Internal Memo

Mike Zapler, deputy tech editor for Politico Pro, is moving across the newsroom to become the new deputy Congress editor. Editor-in-Chief John Harris called it bittersweet news — too bad for Pro, but good news for the Congress team. He noted the positive aspect of the move, saying, “The more cross-pollination we can do, the better the two sides of our newsroom can work together – as we’ve done so well in covering SOPA this week.”

In a compliment we haven’t seen before from Politico, Harris, after mentioning Zapler’s skills and “writer’s touch,” called him “one of the nicest people you’re likely to meet.”

He begins his new position on Feb. 1.

In the meantime, Politico is on the hunt for his replacement.

Read the internal memo…

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Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion‘s Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook’s Morin Oluwole, and bitly’s Tim Devane. Register now.

Who knew? CNN President Jim Walton is not high on the Kardashians. In a holiday memo sent out this morning, he writes about the year that transpired with high hopes for the one ahead.

He boasted: “I think I’ll remember 2011 as the year that CNN’s international reporting reasserted its dominance on the media landscape.  Through an extraordinary news cycle, we told global stories of natural disaster, political upheaval, war and human failing with breadth, authority and timeliness.  We worked together and across our platforms.  Our journalism set us apart.  Our work made a difference to millions who count on us.”

He reflected: “Those are some of the ways I’ll remember this year.  Here’s one more: I marked my 30th anniversary as part of CNN, doing work I love in a place unlike any other.”

He expressed gratitude: “We asked a lot of you this year and I am grateful to each of you for working so hard and delivering in so many ways. Thank you.”

See the full internal memo…
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In an internal memo this afternoon, NJ‘s Editor-in-Chief Ron Fournier, expresses his sadness for the departure of two journalists — Susan Davis, a “quiet leader” and Managing Editor for Politics Kathy Kiely, a “gentle spirit.” Davis is off to USA Today. Kiely is going to work for the Sunlight Foundation.

Read Fournier’s heartfelt note…

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WaPo puts out internal memos when someone in the newsroom sneezes. So why no pithy departure memo for Bo Jones‘ sudden leap to PBS Newshour to become President and CEO? His full name, by the way, for name aficionados is: Boisfeuillet (Bo) Jones Jr. He first went to work for WaPo in 1980 as vice president and counsel. He moved to corporate in 2008 when he became Vice Chairman of The Washington Post Company and Chairman of WaPo.

“We will put out memos whenever the most minor person goes,” said a WaPo insider. “He is hardly minor.”

Poynter reported news of The Washington Post Company Chairman leaving the publication late Thursday morning. The report included MacNeil/Lehrer Productions’ lengthy, mind-numbing memo. WaPo, how could you let them show you up? You know you know how to write an agonizing, boring memo.

As it happens, there was a more formal release that went out to the wires and to “key people in the newsroom,” explains Washington Post Company Spokeswoman Rima Calderon. The release included good wishes from CEO Donald Graham.

“If I made a list of the greatest contributors to the Post over the last 30 years, Bo Jones would be right up there with Ben Bradlee and Len Downie. Bo won crucial lawsuits for the paper and kept us out of many more; he was a wise and resourceful publisher at a critical time; and his values, character and integrity epitomize what’s best in our business.” Graham continued, “We will miss Bo, but I’m glad that if he is leaving us, he’ll be going to one of the classiest organizations in journalism.”

 

 

Heather Smith has been promoted to Executive Producer of WMAL’s “Morning Majority” program. She joined the station in August 2010. Program Director Bill Hess says Smith guided them through a confusing time without a ratings loss.

What you may not know about Smith…She has produced three top 10 nationally syndicated radio programs: The G. Gordon Liddy Show, The Laura Ingraham Show and most recently, The Lars Larson Show. She began working in radio when she was just 17 by hosting a love and relationships talk show. She also founded a radio station at her high school. She was formerly a TV booker for FNC. In college, she studied film under the co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival.

