We were going to stop taking shots at Wendy Aiello because she invited us to sit at her table at the Denver Press Club’s annual Gridiron Show (and because Walt kept eyeing us with a “I’m-not-afraid-to-stick-this-fork-in-your-throat” look), but then the entertainment was so godawful* we decided she was fair game anyway.
So imagine our glee when Wendy appeared in this morning’s Bill Husted column. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much to make fun of. Successful restaurant launch. Placido Domingo. Big write-up in the News. No “PR Princess” comments. But after being a little optimistic with our over/under on Wendy Aiello mentions for both Bill and Penny Parker, we’re taking any mentions we can find. And we’re still gunning for you, Wendy (but please don’t mention that to Walt).
*We enjoyed Andrew Hudson’s band with that skinny lead singer guy
Filed under: Denver Post
Aldo Svaldi at the Denver Post gets some serious reporter street cred for writing an article about his paper’s circulation drop that has resulted in a VP from his publisher’s company writing a scathing letter to the editor. And how badly does the Post not want you to read Aldo’s piece? Click the link to the original story in the VP’s rebuttal and see where it takes you. Not to Aldo’s piece. And good luck finding the original story linked anywhere else on the Post’s Web site. Mark Harden at the DBJ and Fitz & Jen at Editor & Publisher have more details.
Filed under: journalism
As requested, here is the complete list of “Great Moments in Journalism:”
Great Moments in Journalism II
Great Moments in Journalism III
Great Moments in Journalism IV
Great Moments in Journalism VI
Great Moments in Journalism VII
Great Moments in Journalism VIII
Gran Momentos en el Periodismo IX
We have been chronicling (anecdotally) the Qwest layoffs for the past few months, and now the company has disclosed a cumulative number: 1,200 jobs, or 3 percent of its workforce. Based on our conversations with Qwest employees, that number seems awfully low.
Michael Roberts at Westword weighs in on 9News’ curious decision to dump half its top-rated anchor team. Meanwhile, 9News news director Patti Dennis is blaming tough economic times for the decision not to renew Bob Kendrick’s contract (as if his contract was anywhere near those of castmates Adele Arakawa, Kathy Sabine and Drew Soicher), and she says she has “no idea” who Adele Arakawa’s co-anchor will be (or whether she will even have one) going forward. If anyone sees Ernie Bjorkman delivering a bouquet of flowers to Dennis, let us know.
Filed under: Newspapers
Where to begin?
- The venerable Christian Science Monitor is moving nearly all of its news operation online to save money.
- A coalition of Northeast newspapers and CNN are fighting to offer wire stories to papers that are unhappy with the Associated Press’ high price tag.
- Gannett’s newspaper division will cut another 10 percent of its staff in a next round of layoffs.
- Moody’s Investors Service may downgrade its stellar rating of the Post Co.
Filed under: Jobs
Among those hiring this week are the Colorado Association of School Boards, MWH Global, Raytheon, RES, Starz, Synergy Home Care and Western Union. And if you’re looking to get out of the state, you might consider Advent Solar in New Mexico, the Greater Albuquerque (N.M.) Association of Realtors and Union Telephone/Union Wireless in scenic Wyoming.
9News anchor Bob Kendrick’s contract has not been renewed and he will leave the station at the end of November when the sweeps end. Details are scarce, but Penny Parker at the Rocky and Joanne Ostrow at the Post have the latest.
Filed under: GBSM
As a follow-up to our recent post about Generation Y/Millenial career tips, here are five things every PR student should know courtesy of GBSM’s Steven “Steve” Silvers.
Linhart PR has picked up Allon Hill, a mortgage due diligence provider, as a client.
Filed under: Denver Press Club
“In other news, the Denver Press Club reported record profits this year due to the explosion in farewell parties for Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News reporters.”
–- Cynthia Hessin, Rocky Mountain PBS, during the Fake Newscast bit at the DPC’s 2008 Gridiron Show
And the drumbeat continues. In the latest ABC numbers issued today, the Denver Post reported a weekday circulation drop of 6.5 percent to 210,585, while the Rocky Mountain News saw its weekday circulation numbers drop 6.6 percent to 210,281. Mark Harden at the DBJ has all the details.
God knows there are plenty of you in public relations. Here are some career tips from Careerealism (by way of Guy Kawasaki).
Filed under: Newspapers
…the Denver Independent launches next week.
Filed under: Uncategorized
We think it is Goodwill Industries.
John Onoda tells the Council of PR Firms that it is as antiquated as GM in a hybrid world. Weber Shandwick CEO Harris Diamond respectfully disagrees.
