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| Kramer |
Highlights from his video interview with technology industry site paidContent, after he moderated a panel discussion of new publishers in New York:
- In a crowded marketplace, USAT has to find a way to stand out. "We need to add voices. We need to add something unique about our coverage, whether it's the perspective we come from, the context we put a story in, or the person who's telling it to you. Today's media companies and media brands are a compendium of voices. they're not one single voice. In the beginning, USA Today, CNN, the news was the voice. Now, voices have to be a bigger part of it because they have to help you understand the story.''
- He's not interested in cost-cutting the paper to success. He got out of the newspaper business in the 1980s when papers were retrenching during a recession. "It was no fun for me anymore," and a repeat experience "wouldn't be no fun at all."
- Across Gannett as a whole, there's a sense of urgency in transforming the company into a digital enterprise. "They've had a lot of success at Gannett. But there is a hunger to move now, to regain some of the mojo they had when they started USA Today.''
- The paper's big September anniversary is "a moment to really dive into some new things, and be as innovative as we were 30 years ago." He didn't give details. But he said the paper is planning "a lot more" Web verticals -- highly focused, subject-specific sites.
- At 62 years old, he's more interested in leading a business turnaround, because the time required to build a start-up to a full-fledged company can take more than 10 years. "I do, however, think I have the energy to make some changes quickly. With a brand like USA Today, it shortcuts a lot of the time I need. If we do something interesting, people are going to know it."
- His immediate goals include boosting advertising revenue, which continued to slide 14% during the first quarter from a year ago. He wants to show advertisers USAT's new initiatives, get them to see what they have in common. "Advertisers need to learn storytelling on digital platforms, just like we do."
Agh, cut yer yappin', Kramer. Get down to it, roll up your sleeves and lets see what you got. So far, we ain't seen much, and frankly we are much more jaded than we are scared. Bring it.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for that quasi respect to the founders of USAT. Maybe the digital punks who dis them should take a clue... and understand that until they launch something of USAT magnitude, they are just flitting poseurs.
Unfortunately, newspaper advertising will never recover or be replaced by digital revenue, no matter how exciting the Kramerized content. Hunke threw USAT editorial content out the window; readers and advertisers know it, and have moved on to customer direct marketing.
There was only one Founder and his name was Al. The rest of you made up your own title about ten years ago. It's actually quite pompous. But you don't care. You can go back to bashing Kramer now.
DeleteThey weren't called "digital punks" back in 1982, when USA Today was founded, because -- well, digital didn't exist.
ReplyDeleteBut weren't many of the paper's founders recruits from smaller Gannett papers, in their 20s and early 30s at the time? In other words, close in age to some of the young people you now refer to as punks?
Back then, Al Neuharth said publicly that he preferred younger employees to older. Skeptics thought a big reason might be that younger equals cheaper. Whatever, modern managers avoid saying those things out loud.
ReplyDeleteAnother OLD MAN at GANNETT!!!!
ReplyDelete8:31 is correct. And, "voices" is a a way of saying to dump news coverage and investigations. More opinionated talking heads - who may or may not know what they're talking/writing about.
ReplyDeleteUh, yes, digital existed in 1982. And Gannett launched its first digital product in 1984.
ReplyDelete10:39 I should have been more specific: Digital didn't exist in anywhere near the forms we see today -- that is, where every employee is expected to be at least a marginal tech expert.
ReplyDeleteAt its launch, USA Today was very tech-forward in one significant way that it once promoted: It was delivered to remove print sites by satellite.
In fact, inside many USAT vending machines, you can still see that advertised.
Kramer appears to be clueless about what needs to be done first, before all those other lofty things can happen. I doubt he has the fix for repairing the broken trust that has plagued us for at least 3-4 years. I doubt he can wave a magic wand and bring back all of our fine colleagues and friends who remain in our thoughts -- the people who kept the trains running on time and acted selflessly to maintain a level of quality control needed to be a credible player on the national stage. I am not even sure Kramer knows what is REALLY wrong at USAT. I fear this is just another publisher looking to make a quick buck in the twilight of his career.
ReplyDeleteSorry to say, but I mistrust anyone Gannett brings in, particularly after the leaders of this company showed now mercy towards the people they let go and no knowledge of what it takes to for the rest of us to compensate for those losses at USAT.
Hunke destroyed the place. Too many bad appointments. Too much bad blood. Too many holdovers.
DeleteAnd yet you stay, spending your days dreaming about a past that no longer exists anywhere, trashing a guy you don't even know, forecasting failure. When will you negative folks ever embrace the future? Kramer is the leader you're looking for yet you couldn't wait to trash him. It's sad really
DeleteKramer's last hurrah. Trying to regain his mojo, not necessarily Gannett's. He doesn't think cost cutting is the way to go, either. I sense a disconnect.
ReplyDeleteLarry needs to fix the basics. as in getting veteran leaders who know basic news stories and coverage. he needs outsiders to break uo the clique of incompetent senior editors. he needs to create a sense of urgency among staff or replace them. THEN he can create his star system of voices.
ReplyDeleteAttend a few editor meetings,mr.kramer. youll get a great bead on who is actually qualified to be an editor.
ReplyDeleteHe would be shocked at the ineptitude. before falling into a stupor.
DeleteHeck, when is he going to get past the line of asskissers and talk to some of his reporters?
ReplyDeleteHe is the best chance weve got. if he cant turn things around, who can?
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ReplyDeleteYou can do it, Larry, as long as you obey the two queens. David L. Hunke was able to transform USA Today in only four months so we're pretty sure you can beat that timeline.
ReplyDeleteI believe most comments are pro Kramer, as well they should be. But I dont see any of the swift change he promised. The same old same olds are in charge. The newsrooms are an off the rails mess. Major stories such as the economy and Facebook have been completely ignored. Senior editors dont know what to do or how to act in the new
ReplyDeleteregime (not that they did before). People are still shellshocked post the callouslly inept overhaul in Sports. So if Larry is getting grief, its because he is not kicking ass and taking names fast enough.
Kramer really needs to act more like an editor than publisher right now. We havent had a real one here since Bob Dubill left. Dubill understood news and the importance of good deputies. He knew how to treat strong performers. He was unafraid of making tough decisions early and often. When was the last time you could say that of a USAT leader?
ReplyDelete