Sunday, October 20, 2013

Oct. 14-20 | Your News & Comments: Part 4

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23 comments:

  1. Lots of people posting on this site complain about various junkets (Dickey's golf, Cannes, SMG), but can any of you journalists out there explain what 75 Gannettoids were doing in Atlanta at the ONA conference? Look at this who's who list of "what do these people do"? http://gannettona2013.tumblr.com/who

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    1. What's surprising about that list is how few people from USAT are there.

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    2. Now now, Jim. Usa Today is well representd by Beryl Love, Brent Jones ad Derek Murphy.

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    3. Guess the "journalists" are still recuperating in the Gannett salon and haven't had a chance to answer the question. http://gannettona2013.tumblr.com/schedule

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    4. Really?!? Gannett pays to send 30 journalists to the premier digital journalism conference and you guys find a way to bitch about it. I'm glad to see a wide range of digital, TV and print staffers there.

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    5. I know journalists have trouble with math, but there are 73 people listed on their conference blog (http://gannettona2013.tumblr.com/who). And that list doesn't include others (Kramer, Payne, Wall, etc.) who also attended. Perhaps Gannett should pay for some actual digital journalism, instead of another conference where the cool kids eat, drink and make merry while congratulating each other on their great digital innovation. "Premier digital journalism conference." Heh.

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    6. I was at the Online News Association Conference on behalf of Gannett and greatly appreciated the opportunity. For starters, no one has ever confused me with being one of the "cool kids," so that is hysterical and thanks for the laugh. As a concession, I did stop to eat and drink a bit. I'm wondering if you ever felt you had any productive conversations in your life while doing the same?
      Perhaps we will get back to that one.
      I must have been out of the room when people were spending time "congratulating each other on their great digital innovation." Rather, they were there to listen, learn, absorb, engage, and share what they think is working -- and what clearly is not.
      Professional development -- particularly in this rapidly changing environment -- is critically important. We face a ton of challenges. I don't know what the best answers are going forward, but I do know myopic thinking isn't one of them.

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    7. good post - good wook

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    8. Thanks for checking in Paul (10:00 am). It is the same cast of characters. Sure, there are a handful of new partygoers, but the core group has been doing "professional development" for year after year at that event.

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    9. Gotta love this blog. "Waah. Gannett never invests in training!" But wait -- apparently they do. Queue indignation. "Waah. How dare Gannett invests in training!" Name another public newspaper company putting this kind of cash into sending newspaper staff out for development.

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    10. Thank you, 10 a.m. and 1:57 a.m. for your intelligent comments.

      I was also there, and I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity. I went to every session available to me, and yes, I also had a fantastic time having drinks (on my dime) and learning from ungoldy talented journalists (apparently, the "cool kids," which is the first time I've ever heard journalists called THAT) after the sessions were over. And I'm not going to apologize. I learned as much in the off-time surrounded by talent as I did in the sessions, and I brought the knowledge, ideas and connections back to my newsroom. We'll be better for it. Isn't that the idea? Also, If you look at the list of people sent to ONA who hold vital digital roles in Gannett and can't understand what they do or how valuable those positions are, then you likely need to some professional development yourself. Hope you're not in a newsroom, or at the very least, a Gannett newsroom.

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  2. Yes, all players in their versions of reality.

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  3. Among all, excellence is transcendent.

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  4. If you Google: "If you Google" USA TODAY


    Then you will see how corporate favors cheap tricks to gain search engine ranking rather than quality reporting.

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  5. It aint about quality, it's about quantity, and the faster the better.

    In another universe, Dave Callaway would be overseeing a fast food joint instead of a media organization.

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  6. Clarification: The thread you are reading is "Part 3" #2.

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  7. The smart ones never hang around too long. That's our observation after many years.

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  8. Charles Everett10/21/2013 8:53 AM

    Remember when a Gannett daily allowed a pro hockey club's PR director to submit bylined articles about his team? Gannett now gives a byline to a police chief submitting a police-blotter item. This latest example of self-serving conduct happened last week.

    Remember that the next time Gannett lays off reporters.

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    1. What happens in this case is that the officers write the initial reports, the secretary compiles them and the chief OKs them. It's no different than a typical police blotter except it's attributed to the chief instead of the entire department, which is where it really comes from. The paper in the city I live now simply runs police log items with much less than information -- time, date, basic info -- but it's basically the same procedure. BTW, the readers of the paper mentioned here really like the police report.

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  9. Q3 has been released...check it out...

    http://www.gannett.com/section/PRESSRELEASES2013

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  10. Ruh Roh.... GCI down 4.47% during the first 45mins of trading.

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  11. Interesting analysis of a prank and how it was handled Gannett-wide:
    http://www.imediaethics.org/News/4039/Who_is_howie_felterbush_how_did_he_hoax_14_gannett_news_outlets_after_the_zimmerman_verdict.php

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  12. As I prepare to RIF an extremely important person in my staff who makes next to nothing, I hope all of those $650 per person ONA registration plus travel and hotel expenses make up for it with their wonderful ideas.

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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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