PJNet

In a staff memo on the success of USA Today and how it relates to the newspaper world today, Gannett CEO Craig Dubow writes:

 …innovation and transformation are all about: vision, hope, execution, pain, confusion, fear, failure, revision, excitement and then – only then – success.

He adds of the birth of USA Today 25 years ago:

…its content was short, easy to read and very customer friendly: Inconceivable in the journalism world of 1982. Disruptive and disturbing to an industry then, as now, set in its ways.

Then began the execution of this vision: multiple prototypes; failed attempts; trial-and error; hard work and long days. Many paths were followed, with much doubling back. Revisions were made before, during and after the official launch on Sept. 15, 1982.

Bringing employees up to today, he writes:

Right now, Gannett is again in the middle of a transformation. We have a very powerful vision of where we need to be and now are on the winding, torturous paths of executing that vision. We all are feeling the pain and doubt and, I hope, some of the excitement.

It is not a “step-one, step-two, step-three and we’re there” process. It is not a simple transition. This is a full-fledged, hold-onto-your hats TRANSFORMATION….

What will we look like in the end? Hopefully what I’ve been talking about all along: a company that is customer-centric; innovative; leaner and more nimble, and without silos. We will be full of exciting, new, people-pleasing products in the digital space as well as in print and broadcast. Will we be structured like we are now? I doubt it.

Will we have more or fewer newspapers and TV stations than we have now? That depends, but we’re working on finding the right portfolio. Will we be a major player in the digital space? Absolutely, but what that looks like is a work in progress.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 5:46 pm and is filed under Citizen journalism, Gannett, Journalism, Media, USA Today. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.