulation

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  21. @jim Yes that is correct

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  22. The way things are going..eventually EVERYONE will be layed off

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  23. The way things are going, eventually EVERYONE will be layed off!

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  24. 7:38 PM

    VIP is a publication geared towards upscale households in the Metro Jackson market, not the city of Jackson alone. Other Gannett markets such as Fort Myers, Louisville, Rochester, Greenville, Wilmington, Asbury, etc. also have upscale publications. Content typically includes topics with appeal to affluent such as fashion, home design, travel, dining and photos from "society" events. Race is not a factor. Simply economics.

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  25. Lots of people decline to be in publications like that though. Why? Because unfortunately, and especially nowadays, it makes them TARGETS!
    Contrary to popular belief, criminals reads those publications then will set them up for burglaries!
    That's a known fact!

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  26. Anyone know the positions in Lansing?

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  27. I am with one of the NJ papers (sad to say) and I would also like to know what positions were fired at the Courier Post in Cherry Hill, NJ. As usual, no one in our sad management tells us anything. Can someone out there provide details on Cherry Hill? Also, is the headcount (11) shown on this blog accurate for cherry hill?

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  28. This is what I ve heard in cherry hil, 2 in circ, 2 in transportation 2 in advertizing 1 photo 2 reporters 2 editorial but cant swear to it

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  29. Who are the 5 (so far) in Cincy?

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  30. Indy Star layed off 2 people Tuesday. One in pressroom who was previously layed off and rehired due to unexpected death of co-worker. The other being a machinist who was hired within last 2 year's I believe.

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  31. 7:38:

    No, VIP is geared toward rich white people in north Jackson. It's a publication strictly geared toward providing a place for them to "be seen" at whatever private party they've attended. Each publication is exactly the same except for the faces and cutlines changing. Without a doubt the shallowest most unnecessary, expensive publication The Clarion-Ledger publishes!When TCL brought it in they completely remodeled an area just for the staff to have doors to close while everyone else nestled in cubicles. What a load of crap!!!

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  32. Lansing: one building supervisor, one in the press room. Not sure about the others.

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  33. How can race not be a factor with VIP considering how many upscale diverse and black events that it ignores? It also doesn't mail to upscale majority-black neighborhoods, and its staff seems to be lily-white. If other cities are doing the same thing, Gannett has a race problem in addition to all its financial and readership woes.

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  34. blah, blah, blah - this is about layoffs that affect us ALL...this isn't a forum for who's what color...c'mon, get back on subject...this isn't 1930, everybody has the same opportunities in the 2000's so get over it!

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  35. Thank you "Anonymous 2/16/11 3:01 PM". By the way, I understand there will be more layoffs coming down in the next few months besides the already slated Production ones. Has anyone else heard this?

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  36. Well, 3:01, GAnnett does sell its diversity, no? Has anyone tracked demographics of who is being laid off? Suspect it cuts across all groups, but could be interesting.

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  37. A copy editor, hard-working and tremendously skilled was laid off this evening, Wednesday, at Ashevile. And the rumor is, more layoffs are coming.

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  38. The Asheville paper is crap. They would just break paragraphs right in the middle to make an article fill a space. They were also masters of copying a dummy headline and then not changing what it said.

    The idiots posting in this thread need to go elsewhere. Let the people with some sense discuss this issue. If you want to go on about diversity or talk about how everyone will be "layed off," then there is another village for you idiots. Find it.

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  39. also, in asheville today, a woman in finance.
    it's like waiting, as you sit bundled in your security blanket, who will be torn from their home.

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  40. Waiting for the ax to fall, circa mid-60s:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEM7nh-U1fc
    Pretty much replicates any Gannett newsroom.
    Sing along with the song, but use your exec. editor's name instead.

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  41. 10:40 pm - Do you understand it's spelled "laid off"? I guess I would take you more seriously if you proved you knew how to spell.
    Or maybe not. This is exactly where we are discussing layoffs on this forum.

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  42. We're living through the old Kurt Russell movie, "The Thing." It kills us one at a time. No one ever sees it. You only notice that someone else is missing. Gannett is The Thing.

