More Gannett cuts

Reading the various memos - it sounds like Gannett is going to focus more on "big picture" stories instead of the day to day coverage. Which in the Internet era is not a great idea. I used to check in on that Bay Citizen site the NYT is involved with - not enough content = less likely I'll see something that grabs me enough to stick around.

 

Of course quality does not count anymore.

Has that ever been in question?

Did it count when Rick Maese was shown the door in Baltimore? Did it count when Tim Povtak was let go in Orlando? What about Martin McNeal in Sacramento? I could sit here and list names for hours, but it would just depress all of us.

It's never been about quality. It's about saving money. It's been that way since these things started. There's the occasional last hired, first fired place, but for the most part if you're cheaper, you're the keeper.

 

Reminds me of a conversation at a funeral. One person says "He was such a great guy. Pitty he had to die so young. I feel for him."

Person two replies "Don't sorry feel for him. He's one of the lucky ones. The persons to feel sorry for are the ones left behind."

 

Talked with a friend at a Gannett paper tonight. Not Jackson or Nashville, just to be clear.

Excerpt:

"The managers here simply do not have a clue of what to do now. They're supposed to take a new direction in editorial approach with lesser resources, but they're the same damned managers who didn't know what to do with greater resources.

"It's typical Gannett b.s., looking for a silver bullet when the answer is obvious. Every survey they do tells tham readers want more local coverage, yet they ignore that and try to pursue the corporate flavor of the week.

"These cuts strike at the very heart of the thing people say they want, better local coverage."

 

Talked to a friend in Asheville ... they lost 12 people, but there's two weird things -- 1) their cuts actually happened LAST month (combination of layoffs and not filling open spots) and 2) a lot of people had to REAPPLY for their jobs ...

 

When newspapers finally die off, we're going to look back and curse media conglomeration as the death nail for the business. We can't adapt to changes and we can't offer what our readers want because our hands are tied by a corporation that can't see beyond the immediate bottom line and allow the local managers to do what they need to do to succeed.

Meanwhile, bloggers, tweaters and ESPN kick our asses and dumb down the collective intelligence of the populous who look for sound bites and not real news.

I wanted to cry when I saw the Gannett cuts come down. I can't help but think which company is next and how many more good reporters are going to be pushing brooms in McDonalds.

 

BTW, I heard Jackson lost 10 in the news room, including Joe Powell, longtime sports desker. Shown the door after 27 years. Man, oh man.

 

After the news broke yesterday, I sent a message to my friend that left the DM Register last year about it being quite the day at his former shop. His response: "Gannett blows chunks. Pure scum."
Not that we didn't already know that, of course.

 

Quality was replaced with "good enough for the Web."

 

The guild employees are exempt from that charade in Indy, but the salaried people are having to do that. No word if there will be cuts, or just reorganization. Wouldn't be surprised to see cuts/demotions, after all there are a lot fewer people to supervise.

 

In addition to losing some of the sports desk and a bureau guy, Indy Star also diminished today when Jeff Rabjohns announced he was going to the Peegs IU fan site. I'd have to think there's no way his spot will be filled.