Pleading ignorance
My favorite quote from this Post story, an interview with Enquirer publisher Margaret Buchanan:
Buchanan said no decisions have been made regarding workers in advertising, printing presses and other Enquirer employees who worked on The Post side of the operation.
"We only just heard the news like everyone else that there isn't going to be a Post," Buchanan said.
posted by Newsache at 11:15 AM
4 Comments:
"We're competing against everything from the Internet to weekly papers, so it's not like you're going to see any sharp cut-back in coverage from our end."
Note the careful choice of words here. No cutback in "coverage." Staff, however, could be another story.
Concur. The weekly papers (except the Business Courier) are for the most part already owned by the Enquirer and in its news pool. Press crews could get hit, which means it isn't out of the realm of possibility the Enquirer's print editions could suffer from even earlier deadlines.
As for staff cuts, count on them to be stealthy but continuing.
The big question out there is when will the staff cutbacks hit a point of pain that even deluded management cannot ignore?
Probably that'll happen the day they miss the opening of a doughn ut shop in West Chester. All hell will break loose.
But seriously, the news strategy will have to be in constant upheavel just to keep up with the rolling cutbacks. Note the word strategy. What passes today for news is not what was 5 years ago, and not what will be a year from now, using the Enquirer's evolving standards of community interest.
Which means the fingerpointing will know no end, and staff will be continually off balance, unsteady and unsure.
It also means they darned well better not miss the doughnut shop opening.
Gannett should move Buchanan into investor relations so she can use her spin control abilities to help bring the stock price out of the toilet. Though, it’s doubtful that she’ll ask DiSanto to join her as he’s obviously less than skilled.
Ask DiSanto about "premium" and "bonus" editions. Talk about cooking the books. My God.
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