MediaNews – “Creativity and good ideas are ignored or quashed.”

Pros

There are some creative things going on at lower levels in the company. Some teams and managers are exciting and interesting to work with and for. Some managers are excellent at giving recognition and encouraging development and follow-up on good ideas. They don't begrudge time off or vacation taken but some managers will make you feel guilty for taking your earned vacation or a holiday off. Most of the time, within the microcosm of an individual group and at individual property, you get a sense of doing something worthwhile. But it is often stifled or ignored at a higher level.

Cons

Good ideas that might actually help the group survive or blossom in the downturn of the newspaper industry are ignored our outright shot down. Beyond a very small group level, recognition and feedback are either non existent or outright hostile. Benefits and pay are a joke. They want to hire the cheapest people they can get, but then can't understand why the projects they want done are beyond their scope. They wonder why the business model is dying but ignore or quash ideas from their own employees with experience in the technology and directly with audiences they want to foster and grow.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to the employees you have who know what they are talking about. Rather than hiring so-called experts, talk to your own people who have been dealing with new technologies and directly with audiences for years.