Chelsea Diana

Chelsea Diana, who was forced to resign as Boston University Daily Free Press editor over a “tasteless” April Fools’ edition, says “for one second I considered changing my major” and hide from critics who demanded she leave journalism forever. But that one second passed and she decided to stick with it.

I acknowledge the decision to print the issue was callous and, as my journalism professor told me, “pretty sophomoric.”

But, guess what? I’m a sophomore.

College is the time to learn and make mistakes before we enter the workforce, and from this horrible situation I’m gaining experience that most student journalists cannot put on a resume. As for my future, it’s in journalism and I will not succumb to those calling for me to give up for a mistake I made as a 19-year-old.

* A “sophomoric” mistake — made by a sophomore

Gannett community publishing division president Bob Dickey tells his employees that “I am happy to announce USCP [U.S. community publishing] will not institute furloughs in the second quarter.”

We do not foresee any additional furloughs for the rest of 2012.

We have decided to forgo furloughs so everyone can continue to focus on implementing their new subscription model

He adds: “Please be aware, however, that our colleagues at USA TODAY and Gannett Publishing Services today announced second-quarter furloughs.”

HIS MEMO:

To: All USCP Employees
From: Bob Dickey, President of U.S. Community Publishing (USCP)

As we move into the second quarter, there is good news to share: Many of you have asked about potential second quarter furloughs. I am happy to announce USCP will not institute furloughs in the second quarter. We do not foresee any additional furloughs for the rest of 2012.

We have decided to forgo furloughs so everyone can continue to focus on implementing their new subscription model. We are very encouraged by the first-wave rollouts of the new content subscription model, which are performing at expected levels. Your colleagues are embracing the new subscription model being rolled out across USCP this year. Everyone plays an important role in driving the success of this initiative at their local site. To stabilize our business and position us for future growth, we all must remain focused on executing our strategies: to drive digital revenues, stabilize print revenues, develop our passion topics, build audiences across all platforms and promote our new subscription model.

Please be aware, however, that our colleagues at USA TODAY and Gannett Publishing Services today announced second-quarter furloughs.

In closing, it is important that we take this opportunity to also recognize the important contributions made by many of our long-term employees who recently accepted early voluntary retirement offers. Their efforts over the years have contributed a great deal to our company and the communities we serve. They will be missed and we wish them well.

Regards, Bob Dickey

Philadelphia Media Network CEO Greg Osberg’s memo on Bill Marimow’s return to the Philadelphia Inquirer:

From: Osberg, Greg
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 4:04 PM
To: All Philly.com Employees; All PMN Employees
Subject: Announcement

I just met with Stan and his Editorial Management to announce that Bill Marimow will be rejoining The Inquirer as Editor. Coming off the IRE award for investigative journalism and a decision to increase our commitment and resources to investigative journalism, we decided that Bill would be an excellent choice to lead that charge. As many of you know, Bill did an outstanding job for us in his investigative reporting of the SRC and former Superintendent Ackerman before leaving us to teach at ASU’s Walter Cronkite’s School of Journalism last year. We’re happy he has decided to rejoin The Inquirer and we welcome him back to his hometown….Philadelphia.

Stan will remain with The Inquirer as one of the key Executive Editors on Bill’s team. I want to personally thank him for his leadership through a challenging period in our company’s history and for deciding to help us as we go forward with new ownership.

Bill will be starting on May 1st. Please join me in welcoming him back to PMN and thanking Stan for his many contributions. The press release is attached for your review.

THE PRESS RELEASE IS AFTER THE JUMP Read More

Philadelphia Media Network bosses told Bill Marimow in October of 2010 that he didn’t have the background in digital media necessary to lead the paper going forward and returned him to reporting. Last year he left the Inquirer to join Arizona State University’s journalism faculty. Now he’s back at the Inquirer as editor under the new owners. || Here is the Inquirer’s report on Marimow and here is what the New York Times is reporting.

Employees of the Wall Street Journal and other Dow Jones publications were reminded today to take the Dow Jones Code of Conduct Questionnaire. Rupert Murdoch’s company says it’s “designed to remind all of us at Dow Jones of our need to maintain the highest possible standards of behavior in order to keep the public trust so vital to our continued success.”

The staff memo is below and the questionnaire is after the jump.

From: [Dow Jones HR Dept.]
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 11:23 AM
To:
Subject: IMPORTANT: Dow Jones Code of Conduct Questionnaire

REMINDER:
Please complete the Code of Conduct Questionnaire by April 9, 2012.

Original Email from March 28, 2012:

To: Dow Jones Employees

Our Code of Conduct is designed to remind all of us at Dow Jones of our need to maintain the highest possible standards of behavior in order to keep the public trust so vital to our continued success. The Code of Conduct, which predated the acquisition of Dow Jones by News Corporation, continues to apply to all employees. As a News Corporation company, Dow Jones and its employees are also governed by News Corporation’s Standards of Business Conduct. You may review the Standards of Business Conduct Policy via the following link.

Once again this year, we are asking all Dow Jones employees to specifically attest that they have complied with the Code of Conduct. I ask that you please electronically complete the Code of Conduct questionnaire via the following link to our internal website: Code Of Conduct Questionnaire.

Please note that the questionnaire relates to employee conduct in calendar year 2011. As a result, although the Dow Jones Code of Conduct was revised in January 2012, the questionnaire relates to the previous version of the Code. For your convenience, this previous version of the Code is accessible via [an internal link].

Please submit your completed questionnaire electronically by April 9th, 2012.

After you submit your questionnaire you will receive an email confirmation. Keep this confirmation for your records as proof of submission.

In addition, feel free to contact Kristin Mannarino in Compliance at [email address] if you have questions regarding the Code of Conduct questionnaire.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Best regards,

Jason P. Conti
Chief Compliance Officer
VP & Associate General Counsel

THE CODE OF CONDUCT QUESTIONNAIRE IS AFTER THE JUMP

Read More

A Madison Capital Times editorial says “these recent flaps over the signing of recall petitions [in Wisconsin] represents an especially dangerous trend for democracy itself.”

Of course, the same Constitution that protects the right to petition also gives employers and professional groups a free-speech right to discourage the signing of petitions. But it becomes a dangerous game, indeed, when anyone starts talking about punishing those who exercise well-established and well-understood rights.

The Madison-based Wisconsin State Journal and several Gannett newspapers in Wisconsin said they might discipline their employees who signed Gov. Scott Walker recall petitions. And late yesterday, Milwaukee’s WTMJ TV and radio disclosed that its employees also signed recall petitions.

MEANWHILE, ROBERT NILES WRITES: “It’s past time for news publishers to let go of the fear that if any of their employees do anything political, even on their own time, that action might make readers think badly about the publication. At this point, having readers think anything about a newspaper would mark a step forward.”

* Right to sign petition is a basic right
* Government reporters ought to explain their opinions, not hide them
* WTMJ staffers signed Gov. Walker recall petitions

I asked University of North Carolina journalism professor Chris Roush if he’d be willing to share the school’s spelling test with Romenesko readers. He replied: “[What's below] is a test built by a former student that is in the same format as our test. We do not share our test outside of the School.”

* Begin taking the test
* UNC journalism school grammar and spelling test revised

While CEOs at struggling newspaper chains are getting huge bonuses, journalists at struggling papers are getting pay cuts. Media writer Michael Roberts hears that the Denver Post has cut the salaries of sports columnist Woody Paige and editorial page columnist Vincent Carroll.

* Paige, Carroll get pay cuts at Denver Post?
* “This is a time for gallows humor in the newsroom”
* Cincy Enquirer sheds 12 newsroom staffers