Sam Zell tells Orlando Sentinel photog: F%#k you.

What does the public want from newspapers:

Sex
Violence to others
Moral Outrage to feel superior to others
Sex
Gossip
Sex
Local Teams win
Tips on getting more sex
The Market went up

 

I too am a Zell employee. Some of you have figured that out over the posts.
I've had the unfortunate experience in my 19 years in this business of working for some of the cheapest misers to put an uppercase to newsprint. Jack Kent Cooke. Dean Singleton. Tribune. I've been to the otherside, too. Working for one of the great newspaper families, too.
In 19 years, I've had to interview for my own job, then accept a 12% pay reduction the same year I received all exemplary marks on my review.
In the same 19 years, I received two raises in one year.

mike311gd typed out of place, unfortunately. A throw-away line that's accepted on the Anything Goes board. But, strikes close to home on a professional board. He's a kid. Still wide-eyed and unaware of picture past his next job. We've all been there.

Zell holds an opportunity. The papers in his control are still respected, strong, profit-making... For now. He has a window. A window to get this turned around. oldpaint is right, if this man -- call him what you will -- fails, his failure will be not only my failure, but yours.

There are no more Chandlers. No more Bancrofts. The Ridders are gone. McClatchy in deep trouble. There is immense pressure the Ochs-Sulzbergers. In the next five years, the creditors will come calling for Singleton.

That leaves a well-diversified Graham Family. Their newsgathering empire won't grow past their paper and website. They're too smart to let that happen.

The future of our business may hinge on the very guy we love to denigrate. God help us.

 

Don't forget the puppies.

Readers want puppies. Maybe.

 

See, you guys are stuck on "puppies." It's "puppies" to a businessman speaking off the cuff in a Q&A session.
But, it's easily translated. It was a fucking euphemism.
We lost touch with our readers. We've eliminated the parts of the paper readers found useful. The utilitarian aspects of each edition. The stock tables. Long boxscores. Movie listings. National statistics. Whatever they may be. "Puppies."
His point is we need to find more of what they want, less of what we think they want. Sell that, so we can afford more of what we think they want.

 

I think "puppies" is a euphemism for soft features -- not stock tables and big box scores. Those are "space eaters."

 

Hope to hell that's not the first step toward advocating killing kittens.

 

I think fishwrapper offers some great insight into some of what's ailing the newspaper industry. At the same time, I'm not sure Sam Zell is the person to lead the way to the promised land. The first thing you need to do is get your people to buy your message. In my experience, cursing someone in front of his peers doesn't open ears.

 

Oooohhh, don't tell our baseball apologists about how rich guys shouldn't be hemorrhaging money in a business.

Also, Sagan never said "billions and billions"

 

Add:


A crossword appropriate for the paper's broad demo.

And a wide, diversified selection of comic strips.

 

And now Sam Zell tells some Tribune HR, finance, legal and corporate staffers the same thing: F%#K YOU!!!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu_trib0207feb07,0,6866311.story

 

I've dealt with Tribune human resources, in my time.

The . . . deadest . . . of . . . weight.