GBSM hired Lynn Brackpool as Senior Associate. Brackpool has a 20-year background driving communication initiatives in the technology, health care, retail, tourism and transit industries, including with AT&T Wireless, Walt Disney and Albertson’s among others.
Filed under: Layoffs
A PRNewswer survey finds 68 percent of PR execs feel their jobs are “very” or “somewhat” secure.
We put the over/under on Denver Magazine at six issues, and Jay Daignault reminds us that it is now at seven issues and counting. After the collapse of Shine, we were skeptical about Denver Magazine’s chances, and while there have been some turbulent times (replacing Dahlia Jean Weinstein as editor), there have been some good times as well (snagging the exclusive Barack and Michelle Obama interview leading up to the DNC). Here’s hoping that Denver Magazine rides out the economic downturn and becomes the yang to 5280‘s yin. Click here if you want to subscribe.
If you are a Denver Post copyeditor or graphic artist, it may be time to give you union rep a quick buzz. Post publisher Dean Singleton told the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association that papers should explore outsourcing domestically or internationally for nearly every aspect of their operations. He pointed to copyediting and design jobs that could easily be outsourced overseas, noting, “In today’s world, whether your desk is down the hall or around the world, from a computer standpoint, it doesn’t matter.” USA Today has the details.
Filed under: journalism
What is the future of (successful) newspapers? Stay local, provide analysis and focus on investigative reporting.
104 West Partners has picked up the 2009 Venture Capital in the Rockies Winter Conference as a client.
PRSA Colorado’s Engage ’08 career fair for students is Saturday, Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Denver’s Governor’s Ballroom. Topics will include “interviewing skills, resume tips, finding your niche and tips to impress your first employer.” The cost is $10, and details are here.
Filed under: Coors
MillerCoors announced today that it is discontinuing the Zima brand.
Is the Associated Press’ house of cards about to collapse? That should be a scary thought to the Denver Post considering that 70 percent of the articles in today’s front page/national section carried bylines from non-Post reporters.
Filed under: Jobs
Among those hiring this week are ARCHOS, Archstone, Canon Communications, Denver Kids, Oracle, Petroleum Development Corp., University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, VisiTech and the Visiting Nurse Association of Colorado.
Andrew Hudson has created JobsGobble, a quarterly job-seeker seminar, job fair and networking party, and the inaugural event is Wednesday, November 12, at the Denver Athletic Club. The event includes a CEO Roundtable featuring GroundFloor’s Laura Love, Webb’s Pete Webb and Cactus’ Joe Conrad, followed by a networking party and jobs fair. Details and registration are here.
Filed under: Politics
The Rocky Mountain News, widely expected to endorse Sen. John McCain for president, instead decides that endorsing political candidates no longer fit with its editorial philosophy:
“In the end we’ll leave it to you to come to your own conclusion, trusting that’s what you want and believing this newspaper’s editorial page can be most valuable to you if it helps you reach an informed decision, with an emphasis on informed. After all, ultimately that’s our job. It’s not to pick presidents, senators or representatives.”
The Denver Post, for its part, has now endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president.
Filed under: journalism
September was a very good month for newspaper Websites, thanks in part to the 2008 election and the financial meltdown. Here’s a list of the 30 most-trafficked sites during September, according to Editor & Publisher:
Website — Visits — Increase
NYTimes.com — 20,068,000 — 37%
washingtonpost.com — 12,956,000 — 43%
USATODAY.com — 11,439,000 — 33%
LA Times — 10,022,000 — 102%
Wall Street Journal Online — 9,047,000 — 94%
Boston.com — 8,610,000 — 122%
SFGate.com/San Francisco Chronicle — 5,129,000 — 18%
New York Post — 4,815,000 — 98%
Politico — 4,605,000 — 219%
Chicago Tribune — 4,558,000 — 46%
Daily News Online Edition — 4,439,000 — 56%
DallasNews.com – The Dallas Morning News — 3,777,000 — 115%
Chicago Sun-Times — 3,676,000 — 64%
The Houston Chronicle — 3,396,000 — 51%
Newsday — 3,051,000 — 13%
International Herald Tribune — 2,940,000 — 121%
The Washington Times — 2,410,000 — 78%
Philly.com — 2,332,000 — 73%
The Seattle Times — 2,256,000 — 22%
Anchorage Daily News — 2,190,000 — 928%
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — 2,180,000 — 14%
Boston Herald — 2,153,000 — 118%
Baltimore Sun — 2,136,000 — 30%
Star Tribune — 2,134,000 — 50%
NJ.com — 2,086,000 — 70%
Seattle Post-Intelligencer — 2,070,000 — 17%
Detroit Free Press — 1,994,000 — 62%
MercuryNews.com — 1,964,000 — 64%
MiamiHerald.com — 1,895,000 — 64%
Village Voice Media — 1,745,000 — (-13%)
Filed under: PR Moves
Best of luck to Deanna Person, who is retiring as director of public relations and advertising for the Denver Art Museum.