Congratulations to Smith.

See the praise-filled internal memo after the jump…

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If you think a recession is the wrong time to jack up subscription rates, you aren’t thinking like David Bradley and National Journal.  According to information obtained by FishbowlDC, NJ readers are going to have to dig a lot deeper to keep up with the newsgroup’s transition from a subscriber to membership business model beginning in January of 2012.  Subscriptions, which currently hover around $7,000 annually, will cease to exist next year.  They’ll be replaced by “memberships” listed at the bargain price of a new Volkswagen  Jetta… or $25,000.  Ouch!
 
So what will this costly contribution get you?  All-inclusive access to member services – from their journalism and meetings to weekly pass-throughs.  Hmm.  But not everyone will cough up 25K bones for NJ’s bourgeois membership. The group’s sales team is currently peddling a “preferred rate” of $15,000 to early charter partners.

Ten thousand email alerts later, it’s time to party.

Politico Pro has arranged a happy hour at Hotel Palomar Thursday night to toast their “success.”

Writes Editor Tim Grieve in a memo/invitation: “We just closed the books on the fiscal year, and Pro’s business success is every bit as impressive as our journalistic accomplishments.  Our revenue from subscriptions is 20 percent higher than we thought it would be when we launched back in February, and the pace of sales is accelerating: September was a phenomenal month for the business development team, with a number of firms and congressional offices seeing the value of Pro and signing on for big, multi-user subscriptions.”

Grieve hints at an “exciting new product” set to launch later this month, but that’s all he says about it.

See the memo…

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When CQ Roll Call’s Laurie Battaglia was fired in February, the Economist Group positioned her departure as a job elimination due to their strategy to separate the advertising department from circulation sales.  In a memo to staff, Economist Group CEO Andrew Rashbass announced that Publisher Mark Walters and the organization’s ad folks would be reporting to Paul Rossi at the group’s parent company.  But Rashbass’s strategy was either short-lived or just an excuse to show Battaglia the door because the organizational hierarchy is right back to the way it was prior to her termination.

In an internal memo today, Rashbass shifted responsibility for Walters and his team back to CQ Roll Call, under new Managing Director Keith White‘s watchful eye:

“Dear all

I am delighted to announce that with immediate effect, Keith White will be responsible for all of CQ Roll Call. Since January, Mark Walters and the advertising side of the business have reported to Paul Rossi, EVP & Managing Director – Americas. Mark will now report to Keith. Keith also joins the GMC (Group Management Committee).

I should like to thank Paul for his help with CQ Roll Call advertising over the past nine months. He has provided his usual exceptional vision and inspiration and along with Mark and his team has reestablished our leadership in the DC advertising market.

Please join me in congratulating Keith on his promotion.

Best wishes,  Andrew”

Top brass at WaPo is instructing their reporters on the importance of linking stories today. At the direction of Executive Editor Steamed Marcus Brauchli, reporters are being taught the basics with all the sophistication of Thomas the Tank Engine. “Links are the signposts of the Internet,” Brauchli and Co. write in an office-wide email. “Without them we lose readers.”

Other standout lines:

• The Washington Post is a very trusted source with a very high Google ranking. By not linking other Washington Post stories to your own, you’re denying yourself a lot of Google-driven audience.
• A link example: “The Emmy Awards [link goes to early Post piece on the Emmys] will reward the best that TV has to offer on Sunday night.”

Read the full internal memo…

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In a somewhat goofy but endearing exercise, WaPo tests their own Fact Checker today with a special in-house edition of Glenn Kessler‘s The Fact Checker. This is, by far, the most creative internal memo we have seen to date out of WaPo. And trust us when we say we read memos that bore us to tears. They bring in Pinocchio to help. They also introduce Kessler’s new assistant, Josh Adam Hicks, who comes to the position highly recommended. Who wouldn’t hire him? He once worked as a fruit picker in New Zealand.

Enjoy….

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