Gannett Buyouts

No argument there.

I think 3 is the sweet spot, and 2 can be done if you have freelance money (which they say they don’t). Now, when a photog goes on vacation, they have days with no photog available. Not ideal.

 

I'm pretty sure they're spending most of their time making videos.

 

No way I can agree with that. My current shop has two photographers and we could use at least one more a lot of the time.

Trying to dismiss their work shifts down to "8-10 pictures" is like trying to rationalize a desker's shift as "x" number of pages ... or an editor made "x" number of crucial decisions and putting out a serious fire or two between staffers or between advertising and editorial.

It's not that simple. And four photographers is probably considered a luxury at a bunch of places now given corporate greed and stupidity, but there aren't many places who couldn't use them all. Better photos, a better choice of strong photos and staffers trying not to run around like beheaded chickens over a 14-hour span for starters ...

 

I've never called you a liar about this Frederick. I know some people do this. My response to you, though, is people who do this are usually young, stupid, easily intimidated and don't know the law.

I've known my entire career that employers can't do this, and when I was first starting out 27 years ago I had an employer try to intimidate me into lying on my time card about the hours I worked. They told me my drive time to and from events was not paid for because that was in the mileage check I would receive. I told them the mileage check was for my car's upkeep, not my time, and that I understood the law quite well and that those hours were worked and would be paid for. My editor had a look of disappointment when I stated this, but did not respond and the subject was never approached again. If that happened today, I'd do the exact same thing.

This is not about working 60-70 hours a week and writing down 40 and then being pissed at the suits. If you allow this to happen, then you're the damn moron. Be pissed at yourself for being a pussy. This is about allowing someone to manipulate you into to doing something you know isn't legal. There's no way in hell I'm working 60-70 hours and getting paid 40. Not in this lifetime.

 

Better photos? You need four photographers so you can have a choice of a better photo? You've got some really shitty photographers then. Nobody mid-size circulation or smaller needs four photographers in this day and age. Metro size, sure. Smaller, no way.

 

Actually, one of them is quite good. But she cannot possibly be everywhere all the time, and the other can't cover everything else.

Keep digging ...

 

I was told during evaluations that the categories were 1 to 5 and "nobody gets a 5. Jim Murray wouldn't get a 5."
As for the raises, they said the average raise was 2 percent. So if you got 3 percent, somebody else was only going to get 1 percent.
It was one of those situations where you knew it was bullshit, the evaluator knew it was bullshit, but nothing was ever done about it.

 

I remember that too. Gannett’s reaction to it was great, because they were finally getting called out on some of their bullshit.

 

Can't have a Gannett thread without this.

 

So you need three more. Yeah. OK.

 

My way of doing it was more subtle: "I have weeks of comp time you promised me coming my way and I'm going to take it."

 

Name a shop that could not use more help. By any realistic standard, it's an easy answer.

Problem is, it's not our reality. And will it ever be again?