November 07, 2008
Earlier today, Josh Marshall announced that Talking Points Memo is about to get bigger:
January will usher in a new Democratic Ascendancy in Washington. And
here at TPM we believe we are uniquely qualified to chronicle it. So to
that end we are hiring two new reporter-bloggers to be based in
Washington, DC, one assigned to the White House and one assigned to
Capitol Hill. The Obama White House and the expanded Democratic
majorities on Capitol Hill are unquestionably the political story of
the next two years. And with your help we plan to be there on the
ground and and here in New York, covering it in force, fully,
critically and down to the minute. We want to keep you informed on what
you'd know if you were reporting every day at the White House or on the
Hill. Think of us, in that sense, as an insiders' publication for
outsiders, which is how I've always thought of us.
This is good news. With all due respect to the Huffington Post and its admirers, Talking Points Memo is the most inspiring new-media success story out there. (For one thing, Marshall couldn't just throw insane amounts of cash at his project like Arianna Huffington did at hers.) And its political coverage--which has a clear liberal slant, but is very smart and not strident--is hard to beat.
Also in his note to readers, Marshall highlighted the fact that TPM will be venturing into uncharted waters once Obama takes office:
[TPM's] evolution has been always been bound up with my stance as a
voice of opposition to the Bush administration. So the end of the Bush
years and the beginning of a new Democratic administration presents us
with something dramatically new.
Obviously, this raises the question: what sort of relationship does Marshall expect TPM to have with the new administration? Given TPM's smarts and track record, my assumption was that Marshall et al. wouldn't pull a Chris Matthews and try to act as journalistic surrogates for the new president.
Since Marshall didn't address this subject in his readers' note, however, I emailed him and asked: have you thought about what TPM's relationship with the Obama Administration will be? Is it safe assume you'll be suitably detached, and critical when appropriate? His response:
We’ve given it a great deal of thought. My political views and beliefs are no secret. But we are going to cover the White House and Congress as journalists. Simple as that. Our coverage will be informed, critical and fair. So I would say that your assumption is correct.
Again: good news.
November 06, 2008
Forty-two positions total, in the circulation/marketing and advertising departments, including senior managers.
That's just one of the developments reported in an internal memo from Globe publisher Steve Ainsley today. Also of note: Boston.com now reports to the Globe rather than to New York Times Digital. This is less dramatic than it sounds, however, since certain parts of Boston.com--including the news operation--were already reporting to editor Marty Baron.
Here's the memo in its entirety:
Dear Colleagues,
I want to share two pieces of important information with you.
First, as you know we have taken a number of steps to significantly reduce expenses in order to safeguard our financial health in these severe economic conditions. Those steps have included voluntary buy-outs, outsourcing, and cutting of operating budgets and newsprint. Recently we decided to close the Billerica plant as a way to bring our production infrastructure in line with our circulation and advertising volumes.
Today, in connection with those volume declines in our business, we implemented an involuntary layoff primarily within the circulation/marketing and advertising departments. Almost all of the employees have been notified. A total of 42 positions have been reduced, largely managerial, including members of the senior management team. We specifically decided to remove layers of management recognizing we need to be a leaner organization with more direct lines of communication and responsibility.
While necessary, this decision was very difficult. The employees leaving us have contributed greatly to the Globe, and they will be missed.
I also recognize that this is a sizeable reduction of employees who handled a good deal of work. As we move forward we can't expect to simply take on that work without focusing on the essential tasks at hand and making clear decisions about which activities are central to stabilizing the business.
The second announcement concerns organizational changes to improve our overall efficiency. In an effort to further integrate our print and online efforts, Boston.com will now report to the Globe. It had been reporting into the New York Times Digital operation. Susan Hunt Stevens, currently our SVP of Circulation & Marketing will have a new position as the SVP for Digital, which includes Boston.com. Susan will report into Steve Ainsley. Susan will oversee all digital strategy and operations for Boston Globe Media, including digital product development, marketing, licensing, business development and e-commerce. Bob Kempf, Boston.com VP/Products, will report into Susan. Susan also will continue to oversee Globe interactive services and the Globe e-commerce and licensing initiatives. Boston.com's news operations will remain unchanged, reporting up to Marty [editor Marty Baron]. Likewise Boston.com advertising sales will continue to report up to Sam Martin.
The Advertising department also has reorganized to give greater focus to each of its different functions. Sam Martin, Chief Advertising Officer, will have four direct reports, as follows. Lisa Desisto, V.P. Advertising/Classified continues to oversee all classified sales categories for print and online as well as local sales. Likewise, Peter Ockerbloom, .P. Advertising/Display continues to oversee all display sales categories for print and online. In a new role, Jason Kissell will oversee strategic development for advertising, including customer relationship marketing, event marketing, and sales support. Jason will also oversee sales and marketing for niche publications which is moving into advertising to better integrate sales efforts. Jason?s new title is Executive Director/Advertising Strategy. Jane Bowman, Director/Advertising Sales Development will continue to oversee sales development adding the responsibilities for b2b marketing, and client solutions.
We are consolidating several areas of the business under Chris Mayer's leadership to gain efficiencies from operations that are either highly interdependent or very similar in nature. In addition to overseeing the information technology department, Chris will now also oversee the production department, the circulation department, and advertising operations. Chris?s new title is SVP/Circulation & Operations. As part of this consolidation, the marketing creative services department will report into advertising operations, run by Rich Masotta, Executive Director/Ad Operations.
I am confident that this team will not only bring greater efficiencies to our business, but more importantly will drive our strategy to stabilize our print business while growing digital revenues and audience. Over the next few days there will be a series of staff meetings with employees in these departments to review all the changes.
Let me close with thanking everyone at the Globe and Boston.com for their deep commitment to producing the highest quality newspaper and online site for our community, despite economic challenges of historic proportions.
I know everyone feels as determined as I do to turn this situation around. Step by step we are creating a new business model that I am confident will result in a financially healthy and journalistically superb organization that spans both print and on-line.
Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do to make us one of
this community's great institutions.
Steve
November 06, 2008
In which the principles discuss sundry subjects, including that election's effect on race relations in Boston.
November 05, 2008
First this, then this, and now this:
Maybe Palin is destined for a job at Fox.
(Via the Daily Beast.)
November 05, 2008
That's the conclusion of Bob Novak,a/k/a the Prince of Darkness, who writes:
[Obama] may have opened the door
to enactment of the long-deferred liberal agenda, but he neither
received a broad mandate from the public nor the needed large
congressional majorities.
To bolster his statement about Congress, Novak cites the Democrats' failure to capture a filibuster-proof, sixty-seat Senate majority, and their inability to oust Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. And to support his claim about Obama's nonexistent mandate, Novak cites...nothing at all.
This half-assed approach has elicited some pointed commentary on the Chicago Sun-Times Web site, including the following:
SHIELDS: Bob Novak, is 51 percent of the vote really a mandate?
BOB
NOVAK, CAPITAL GANG: Of course it is. It's a 3.5 million vote margin.
But the people who are saying that it isn't a mandate are the same
people who were predicting that John Kerry would win. (CNN, November 6,
2004)
And yes, he really did say it.
It's understandable that Novak might not be at the top of his game these days. Still, this is embarrassing stuff.
November 05, 2008
Is it just me, or is this a remarkably gracious speech by a president whose legacy was just repudiated in emphatic terms?