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  43. I understand that smaller sites are losing what is left of their HR departments ..... HR will then be handled by a larger property 100's of miles away. That'll work just dandy. Any word on those poor souls? Check south group

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  44. The HR people all had to re-interview for jobs. Some were not hired. One person in Ohio is reporting to an HR boss in AZ. Tricky.

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  45. who on the desk in Asheville was let go? Know many of them.

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  46. 7:40, you are not swift. I put "layed off" in quotes to highlight the misspelling used by 1:19.

    The funny thing is, you proved my point in more ways than one. Yes, this is WHY (not where, as you typed) we are discussing layoffs here. Keep amusing us with your attempts!

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  47. to the folks from Asheville...have there been layoffs before at your sites?

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  48. It's amazing how many people here seem to savor wallowing in BS. Get off the spelling and the inconsequential garbage.

    Focus on important matters such as the layoffs!

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  49. 1 confirmed very good,talented IT person in Cincinnati was cut. Yes, get rid of the good workers that makes TOTAL sense.

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  50. Seems like the HR department started off with the lowest pay-grades, and is now working the way up through the ranks. It's kind of like "tribal council" on a popular TV show. Good luck to all of the "survivors."

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  51. another in Asheville, layout coordinator. also heard they wouldn't be filling a vacant position in photo.
    11:19, we've had layoffs with each round.

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  52. 11:23 fails to get the point: People here are being laid off or have been laid off because they are stupid.

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  53. how many layout coordinators are left in Asheville?

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  54. 1:18 is incorrect. People are let go principally because they're costly -- i.e., they are paid a lot and/or their medical expenses are high.

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  55. Do you understand the pettiness of tracking this? This is nothing more than natural attrition and local operating units doing what is necessary based on business needs. They are making proper adjustments. So far, IF this voodoo accounting is accurate, this amounts to well less than one percent of total GCI employment. But I guess if it looks like a duck to Jim...

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  56. Petty 3:37 PM? Tell that to those who’ve lost their jobs in this latest round, and for that matter, to all those who’ve lost jobs and pay through three plus years of “natural attrition” and furloughs.

    What’s particularly funny about your comment is that Gannett is also a news organization, one that still reports the very type of news that Jim is covering now. And, having read this blog from basically its inception, you are but one of a few who’s balked at this type of coverage…many suspect why.

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  57. I know the copy editor who was let go. Good guy, with a small family, including a toddler. Apparently a 20+ percent profit margin at the Citizen-Times isn't good enough to spare hard-working folks from losing their job. Gannett is the worst, and I'm glad I don't work there anymore. To the copy editor who lost his job: The Citizen-Times is far worse off without you, but you are far better off without the Citizen-Times.

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  58. 3:37 and all others sharing this view: Please read 3:52 and 4:01.

    For certain, Corporate doesn't want these figures out there, as they don't make the GMC look very charitable when the bonuses get announced next month.

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  59. The bonuses! I can hardly wait.

    Please, oh Board of Directors, enlighten the peons as to why Dubow, Martore, Dickey, etc. all the rest right down to the so-called human resources maven, Roxanne Horning, deserve bonuses.

    What the heck did they do besides lay off people and give digital a back seat by leaving it leaderless?

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  60. As far as bonuses go, they aren't just for the higher ups. If you have a manager, that person is getting a bonus while you get a furlough, pay reduction and pay freeze. Yes, those managers did those as well, but they get an extra check no one else does. These same managers have been receiving bonuses throughout the recession. So, the bonuses must be for laying people off. Right?

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  61. I heard the other two in Lansing were ad designers.

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  62. Copy editors are going to fall this year, this is just no way around it. With the centralized edit groups they're working on, it's inevitable. I know our copy editors have had to carefully track all of their time on a flow sheet for the purpose of knowing how many people to retain.

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  63. 3:52, I know I question this type of coverage because it comes from Jim -- a bitter has-been who has always been vague about the details of his departure from Gannett. He is automatically a suspect source of information, mainly because he has a clear bias.

