Comments on: McClatchy CEO knows what we all want

By: AJ

AJ — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:10:21 +0000

Ted is absolutely correct. Why are Pruitt and others at the helm in this industry continuing to take massive pay in the face of job losses and other cuts. Come on, Gary. Take one for the team! Can’t you get by on say - oh, I don’t know - $100,000 a year until you figure this thing out? Aren’t you embarrassed when you cash that check every week while you’re slashing jobs?

By: Print Lover

Print Lover — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:00:52 +0000

To Susan: If my memory serves me correctly, I believe Pruitt said the company’s online revenue was more than 11% of the total advertising revenue. I also remember their online revenue last year was something like $175 million.

By: ted

ted — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:23:31 +0000

In reference to further efficiencies, could we take a second look at, say, Pruitt’s $4.2 million in total compensation for 2008. Then how about this proliferation of McClatchy vice presidents for operations, who must have a hell of a job finding much to operate these days. There is a price for failure, and I don’t see why the indians have to pay for it, and not the chiefs.

By: Susanne Ross

Susanne Ross — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:39:25 +0000

It’s hard to know what to wish for anymore. It’s easy (hey me too) to get rankled by the business types who want to cut to the bone and who use corporate speak - making it seem as if they could just as easily be selling Coke or bunion pads.

On the other hand, you don’t have to be a Wharton MBA to know that there are genuine and huge obstacles ahead. And they won’t be solved by shorter stories, better headlines or more enterprize. It’s a business problem that will have to be solved - or that won’t be solved - by the guys with the nice suits and haircuts.

I do know that most newspapers are doing things horribly wrong right now. Very few are charging for online content, or requiring that readers be a subscriber. I understand why that is - trying to build an online presence in a hurry. On the other hand, imagine two lemonaid stands - at one you get the product free, at the other you have to pay. The drink is the same - except, with the online version you get extra stuff … a few more cookies.

So the death of the printed newspaper becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - you shift staff to online, you trim what you spend on print and buff up what you do online. And the newspaper gets thinner and the online product gets fatter. Then you sit there fat, happy and amazed that you have continued decline in print.

By: edward

edward — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:31:09 +0000

Those sickening sounds you hear are ice cracking under Pruitt’s feet as he now joins Gatehouse, Lee and other debt-laden news operations throwing the crew overboard to save the ship. He doesn’t have much choice, given MNI’s stock collapse, and the debt load he recklessly took on buying KRI. He should have waited and bought at the bankruptcy sale if he wanted those properties.