 |
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
Pushing journalistic integrity? Frank Gannett started his media empire by purchasing a half-interest in upstate New York's Elmira Gazette in 1906. As of the summer of 1998, the Gannett family included 84 daily newspapers and 21 television stations. Despite the diversity of Gannett's corporate holdings, newspapers still generate about 75 percent of company revenues, and Gannett's crown jewel is USA Today, the largest newspaper in America with a circulation of more than 2 million. Derisively called "McPaper," USA Today's mix of catchy graphics, splashy colors, and entertainment news has been widely denounced by many in the journalistic community, but few now doubt the paper's influence upon the newspaper industry since it first hit newsstands in 1982. In the past several years, however, USA Today has improved its reporting and writing, and while a Pulitzer may not be imminent, the paper has still garnered some attention from its peers for improvement. In 1998, however, the paper suffered a blow to its credibility when it ran a Glaxo-Wellcome advertisement posing as a full-fledged USA Today issue. In another Gannett blunder, The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a lengthy expose of Chiquita Brands International, alleging dirty business practices. After protests from Chiquita, the paper admitted that the article relied on illegally obtained voice mail messages and retracted the story. Gannett immediately apologized and pacified Chiquita with an unsolicited settlement of about $15 million. A former editor, however, has sued Gannett over the company's treatment of him regarding the Chiquita incident. The editor, Lawrence Beaupre, claims that he was made to be the scapegoat in the situation, while the company avoided responsibility. Newspaper behemoth Gannet has undertaken several deals to enlarge its market share. It joined with other newspaper groups to form new national on-line newspaper services, and it launched an Internet complement to USA Today. However, a partnership with The New York Times Company and the Times-Mirror Company, called The New Century Network, was disbanded in March 1998. In June 2000, Gannett announced that it would pay close to $1.125 billion for 19 newspapers owned by Thomson Corp. The dailies are located in seven different clusters in Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Wisconsin and Utah. Together, the newspapers have a combined circulation of 466,000. At the same time, Gannett was rumored to be one of the top contenders in the sale of Central Newspapers Inc., who said it was exploring a sale or merger. The biggest prizes among Central's six daily newspapers are The Arizona Republic and The Indianapolis Star. Additionally, the company unveiled a broadcast and Internet initiative, USA TODAY LIVE; it bought British publisher Newsquest Plc; it purchased East Coast publisher Tucker Communications, Inc.; and, shortly after news that Douglas McCorkindale would replace John Curley as CEO, Gannett announced plans to acquire another British publisher, News Communications & Media Plc. In July, for $2.6 billion in cash, Gannett also added to its army of publications Central Newspapers Inc., whose flagship newspapers are Arizona Republic, based in Phoenix, and the Indianapolis Star.
Gannett's job hotline and employment Web page, located at www.gannett.com/job/job.htm, are updated weekly and list current positions in the corporate headquarters only. For jobs with Gannett's newspapers and broadcast stations across the U.S, including with USA Today, check out the company's web site for the appropriate contact person and submission contents. Editorial applicants sending applications via e-mail must mail supplementary materials submission according to the directions on the Web site. Gannett tests its potential new editorial hires with an extensive current events/common knowledge, grammar and word usage, and essay test. The current events/common knowledge part tests trivia about authors, U.S. presidents, movies, the political process etc. Says a source: "It's a lot easier than Jeopardy." The grammar and word usage part tests to see if you know Associated Press style. The essay part poses straight-forward questions (When did you decide to become a journalist?) and some curve balls (Do you think a newspaper should publish the fact that a celebrity has a life-threatening disease?). Gannett has a two-part interview process. First, you will interview with the hiring editor, and then, if all goes well, you will be called back to interview with the department head.
The "mammoth" size of Gannett gives its employees an "unparalleled" range of career development opportunities. Thanks to an internal promotion policy, entry-level employees can look forward to "extensive options" concerning their training and location. Says an insider: "Once you have your foot in the door there are so many options. Gannett will always hire from within." Gannett employees also enjoy an "unbeatable" benefits package and praise the company's "active commitment to cultural diversity both in its ranks and its coverage of the news." At Gannett's corporate headquarters in Virginia, there is an in-house health club that "provides great support to the staff to keep you motivated and healthy." In addition, employees laud Gannett's "active commitment to the community." Employees say that the drawbacks of working for Gannett are true of the news industry as a whole: "intense pressure," "unending work days," and "impossible deadlines." Says a contact: "If you're not good under the pressure of a time limit on quality work this job is not for you." When it comes to issues of diversity, Gannett is a winner, employees report. "Last year the company brought a top speaker on diversity issues to speak to the company -- a session for the management and for the employees," says one contact, who notes that about 45 percent of Gannett's employees, and 39 percent of company officials and managers are women. "Gannett has been honored regularly over my career for its treatment of women, minorities and its employees in general," says another. The company has twice won the Unity Award for outstanding coverage of minority issues and won the Anti-Defamation League award as well. Aside from the possible pressures inherent in the newspaper business, employees seem remarkably satisfied with the company. "I can not say enough good things about this company," says one insider. "I have loved working here and plan to stay a long time." "The company is the best I've ever worked for overall," says another employee with experience with several other large publishing and media companies.
Human Resources (703) 284-6054
Knight Ridder ; The New York Times Company ;Times Mirror;The McClatchy Company;Advance Publications More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
