Sunday, November 27, 2011

Nov. 21-27 | Your News & Comments: Part 5

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39 comments:

  1. For reasons I don't understand, Google now says more than 600 people have been referred to Gannett Blog via this link to a very creepy, semi-adult oriented YouTube video. (WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!)

    Yet, I can't find anything on the video's page or in the video itself that references this blog. Very odd.

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  3. Surprised no one is talking about this. Confirms layoffs -- at Cincinnati Enquirer, at least.

    http://editorandpublisher.com/Features/Article/Production--Gannett-Readies-to-Pioneer-Compact--3-Around-Format

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  5. Stupid is as stupid does. I nominate Forrest Gump Instead of Silverman.

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  6. The rumer about Silverman is insane. Has anyone read about what happened in Tennessee? Why would leadership trust him to be in charge of content with USAT?

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  8. back to people who post on this blog with mispellings. NOT everyone that posts on this blog is an editor, so to fuss about someones spelling is a little imature-you get the message. Anyone can blog and we are not all perfect like the editors that do write everyday, so get over it! This blog is not just for writing critics, regular people are here also. Get a grip.

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  9. I would just like to say that it is beyond embarrassment that this company, with only a handful of employees left at each paper, has not reinstated the meager pay raises that we once used to receive for cost of living increases. I do not even make enough to live on, but would have if I had continued to get the small raise which usually amounted to under $1,000 a year. Since the economy is showing signs of improvement and the company has new leadership, it is now time to do the right thing and treat employees like actual human beings who need actual money to live and not only reinstate raises, but also make those raises this year equal the total sum of cost of living raises that each employee has missed out on the past three or four years. It's time to at least attempt to show the people who have stuck with this company that ethics still exist, if, of course, you believe they should.

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  10. I read Gannett Blog daily, just to remind myself how happy I am that I left. It's cheap, post-traumatic therapy.

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  11. 10:57, I second that speaking from personal experience. But be careful now for the "no name/no happiness" trolls are sure to follow your posting.

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  13. USA Today needs to be shaken up. If it takes an extreme jerk to do it, so be it. You think management gives a shit besides maintaining the status quo?

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  14. Re: 10:17AM

    Not only will this company not reinstitute pay raises, all signs point to continued furloughs and layoffs, possibly as soon as December.

    The economy is not getting that much better and it's not getting any better for newspapers. Other newspaper companies have already announced layoffs, Gannett never misses a trend like that.

    It's well known that Gannett is profitable, by the measures of most industries very profitable. But not as profitable as it was seven or eight years ago. They are obsessed with getting back to those profit levels so expect more cuts to reach that level.

    All of this points out just how morally bankrupt the management of this company is.

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  15. Raises have resumed and been happening at USA Today since the spring.

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  16. If you call 1 percent hikes pay raises after 3 years of freezes and furloughs, you are sadly mistaken.

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  18. I don't get it. A poster says he hates the cosby. Another says all managers are terrible. Another says they haven't gotten a raise in years. Why are you still here? Yes the economy stinks but companies are hiring. What are you waiting for? Are you going to keep making these posts for another three years? Everyone that has left makes double the money running their own companies or they work for companies where insurance is free and management loves them. So I repeat, why are you still here?

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  19. USAT needs smarter people in every department and at every level. But it also needs more honest folks in leadership roles. From the lowest editor to the top executives, this is an organization where institutionalize lying and deceit has gone on for at least five years. This constant spinning, pep talks and idiotic initiatives from above have led to a talent drain. Good people are fleeing the place. People work out of fear now rather than pride. Work ethics are zilch in some corners. Some of the nicer people with decent workplace habits are under-skilled to say the least. Employees who are on the ball, have some seasoning and pride, are being burned out while trying to carry the load. And yes, a segment of the old guard is being protected. They are the same people who watched and said nothing as some of their so-called friends and colleagues were unfairly sent packing in recent years. The old guard knows how to survive, but these yes-men/women are the cancer that has caused 90 percent of USATs growing list of problems. They should have been the first to go. Instead, they linger, take their marching orders from the latest flavor-of-the-day newbies and generally do nothing but meet, hang out in the gym or cafeteria, and collect bonuses for doing things they shouldn't be doing. Yes, there are many secrets at USAT at the upper levels and pretty much no loyalty to anyone who even hints are going against the grain.

