Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Nov. 11-17 | Your News & Comments: Part 2

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45 comments:

  1. Husband uses stun gun on wife over Packers-Bears bet (video)
    http://www.postcrescent.com/livestream/article/20131112/WIS1001/131112013/Husband-uses-stun-gun-wife-over-Packers-Bears-bet-video-

    Apparently, hurting so much for video, The Post-Crescent has posted it again with a link to the story that they had last week.

    Death knell.

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  2. This has to be the belly dragging bottom of news room cost cutting. The Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., isn't heating its newsroom this winter. Word is employees can buy their own space heaters, but, in protest, nobody has. Journalists are working in gloves, coats and blankets.

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    1. Produce the memo.

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    2. No memo. No announcement. Just progressive chill as the fall set in -- and then inquiries to H.R.

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    3. Better yet, take a photo and send it to me.

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    4. Space heaters cost a FORTUNE to run. You want to protest, everyone should buy two.

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    5. Notify the local fire marshal office with a complaint inspection. Let them know space heaters are being used. If those heaters do not have a UL label stating "for commercial use" they could receive a fine for every non-commercial appliance.

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    6. It's cold in Shreveport, too. First no AC--supposedly being permanently repaired this week--and now no heat during the first freeze of the year.

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    7. Call the local health department. If landlords can be fined for failing to provide heat for tenants, so can a cheap employer.

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  3. USA TODAY has entered into a content partnership with Lady Gaga. The transformation is complete.

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    1. This really is what the Marketing staff is up to? Congrats! This surely is groundbreaking. More like embarrassing. Gaga's fine, but really...this is cutting edge? Shilling out edit space for an artist on a promo tour this week? Does anyone think this drives sales or advertising? Or just drives attention, and enables Micek et co to add to the list of 'cool' activations.

      http://news.yahoo.com/lady-gaga-lends-image-usa-today-logo-145001306--finance.html

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    2. Her latest album is being thrash d by reviewers and she tells interviewers she is addicted to pot. Great job, Banikarim !

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    3. I'm sure the only motivation here was that our CMO might get her photo taken with Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga and Lady Goofy.

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    4. I am certain we must now call these great marketing geniuses Lady Banikarim and Lady Sandy.

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    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. I know this is the Gannett blog, but I found this analysis of Lee via Romenesko to be eerily familiar. http://seekingalpha.com/article/1831452-lee-enterprises-when-a-company-burns-the-furniture-investors-should-short-the-stock

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    1. I had the same reaction to that item.

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    2. Yeah, except Gannett is trading at nearly 10 times higher and continues to invest in its good people.

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    3. Agreed. Here's what the same site said about Gannett a few months ago: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1468361-gannett-co-is-strategically-well-positioned-to-grow

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    4. "continues to invest in its good people" ... best laugh I've had this week. It's still early, but seriously ...

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    5. Exactkly 10:47pm that's definitely a laughable comment. Gannett does not invest in good people - they get rid of them, especially if you disagree with certain people or do not kiss their rear ends in the right places, you're shown the door - no matter your experience or skill set. That's the Gannett way. And they hired their own friends to take your place. That's how it works.

      Now, do you think Maryam Banikarim is "good" people? Do you think Larry Kramer is "good"? Do you think David Callaway is "good"? Do you think Sandra Micek is "good"? Do you think any sr exec hired in the last 24 months or anyone they've hired is any good? If you do, then you are either living in a dream world and/or you are a terrible judge of talent. And, the increase in stock price should have nothing to do with it. Wall Street's assessment is extremely speculative. That price will go up and down on whims. What have these people done that has substantially changed the operation of the Gannett business that has resulted in significant revenue generation - from sources OTHER than print ads?

      What have these people done that has transformed the operations so that people are working more efficiently and collaboratively to complete all of their necessary day-to-day tasks in an effective manner?

      What have these people done to change the mindset, morale, attitude, and culture of the company so that people actually trust their direct managers and see them as credible resources that provide support, encouragement, and motivation?

      What have these people done that has pushed the industry to new levels with unique and different product and service offerings?

      What have these people done that has transformed anything, developed anything new, or tried anything different that wasn't tried 10 years ago?

      What have these people done other than collect a very nice paycheck, take rides on the company plane, and promote themselves (and not the company) on network morning shows?

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    6. Hey, Micek was on Project Runway. That's gotta count for something.

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    7. Purpose Walls.

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    8. Banikarim, Calloway, and Kramer are great people.

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    9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. Would a Gannett editor hire back a laid off employee? As a frustrated, laid off employee, I just saw an opening at my former publication. Tempting, shaking my head at the whole insanity.

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    1. We've rehired laid-off employees several times. Even employees who took buyouts have been brought back.

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    2. Even fired employees have been brought back! Apply. What's the worst that can happen?

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    3. The worst that could happen: You get the job.

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    4. Or get hired and laid off a second time. Yeah; been there.

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    5. Was fired for telling a chronically late employee who was arguing about it that he had to get his f-----g a-- to work on time, end of story. Applied for another job and was told by HR that once fired by Gannett you can not be rehired. Not that I care, I was curious...life is much better outside of that joke of a company.

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    6. Being "fired" usually means being terminated for cause -- so it makes sense that company policy would forbid hiring that person again.

      Being laid off is a different circumstance, i.e., no fault of the employee. It's common for companies to hire someone they had laid off.

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    7. I think you are correct in saying that it goes back to the reason for termination.

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  7. In case you missed it:

    RT @effgannett: #4 @Gannett 's #innovation grant program is too little, too late. It's like a grains of sand dropped into the Atlantic. Equals no growth.

    RT @effgannett: Why @Gannett Will Fail Reason #3 tweets tomorrow at 9am EST.

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  8. They just gave out stickers at USA Today!

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    1. Stickers for ???

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    2. Stickers. Who is the 12 year old who came up with that?

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    3. Next week...graham crackers, milk and a one hour nap.

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  9. From Politico.com:

    Top talent exits New York Times

    In the past nine months, at least a dozen top reporters and editors have made for the exits.

    On Tuesday, in a sucker punch to staff morale, the Gray Lady lost three more: Brian Stelter, the paper’s marquee media reporter, announced he would go to CNN; Matt Bai, The New York Times Magazine’s chief political correspondent, decamped to Yahoo; and Capital New York reported on Monday night that Hugo Lindgren, the editor of the magazine , will leave at the end of the year.

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/new-york-times-staff-top-talent-exits-99773.html#ixzz2kYIKv8Io

    Maybe all the folks worrying about Gannett layoffs should take a cue....

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    1. silly 1:38 pm --- we no longer have any 'top talent' at gannett

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  10. Interesting: they attached a camera to a Gannet. I wonder if this was our beloved CEO, and if they captured her shitting on people from a great height?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/24898391

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    1. Wow ... there's a minute of my life I'll never get back ...

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  11. Some lucky GPS folks are going to get some extra holiday time off.

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    1. Is that a cute way of saying that you suspect that there will be pink slips?

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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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