Bye-bye to Big Jim Chionsini

I was following some rabbit trails online after getting a LinkedIn notice about a friend there (and acquaintance IRL) having a work anniversary, when I wondered why she'd left her previous paper.

I then found myself refreshed that, as I couldn't remember the name of "Colorado County Citizen," there's also a "Banner Pass"in Columbus, Texas. And, on the front page of their latest e-edition, I noticed a header near the bottom of the page. And thought I recognized the mug.

"Citizen owner passes away, 74."

Yes, Big Jim, per a tribute note at Granite's website.

First, my condolence to daughter Brandi.

Second, does she take over Granite and reunite them with her Fenice papers, split about three years ago? Could be interesting.

Third, I think of an utterance of his that I heard, among other places, from the mouth of thrown-off central Texas publisher Dennis Phillips: "You can do anything with one more ad," or words to that effect.

I did learn things in my time with Granite. That includes things about newspapers as a business. Many of them aren't unique to Granite, from what I've learned since then.

Basically, folks, if you have a small town community newspaper, and it's not owned by some big chain, whether publicly traded or not, it's still owned by quasi-corporate folks.

First, for tax and other reasons, each paper in the "family newspapers" chain is separately incorporated. I presume, per an analogy I've used before, that even though every State Farm or similar insurance chain office is "separately owned and operated," nonetheless, the ownership is structured so the newspaper owners, or the corporate suites in Bloomington, Illinois, have final control and say-so.

Second, because of that, if you're the local newspaper publisher, the shit flows downhill when there's problems. And, note, we're talking about the 2020 newspaper world. At the same time, the rosy smell of success doesn't often linger in the home office without being claimed by HQ.

Third, what the hell are all the fees you're billed for on your monthly statement? And, are they all really justified? As far as things like ad-building services for smaller companies, uh, no, probably not. But, the thing is, some of that stuff, you get charged whether you use it or not.

Fourth? In today's world, the individual newspaper will suffer first, HQ second.

Goodbye to Granite

It's been six-plus months since I left the last newspaper I worked at for Granite Publications, one of three people downsized as the paper planned a switch from semiweekly to weekly publication.

I'm not one to talk too much out of school, but other former editors and publishers there, in some cases even before ever starting there, talked about the "Granite gossip," or "Granite gallop," or similar.

In the case of my previous paper, it was, in my opinion, a series of bad publisher hiring (and firing) decisions that led to that point.

The publisher who was there when Granite bought the paper was let go before I got there. I've heard various versions of why. As best as I can guess, steering between Scylla and Charybdis, is that he was adamantly resistant to pages being built at Granite's mini-Gatehouse pagination hub. (And, speaking of Gatehouse, this, as part of this story.) That was probably in part about editorial control and in part about finances, as he would already have known how he was being build for Granite's hubbed graphic art services.

(Newspaper companies are like insurance companies. Everybody's independently incorporated, but with incorporation structured in such a way that you're required to follow most home office dictates while most burden of blame, failure, etc., is on your own local publishing shoulders. The independent incorporation, as well as independently incorporating graphics and pagination services, is also done for tax reasons.)

The company then hired someone without one day of newspaper experience to be a publisher-in-training and shuffled other staff around, thorough pissing off the then-senior ad salesperson.

That soon enough didn't work out. They then hired someone with previous publishing experience, who was nice enough personally, and with some ideas, but just ... not a go-getter, etc.

They then canned him without a replacement lined up. That's when my arm was broken due to an on the job accident caused by another driver. I appreciate corporate filling out workman's comp's initial claims papers for me — even if it was in part due to other worries. I less appreciated, with an in-and-out interim publisher there, nobody from corporate springing for flowers, a get-well card or two, etc.

No, I resented it. And still do. The owner had done a couple of other good things in the past, but this sets the needle back to zero.

They then finally hired the person they should have hired three years ago, if they were determined to can the publisher in place at the time of purchase. (BUT ... more on other aspects of his background in another piece.)

The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that the owner,  who is the daughter of the founding owner, bought this paper on nostalgia. It was the first one her dad, the founding owner, owned, though later selling it. It was the town where she grew up. Nostalgia as a basis for financial decisions in general and business decisions in particular is usually not that smart.

On the resentment side, add to that my downsizing, and them not trying to find room for me, or immediately moving me to the front of the line, or even officially automatically considering me for relevant positions — they had two publishers' spots open, both of which involved a fair degree of selling, but not sales-only. It would have been an adjustment, but, it was certainly doable.