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  21. 2:33 they are waiting for their LAY-OFF, TPP and unemployment- go figure, duh!
    Like most of the people still working at GANNETT. not everyone enjoys their job- like you do!!

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  22. lay me off! lay me off! lay me off!

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  23. At USA TODAY, fresh overhead just added. From new Sports Vice President Dave Morgan


    First off, the first three weeks have blown by in a hurry. We have added US Presswire and MMA Junkie to the portfolio during this window, which gives a glimpse at the huge opportunities in front of us. And through it all, we have continued to produce strong content during hectic news cycles.
    Our coverage of the Penn State story, in particular, has been noteworthy. I thought the piece on the "dark side" of the Joe Paterno culture was particularly insightful. We need to own the biggest stories on the sports landscape and we have done just that on this epic and ongoing story. So my thanks to everyone for staying focused and continuing to produce strong content on multiple fronts.
    I also have some great news to share.
    Mark Pesavento and Gerry Ahern have accepted senior leadership roles in my org and will be joining us starting on Monday. They come to us from Yahoo Sports but my relationship with both predates our experience there, and I couldn't be happier that they are in the fold. They are both tireless workers, strong leaders and steeped in character.

    Mark will be the VP of Content, overseeing broad areas of concentration in news, editorial, blogs, video and photo in addition to shaping our digital needs and execution. At Yahoo, Mark headed the sports blogs, attracting a massive audience that was largely responsible for the site's long-term leadership in audience. He directed a network of 15 individual sports blogs with about 60 contributors, an effort that is on pace to achieve a staggering 4.5 billion page views in 2011. Mark has great instincts on stories and engaging audiences, and a strong eye for recruiting talent as evidenced by his track record.

    Previous to running the blog network, Mark directed the professional sports coverage and desk operations at Yahoo Sports. He was also lead editor on two Olympics and involved in three, and spent two years as the major league baseball editor. I first met Mark in 1999 at the L.A. Times, where he served as sports editor for six years after joining us from the Sporting News.

    Mark lives in Washington D.C. and will be located in Tyson's Corner.

    Gerry will be Director of News Content, a broad network role encompassing core properties (USA Today, Sports Weekly, HSSports.net, Gannett dailies and Gannett TV) and core elements of reporting, enterprise, investigations and columns. A huge undertaking, to be sure, but Gerry is uniquely positioned to handle this demanding assignment.


    At Yahoo, Gerry was Managing Editor of Colleges and Investigations. In that role, he directed the Rivals network (110 team sites) and personally edited all the Investigative efforts, representing the finest sports journalism produced anywhere. His teams broke numerous national stories, including major scandals at Oregon, Ohio State and the University of Miami in the last six months.

    Gerry, beginning his fourth stint with Gannett, will take over as president of the Associated Press Sports Editors organization in June. He lives in Michigan and will work out of the Lansing and Detroit offices.
    Mark and Gerry will be in Tyson's Corner with me this week so please join me in welcoming them to the team.



    Dave

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  24. 5:38 Dave Morgan says of USA Today's Penn State coverage: "We need to own the biggest stories on the sports landscape and we have done just that on this epic and ongoing story."

    That is utter nonsense. The NYT kicked everyone's ass on that story. Even USAT was forced to quote the NYT in some of the biggest Paterno developments.

    I challenge Morgan -- or anyone -- to name five Paterno stories where USAT led the pack.

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  25. Jim:

    While the Times may be tops among national media, the Penn State story was broken by the Harrisburg Patriot News and they've had the best coverage. They'll win a Pulitzer for it.

