 | Bob Gabordi is executive editor of the Tallahassee Democrat and Tallahassee.com. He can be reached through this blog, at bgabordi@tallahassee.com or (850) 599-2177 |
| Gannett plans for when the rain stops Posted 9/18/2009 7:46 AM EDT on tallahassee.com I’ve spent the past few days at a conference of Gannett Co. Inc.’s senior editors, news directors and top corporate executives, discussing something some don’t think we have: a future. We beg to differ. That such a conference was even convened in these economic times – with dozens of publishers, editors, general managers and news directors, some 130 people in all, flying in from across the country – to map our strategy for the future is remarkable. At a time when every action we make seems measured by its costs, we stopped “working” on our day-to-day stuff to think and talk – and mostly in that order. Only Gannett – and certainly no other news-media organization – would have the panache to do such a thing right now. Why Gannett? Why now? Because eventually, the rain stops. Umbrellas are put away. Clouds give way. This might have been that first hopeful ray of light piercing through the long darkness. Not that the storm is over, certainly not. It was just a reminder that, as I said, eventually the rain stops. Gannett understands that those who come out of this economy with the right plan to meet changing consumer demands have the best chance of surviving. We had long days and nights this week. This is being written from a corner of the airport in Charlotte, N.C., where – after missed connections out of Washington – I stayed an extra night. But sometime around hour 14, day two of the conference, I realized what this meeting was all about. Gannett is ready to move out of transforming to operating as a new-age media company. This was about making sure the business imperatives are in sync with our journalism, that we remain true to the underlying principles that differentiate us and our business. Our competitive advantage has always been our journalists’ hearts, our passion for serving our communities. It is what allows us to do what is right when everyone tells us we are wrong. The two must be in sync – the right plan and the right passion. This is what those who suggest the death of newspapers and our company itself miss. They cannot measure what they cannot see. Such passion doesn’t fit neatly onto a spread sheet to be analyzed. It is not a number to be crunched. It is why they are wrong. This week’s conference was not about corporate executives issuing marching orders from on high; it was, in fact, anything but that. Over and over, executives at the highest level of our company were, it seemed, looking for approval on the direction we are headed. Journalists were asked to pick apart plans and fix what doesn’t make sense. We did, and we will continue to do so. This was Gannett being Gannett, staying in touch with its core values, reminding itself and its top journalists of what built the company into a media giant, making sure the foundation is still strong. Almost no one missed what was almost surely chance symbolism: As we huddled to discuss how to muster all of our company’s strengths to better serve each of our communities, Gannett stock rose to its highest level in quite some time. As for details of our discussion, you will see many outcomes soon. One is called ContentOne, a new division of our company whose purpose is to muster the combined strengths of our 84 community newspapers, 23 TV stations, USA TODAY and digital division to create better journalism and better serve advertising customers. ContentOne has provided the most comprehensive coverage of the health-care debate to date. Still, editors demanded more and better coverage of what is being proposed in what might be the most divisive national debate since civil rights and the Vietnam War. You will soon see new tools for journalists, readers and viewers of Tallahassee.com and the Tallahassee Democrat. More and deeper national news will supplement local reporting, for example, among the many planned changes. What is important for now is that for the first time in, well, what seems like forever, the discussion centered on what and how to restore content and resources to newsgathering operations, and not what to cut. It is still raining. But, as I said, eventually the rain stops. You can send your comments by clicking the button below, e-mailing me at bgabordi@tallahassee.com, sending a private message on Tallahassee.com, Twitter @bgabordi, LinkedIn, Blogger.com or on my blog on Friendster. You can also find links to my blogs on Facebook.com, but you have to request to be my friend.
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