True, they have offered me, when they sold the company paper I worked at before, to give me the open editorial job at their nearest paper, and keep the same rate of pay for me, which was more than the normal salary for that slot. I wound up, because they asked, pinch-hitting at the Center paper for three weeks, and then asked if we could make this permanent. It was yet more money, but it did them a big favor, too.

Since then, Granite has split, as well, with founder Jim Chionsini hiving off the majority of papers after taking over again as boss man from daughter Brandi, and giving her a few that I think he wanted to axe.

At a paper now, a daily, that also does a magazine, I have to say that her idea for magazines in general wasn't all bad — but it was far from all good.

First of all, the rigidity of saying that such a magazine should have the same theme, issue after issue, is stupid. Sorry, Brandi, but no other word for it. (Being at a place that has a magazine, but does it like an actual magazine, I have personal reasons to say that.)

Second, your expectations should have been tapered back. Most your newspapers, a 32-page mag every quarter was heavy enough lifting. Actually, 32 pages 3x a year would be about right for the more rural papers. (I know that 24 pages quarterly would be the same number, but, a 24-page magazine would be its own stupidity.)

Third, without paywalls, you're still floundering in other ways.

Fourth, as I look at publisher hires at multiple papers ... erk???

==

Update: Since this has been posted, Big Jim Chionsini sold Center, and the Mount Pleasant paper that a previous publisher there wrecked, to Moser Community Media.

Why a newspaper editor increases his loathing for his profession

Here's my personal take.

In the last 15-16 months, in chronological order?

1. I have had a tri-weekly paper try to recruit me to move just a month after I had taken a new job, which felt too soon. And, given that this paper has gone through at least one editor since then, it may not have been the best move. (Update, 2019: That paper was with Moser Community Media, which I've had more reason to distrust since then. See No. 4 adn more.)

2. I have had a paper near Dallas, reportedly being "pushed" by corporate HQ to fill an editor/general manager position I would have loved, then being told by HQ NOT to fill that position, shortly before I was to have a pro forma in-person interview to be hired. (Given that I had had problems with another interview with the same company, at its flagship paper, for a job they on which they couldn't nail down work parameters, pay scale, whether pay would be wage or salary, this doesn't surprise me.) So, folks, be wary of Hartman Newspapers.

3. I have had another newspaper interview me and other candidates, pass me on to corporate for a second interview, then re-advertise the position, with additional parameters, in apparent resume fishing. I'd heard about it, but this was first-time victimhood for me. So, folks, be wary of the Los Alamos Monitor.

4. I'd had the owner of the paper under No. 1 make a run at me to be editor/publisher of a small weekly. I was intrigued, but put pen to paper and realized the margins necessary for bonuses were almost impossible to hit. I also saw that the operational structure was goofy - printing at one site, then mail labeling at a second site, and only THEN bringing papers back to the "hometown." So, ask questions whenever you come across Moser Media.

5. Had the Rio Rancho (N.M.) Observer advertise for a managing editor, noting it was on a fast hiring track. The publisher sent me a precis of the job, boasting how they held down costs in part by not offering health insurance, while noting some people were eligible to buy through a low-cost cooperative. In addition to that, though, other items in the precis made me wonder if the paper had made the ME's job, illegally, into an independent contractor's position, to dodge payroll taxes and more, as well, even as the Department of Labor had been cracking down on that. When I subtly asked in that directly, I was informed, within 2 business days, that the job had been filled.

(And, if you expect DOL's Wage and Hour Division to do a lot of legwork when you file a complaint, think again.)

6. Had the publisher of another paper ask me about a good time to call for an interview, then never call. I suspect this Granite Publications newspaper asked more about why I worked less than a year at a sister publication in the chain, but never asked me about the job bait-and-switch on an advertised vs. an offered job that landed unemployed, job-needing me in Navasota, Texas, as managing editor of a weekly, rather than Taylor, Texas, as ME of a five-day daily, in the first place. So, be wary of Granite Publications.

7. I then had an initial interview for a position I really liked, or thought I might. It was in-person, but I managed to do it during my most recent vacation, without denting my vacation time. (That said, other finalists probably can't say the same.) Then, the paper told me, through a placement agency which has me on file, it was "going in a different direction." (I understood this to be on job description, not me vs. another finalist.) So, be wary of the Sangre de Christo Chronicle, and of its parent paper, the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Some newspaper publisher or owner may see this and say I'm nothing but a poor-mouther. I'd ask him or her if they're an apologist for unethical business practices.