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  26. 7:26 is 100% correct. As I recall, that paper was first to report the grand jury was investigating Sandusky -- back in March.

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  27. RE: Waiting for Transitional Pay etc: It's not really worth it. I had 12 years and made a boatload of money per week, so I thought I had to do it. But you have to stay unemployed the whole time to get it. If I had it to do over, I'd have moved on with my life. Once the TPay was gone, I found a good job in a few months, and I'm hiring other journalists now (some ex-Gannett.) We're all making less but doing fine and much happier. But the more TPay you have coming, the bigger the hole in your resume. It can become a detriment to getting hired again. Just sharin' for what it's worth.

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  28. If I recall correctly there is a Newhouse family member who is high up in the Editorial side at the Patriot News. It's a quality operation, and shows that even Newhouse/Advance (privately held) can be very effective.

    Gannett is competing to be your low IQ Leader. Just tell people how awesome you are and that makes it so.......

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  29. "The NYT kicked everyone's ass on that story."

    Hmm -- took less than an hour for Jim to be proved wrong this time.

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  30. Let's face it -USAT won't exist in five years. Business travelers will pay to access the NYT and WSJ on their iPads and smartphones. USAT gets dumber and thinner with each round of layoffs. A handful of talented folks left across all department will be chopped in 2012. Nice going, Big G. Company deserves to go to hell.

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  31. Re: 8:06PM
    I thought that was Maryam's "we're not elite" plan. Be the low IQ leader to attract the masses and willfully ignorant.

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  32. So on one side of the Crystal Palace we've got the ex-AOL'ers, and on the other side we have the ex-Yahoo's.

    Damn shame we sold off that softball field. We could have had some awesome girls vs. boys games. We could get Betamax to sponsor it.

    Seriously, at some point can't we maybe hire from a company that isn't seen as the weak #2 or #3? Nobody fires up their computer to go read Yahoo sports. Nobody says, 'I wonder what AOL has to say about my life today'. Nobody says 'NBC has the best marketing, look at this moleskin TrapperKeeper!'

    I know we won't spend to hire every great mind from Google or Disney or Newscorp - but would it hurt to have a couple we can point to with some pride?

    Saying we've got three top guys from Yahoo Sports running the flagship operation doesn't impress anyone - Yahoo Sports still runs Chris Carter's garbage and that shows no judgment at all.

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  33. 9:18 Those AOL and Yahoo folks are used bad companies, bad managers and being laid off in droves, so most expect their tenure to be fairly short at the Crystal Palace. Sadly, even the best people around Gannett are likely to be canned as the death spiral ensues.

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  34. I was a little more than surprised to see no mention on the blog about the death of APP photographer Mike Sypniewski. It did make the AP wire and Mike also worked at the Ledger and Home News. A damn good shooter and a hell of nice guy, a genuine talent who left this earth too soon. The obit and article was in today's APP.
    http://www.app.com/article/20111126/NJNEWS/311260082/-1/UPDATE/Award-winning-Press-photographer-dies

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  35. 9:18,
    Don't forget the Univision/NBC people. I think they'll want a chance to play, too. Heard Maryam can really pick it at short.

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  36. Doesn't do much for the home team but "On the Road" she's awesome...

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  37. So sorry to hear of the untimely passing Michael Sypniewski. How awful for his family and colleagues. His family will need the donations. RIP, sir.

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  38. Sypniewski's death - he was only 47 - is a terrible tragedy. He left behind three kids. He was a fantastic shooter and an genuinely good person, very calm and patient, a pleasure to work with. He had a big heart. Many who worked with him did not know he was sick and were stunned to learn of his death.

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  39. Morgan and his team took Yahoo Sports from non-existence to being #1 in traffic for sports web properties in three years. 52M uniques a month. last I checked that is 4 times USAT audience in the space. Lighten up.

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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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