tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post7520767265326858355..comments2023-11-05T06:26:51.316-05:00Comments on Gannett Blog: Read this terrific inside account of life at PatchJim Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16712746705871119746noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-50868425711726516772012-08-01T16:35:07.490-04:002012-08-01T16:35:07.490-04:00I was a local editors for patch in an area I knew ...I was a local editors for patch in an area I knew very well. I worked my butt off happily often scooping more established news outlets. I launched two sites and it was great until it started to become very top heavy. I was hired in November 2009 and within months had layers of managers who knew nothing about my town but attempted to micromanage like crazy. In addition my manager liked to meet Kelly Campbellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-45922422418036651422012-07-25T16:40:03.687-04:002012-07-25T16:40:03.687-04:00Patch is a flop. It only offers an online local pr...Patch is a flop. It only offers an online local presence that the newspapers tried and failed to cultivate. Bad management is still bad regardless of the venue. In Westchester, sites like ABetterGreenburgh.blogspot, the YonkersTribune.com and others break stories, offer commentaries and supply what people are looking for. You should look to them for advice and assistance or just close now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-76464343468384437612012-03-24T13:31:22.256-04:002012-03-24T13:31:22.256-04:00I also worked for Patch as a freelance writer yet ...I also worked for Patch as a freelance writer yet Patch would call me a contributor. What's up with that? The problem of weary editors trying to do it all is that Patch expected them to do it all, and omigosh, delegating meant giving someone more money. I agree with the poster who said there was irregularity in beat reporting, and I still think it's disorganized.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-63553493906416502952012-03-24T13:24:10.328-04:002012-03-24T13:24:10.328-04:00I worked at Patch as a "contributor" - i...I worked at Patch as a "contributor" - in fact, Sean Roach was the first local editor I worked for, and Tarrytown was the first site that hired me - until AOL let go ALL of its freelancers in fall 2011. Sean was right, he had a punishing workload, and the local editors wanted more, more more. Last summer, they began cutting fees, which was absurd considering the work they asked us to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-17450832979593724562012-03-15T22:14:09.723-04:002012-03-15T22:14:09.723-04:00The imaginary wall between ad and editorial has cr...The imaginary wall between ad and editorial has crumbled since Sept. 2011, which is apparently when the author left Patch.<br /><br />Business owners, take notice. $200 on a tiny rotating ad will get you a glowing editorial feature and regular name-drops until the company folds and your local Patch disappears into the Internet Archive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-92136443302029709142012-03-15T01:22:44.657-04:002012-03-15T01:22:44.657-04:00Five years from now, 15 to 45 Deskers will assemb...Five years from now, 15 to 45 Deskers will assemble blog items to go along with Gannett video for assorted sites. Buesse then coordinates vids with content driver and photo. I see excitement building already.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-4797652230201123272012-03-14T14:03:25.421-04:002012-03-14T14:03:25.421-04:00That's a possibility. Cablevision has alread...That's a possibility. Cablevision has already pushed the papers in the area out of all high school sports coverage. Seems like they're stacking the deck there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-62230486473671474432012-03-14T12:03:07.506-04:002012-03-14T12:03:07.506-04:00The New Newsday/News12 digital product is going to...The New Newsday/News12 digital product is going to change the game in Westchester.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-30489549545828910292012-03-14T11:22:26.580-04:002012-03-14T11:22:26.580-04:00AOL is planning layoffs at Patch. Local news is n...AOL is planning layoffs at Patch. Local news is not as easy as it looks.<br />http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57396778-93/end-of-the-line-for-aol-instant-messenger/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-88004779922858325742012-03-13T23:19:53.911-04:002012-03-13T23:19:53.911-04:00Don't look to Patch to save the day. The model...Don't look to Patch to save the day. The model is unsustainable, and it's not that different from traditional media. It just doesn't have a lot of the overhead costs that come with a traditional media company.<br />The folks at Patch are naive. They figure they can do what traditional operations have done better sans the overhead. They don't (hopefully, they're learning) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099437767970534324.post-9623114264802035062012-03-13T15:21:09.718-04:002012-03-13T15:21:09.718-04:00What's really scary about this piece is that t...What's really scary about this piece is that this is what Gannett hopes to become (albeit on a somewhat larger scale). All these stories about online journalism seem to say the same thing: the business model isn't sustainable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com