    In addition, almost every post here is anonymous. Why in the world would I give credibility to information when I don't know who the source is? Many things here have been flat-out wrong. The quality of the writing in the posts indicates people with substandard communication skills and likely substandard intelligence. Not the most trustworthy people.

    The argument always has been this information is not available anywhere else. That might be true to some extent, but I know I would prefer to get it from more credible sources with a higher level of intelligence and maturity. I only needed to see Jim's shameful performance at the shareholders meeting to confirm my tag of "adult juvenile" for him.

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  64. LOL: "In addition, almost every post here is anonymous. Why in the world would I give credibility to information when I don't know who the source is?"

    Who wrote this? Why, ANONYMOUS@6:45 p.m.!

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  65. Let 6:45 p.m. ID him(her)self! Why should we care if we don't know who it is?

    Let's get real here. We're talking about Gannett, a dirty word in newspapers. We're talking about Gannett, the company whose managers revel in abusive behavior.

    I wonder how long these layoffs will take. This is like a waterboarding.

    So, please get your resumes out. Get your skills updated. If you can, train for a new career.

    Don't wait for the Grim Reapers Dubow, Martore and Dickey to tell your managers to give you the heave ho.

    You think your managers have a say? They're nothing more than puppets. And a previous poster was right, they benefit finacially from your demise.

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  66. Lets hope all the VPs and middle managers who do get bonuses, that it puts them in another tax bracket so they have to pay double for their health insurance and actually get less in their pay check.

    The bad energy you give out to people will come back to you — look at Craig – back problems, hip issues, apparently has lost his hair and who knows what else. Karma. All comes back.

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  67. Jim, you are such an adult juvenile. I know people who IDed themselves here, and the subsequent discussion got completely away from the point.

    You really should grow up sometime. Also, I'm sure you'll build this into a perceived threat, but someday I'd enjoy the chance to ID myself in your presence. I envision the setting as a courtroom where you are the defendant in a libel suit. That may not ever happen, but I don't think it's an out-of-this-world possibility, either.

    By the way, you missed the point completely about the anonymous posts. Either you are too stupid or too willingly ignorant to figure it out, so I'll try one more time to spell it out for you. If I see a poorly written post speculating about some unsourced info, the chances I will think: "Yeah, I bet that's true" are not high.

    LOL that off, adult juvenile.

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  68. @5:00pm-(If you have a manager,that person is getting a bonus while you get a furlough, pay reduction and pay freeze). It's not a fair statement. Please make it clear-only VP's and Directors,or those on Corporate payroll GET BONUSES..I'm a middle manager, I manage 6 hard working hourly folks, I work 12 hrs a day and I've NEVER gotten a bonus but I've had my pay and pension frozen. Furloughs are the only time I'm not tied to my desk because you're barred from contact. I return to 3x's the work butI continue to do my job as I care about what I produce. I hate what we're seeing and I would love to leave tomorrow but reality is all of us have commitments, bills. I've written my resume in 3 different versions,my applications are many and responses few. We all watch daily as doors close and fear we are next, some of us might be relieved. Most of us know that the clock is ticking but in many markets we have no where to go. Sad.

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  69. Too bad North Carolina doesn't look too kindly on unions. Asheville would be a great site for unionization.

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  70. Understood. We are all in the same sinking boat, and I think most of us do still care, that is what it is so hard.

    Don't take it personally. We all know middle managers work their butts off, at least most of them. They are only taking orders from their VPs who have no clue what it is like to put food on the table, pay medical bills or even try to survive in their economy. They take golfing vacations on their furloughs, or some other relaxing vacation while the rest of us are trying to keep our heads above water and taking any extra job we can to pay basis bills. Ok, if any of corporate is monitoring this site — what do you have to say? Do you care in the least? Is there any compassion? Or rather you just not look at how you are destroying other people's lives and go back to your own empty life void of emotion and compassion?


