Update: Gannett world — USA Today for sale?

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world


I agree with StaggerLee, but I don't know why you would limit it to folks at Gannett papers.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

Yeah, if Gannett is letting 5,000 people go this year, I'm guessing it's not the only chain that will be having another bloodbath this year. Gannett just seems to have a way of it getting out earlier than everyone else. They probably figured that people had enough happiness over the holidays and decided to destroy any smidgen of morale they had left right after the new year.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

Same song, different company.

January '09 it gets out that one of our sister papers in the region just laid off a cluster. We're all immediately huddled into tthe conference room. "We know some of you have concerns, but we just wanted to tell you that we have not heard anything about lay offs coming here and, even if we did lay people off, we would never lay off people who provide content."

Three months later I was in the publishers office having the terms of my severance package explained to me.

First obligation of management is to lie on behalf of the company whenever it is needed. Not to, you know, manage.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

Similar song: There were constant rumors that the operations of my paper were going to be merged with a sister paper's. Every time the publisher would hold a meeting to discuss the latest cutbacks, someone would ask him about a merger possibility, and the publisher would poo-poo it and complain about how rumors get started.

Sure 'nuff, the operations of the two papers are merged today, and a lot of people are out of work. Of course, the publisher still has his job.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

Newspapers want to keep that glimmer of good profits which briefly appears as advertisers vie for holiday shoppers.

Only way to do that in the advertising winter of January? Cut more workers (but of course, none from the ad sales staff, who are kicking back and reading up online about the upcoming playoff games during their shifts).

Sorry to be so bitter ... but unfortunately, January is a tough month for newsrooms.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

A look at journalismjobs shows Gannett looking for help in Asbury Park and Nashville. What gives?

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

Those are where two of their five copy editing and pagination hubs are going to be.

Of course, in a perfect world, no one would apply, and Gannett would be screwed. But as we all know, the world ain't perfect.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

Shouldn't this be where the surviving Gannett deskers land? Or is Gannett hedging their bets should it not get enough interest from within (kinda like what was said about the Louisiana consolidation)?

No integrity, no class and no humanity. Why should anything Gannett does surprise anyone these days?

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

They're probably telling the remaining deskers that they can apply for the jobs at the hubs, but that's no guarantee that they'll get first crack.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

This.

 

Re: Giant and mostly bad news in Gannett world

And who knows how many people want to uproot and relocate to one of those hubs. Nothing against those places, but each person has their own priorities. Depending on a lot of factors, one might be tempted to say "screw it".

The sad reality is that it's a buyer's market right now and management probably figures they'll have no shortage of candidates.