Just moments ago, Politico released a memo to staff and Publisher Robert Allbritton that has to have them all ecstatic. It involves their alarming high page views from election day and night.
See the internal memo…
Internal memos in newsrooms are the best, especially when they are warm, fuzzy and heartfelt. After all, journalists don’t get a lot of praise and it’s a profession that gets dumped on daily. But at National Journal, they are eternally and internally grateful.
The gist: They held their first-ever Member Summit on Monday and by Tuesday they were still marveling over how well it went. “It would be hard to overstate the success for National Journal,” wrote Bruce Gottlieb, President of National Journal Group. And he names names.
See who got shout-outs. Peruse the memo…
This just in from CQ Roll Call‘s Susan Benkelman:
”In light of Scott’s departure, I’ve asked Randy Wynn to sit in the Roll Call editor’s chair on an interim basis. The Roll Call editor job has been posted, and candidates will be interviewed in the next couple weeks. We’ll close the posting on Oct. 5, and we want to have the editor in place well in advance of the launch of the redesigned paper on Nov. 13.”
Scott Montgomery recently resigned to go to work for NPR. Wynn is presently Deputy Executive Editor for News, CQ Roll Call.
Leaked to FishbowlDC: a picture of the new nameplate for Roll Call that come November will combine Roll Call and and CQ Today and an internal memo laying out more details about it. The NYT broke the news Sunday night that on Nov. 13 Roll Call and CQ Today will officially combine their print operations into Roll Call. CQ Today stories will continue to appear online, but not under that name specifically; it will no longer be in print and online it will be cq.com, CQ Weekly.
While it isn’t clear whether the name plate will be used for both the online and print versions, the internal memo says it is for “RollCall.com” and publicist Rebecca Gale called it a “working draft only” for the upcoming print merger.
For several months we’ve been bringing you backgrounders on the inside meetings and process leading up to the merging of CQ and Roll Call as well as the more recent news of massive layoffs. Roll Call and CQ will continue to operate their respective online publications such as CQ Weekly and other features.
See the internal memo sent to staff that they wanted kept “under wraps” …
Every once in a while journalists need pats on the back. If for nothing else, to cut down on the seething resentment toward superiors that exists in some newsrooms. This week Foreign Policy Editor Susan Glasser sends out a positive-minded memo about their “record-breaking” month of March.
The gist: 3.4 million unique visitors, up by 1 million from 2.4. million last month.
See the 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…
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…
Read more
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…
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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