Filed under: Politics
What happens when you get Gov. Sarah Palin, actress Tina Fey and “W” star (and Barbra Streisand stepson) Josh Brolin in a room together? We’ll find out on Saturday Night Live this weekend.
Filed under: Denver
It is a sad day in Denver. Chief U.S. District Judge Edward W. Nottingham Jr. appears poised to resign his position in order to head off a judicial probe into his ethics, or lack thereof. Nottingham presided over many high-profile Colorado cases, including the trial of former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio. But he is best known as the judge who admitted he might have spent $3,000 over two days at the Diamond Cabaret but that he was “too drunk to remember much of it,” and for having his name allegedly appear on a list of clients for a high-end, Denver-based call girl syndicate.
Filed under: Events
Registration is underway for the Thin Air Summit, a Denver new media conference that provides hands-on learning sessions and discussion panels presented by nationally-recognized and local New Media Professionals. The conference runs Nov. 7-9, and you can register here.
Filed under: blogs
We’re going to be updating our blogroll soon, so we wanted to give everyone fair warning. If you aren’t posting, we will be pulling you out (that means you, Schenkein).
GBSM’s Steve Silvers shares the advice he gives to his clients with the Rocky Mountain News:
“Bad news happens with you or without you.”
Linhart PR has promoted three employees: Tim Streeb to account supervisor, Jennifer Tilliss to senior account executive and Ashley Campbell to account executive.
Filed under: Andrew Hudson, Journalism Moves, KWGN/News2, Layoffs, Penny Parker
Here at the Denver PR Blog, we are committed to covering Ernie Bjorkman the way Penny Parker covers Wendy Aiello Trista and Ryan (seriously, Penny, we wish them the best but their 15 minutes of fame was up four-and-a-half years ago. Let it go). So in that spirit, we offer you the following “Ernie Update” sponsored by Andrew Hudson’s Jobs List, Denver’s leading purveyor of marketing-related jobs:
Ernie is headed to his mountain home in South Fork to become a veterinary technician.
Filed under: Rocky Mountain News
What? Oh, never mind. At least it was nice to see a Rocky Mountain News screw-up that didn’t involve Twitter.
An update from last week’s update: Ernie Bjorkman’s bio has now reappeared on the CW2 Web site.
This contract should certainly last long enough for Verizon to acquire Qwest and move the headquarters to New York City. Sigh.
Filed under: Politics
Despite what political consultants think, we flacks know that we are the King-makers (and Queen-makers) on the American political landscape. Without us, Sarah Palin is handling ribbon-cuttings at the new Wasilla Piggly Wiggly. With us, she’s a half-dozen points from vice president. So let’s be sure to use our powers for good, alright?
(Hat tip: Mark Harden at the DBJ)
Warm up those video cameras — the Denver Post’s Bill Husted is reporting that a few as-yet-unnamed PRSA Colorado members will join Gov. Bill Ritter, Mayor John Hickenlooper and others as performers at the Denver Press Club’s annual Gridiron Show on Sunday, Oct. 26 (tickets are here).
The Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society and the Dumb Friends League have selected GroundFloor Media to handle their Chip Your Cat campaign.
The details of the CW2 layoffs are starting to emerge, and Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post reports that more than 25 staffers are being let go. Anchor Ernie Bjorkman, a fixture of Denver television news for 26 years, is the highest-profile employee to be let go, although he will remain on the air for the next three months.
UPDATE: And, gracious to the end, Fox 31′s Dennis Leonard (yes, the guy who discovered John Mayer, Maroon 5 and Five for Fighting) has wasted no time marginalizing Ernie Bjorkman. Here is Ernie’s CW2 bio prior to the layoff announcement, and here is the new-and-improved version.
LeGrand Hart wins this award for its announcement that it has donated six Dell computers to a local Catholic school. Of course, with a headcount rumored to be half of what it was a little more than a year ago, LeGrand Hart probably didn’t feel much sting donating a half-dozen now-unused computers.
Filed under: Johnston Wells
Let’s face it — moving sucks. And moving offices is even worse, because client work doesn’t stop while you try to unpack boxes. But at least the team at JohnstonWells got some fancy new offices (and some less fancy new cubes) out of it. Pictures are here.
We noted last month that the Fox31/CW2 news “marketing agreement” would likely result in layoffs, and today we have learned those layoffs will be “significant.” A CW2 official confirmed that news director Carl Bilek was among those notified today they are being let go, but the official refused to discuss whether any on-air personalities have been affected. Mark Harden at the DBJ has the details.