    @5:00pm-(If you have a manager,that person is getting a bonus while you get a furlough, pay reduction and pay freeze). It's not a fair statement. Please make it clear-only VP's and Directors,or those on Corporate payroll GET BONUSES..I'm a middle manager, I manage 6 hard working hourly folks, I work 12 hrs a day and I've NEVER gotten a bonus but I've had my pay and pension frozen. Furloughs are the only time I'm not tied to my desk because you're barred from contact. I return to 3x's the work butI continue to do my job as I care about what I produce. I hate what we're seeing and I would love to leave tomorrow but reality is all of us have commitments, bills. I've written my resume in 3 different versions,my applications are many and responses few. We all watch daily as doors close and fear we are next, some of us might be relieved. Most of us know that the clock is ticking but in many markets we have no where to go. Sad.

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  71. I love the posters who say those who get laid off are the lazy, no-talent folks. I promise you, they'll say that up to the minute they are escorted out! There is a lot of comfort in believing that.

    I had no idea how many people foolishly believed that until I was one of the ones laid off, just a couple weeks ago. You would NOT believe how many (still employed) people have told me I must have brought it on myself.

    I have the outrageous, almost embarrassing reviews for more than 10 years about how wonderful I was, and what large raises and bonuses I received. Just keep believing you are safe and that only the slackers are being shown the door!

    This is the very ignorance that is being used against all of us!

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  72. @11:50 PM, I couldn't agree with you more. One of our person's laid off was a top producer, most often surpassing her goals each month. The day she was laid off, she was coming in with a signed contract for Yahoo! She dropped the contract off, then was told to go to HR and be told her position was eliminated. It may have been true at one time that the trouble makers, lazy folks were the 1st to go, but that isn't the case any longer.
    Nobody is safe any more.

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  73. Has the sports editor in Jersey who wrote the farewell column found another job yet. Didn't Jabba say he was going to introduce him to a lot of online leaders.

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  74. Can anyone post the initials of the folks let go in the Citizen-Times newsroom?

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  75. 9:41 pm - I wanted to post something about what 5:00 pm said, but could not word it as eloquently as you were able to. Thank you. I was another manager who did not receive bonuses. Those were reserved for Director level or higher.
    As for 6:45 pm, if you do not want to believe what you see here because most posters, like you, choose to remain anonymous, no one is forcing this down your throat. I happen to believe that the ability to post anonymously allows us all to get better information. When you read something here and can verify it in your own office, it lends credibility to the entire site. Maybe you can't verify anything personally because you're at the Crystal Palace which apparently isn't laying anyone off. They're just making it happen in the rest of the country. Cowards.

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  76. 9:02,
    Move on and start your own blog. Go back to relying on the company newsletter.

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  77. I was a department head in the newsroom of a Gannett metro for more than 15 years and I received a bonus every year - even when I was an assistant department head.

    So, they are not just for the mucky-mucks. I think it depends on the paper and the policy there.

    I no longer work for the company, so I do not know whether managers are still getting bonuses at my former paper. I volunteered for a lucrative buy-out some time ago and thank God every day that I did.

    I am operating my own small business now and, trust me, even with a HUGE financial hit and mounting medical bills from a life-threatening and incurable disease discovered after I left my job, the atmosphere is so much more fun that that alone makes it worthwhile.

    There is life after newspapers. I have learned to live on less money - and to tell the difference between what I NEED and what I want. I know some people do not have the luxury of leaving their job and that a layoff will hurt many people, so I count my blessings every day.

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  78. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  79. westchester site is one of worsted in the company on northeast of state and underperforming and lack of vision and incompetent and my opinion. so more layoffs and furlogh to cut cost.over 60 drivers gone 1 humane resource gone . 2 in accounting gone more coming in my opinion.

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  80. Yep, Westchester was a cash cow and not just for the company, but for some of its employees for a long time. Those days have come to an end. Look around folks at the big earners (and not just the execs) and ask yourselves: are they really worth it? Would the paper really suffer further indignities without them? Would our workload really increase if they were gone?

    The answer to all of the above is: No.

    And if we can't stomach more layoffs, how about insisting that the big salary folks produce more? That would be nice.

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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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