Laurie Battaglia - FishbowlDC

CQ Roll Call Biz Side Implodes

Betsy Rothstein — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:55:37 +0000

CQ Roll Call called an all hands sales meeting at approximately 6:30 a.m. for every rep in the office, FishbowlDC has learned. They were told to cancel all appointments for the day.

At the meeting, CQ Roll Call Senior V.P. Jim Gale told the entire sales team that they ran out of money and that they cannot pay them for February or March. In layman’s terms, ads and sales reps have their comp plans based on certain numbers, which usually include a commission on their sales. So if they are trying to pay less, they may remove commission on sales, or say no commission for the month.

Though we received information about the general news at least a week ago, a second email about the morning meeting came in today. It isn’t clear whether the early morning meeting with reps occurred this morning or on another morning in the past two weeks. We’re told the Ads department is next on the chopping block.

As it just so happens, continued…

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Rashbass Shuffles CQ Roll Call Ad Group…Again

Matt Dornic — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:23:10 +0000

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”

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Roll Call Seeks to Rebuild Image

Betsy Rothstein — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:31:57 +0000

When a publication loses some 15 people, including a beloved editor, a deputy editor and the head of ad sales in a seven-month time span, it ceases to be right or accurate to say that it is undergoing a transition. Or, to reason that this is the topsy turvy, fluctuating world of journalism these days.

At the time of then-Editor Charlie Mitchell‘s sudden departure last fall, Editorial Director Mike Mills said they had “concluded together” that this was the best way to proceed. Former Roll Call reporter Tory Newmyer, now at Fortune Magazine, voiced online what so many Roll Call reporters felt then and now: “Terrible move, CQ overlords. Mitchell = 1st rate editor, world class human.”

But like many editors who must go back to ground level and find steady footing, it’s an “exciting” time. Roll Call‘s Editor Scott Montgomery is no exception: “People are still excited. I am excited. We still have some challenges to get through before we fill these jobs. But it’s kind of cool to think about remaking things and taking Roll Call forward.”

As management dusts itself off after an intense exodus of resignations and otherwise forced departures, top brass find themselves in an introspective process of rebuilding and figuring out just where to move from here. Long known as the stalwart figure amongst Washington’s Hill publications, Roll Call rests on that historical description and maybe a little too much. In a phone interview with Montgomery on Tuesday morning, FishbowlDC learned vaguely about where this relatively new editor wants to take the newspaper in the coming months. But specifics? He hesitated for fear of the competition getting too much information. Among the things we do know: Roll Call is one week out of its so-called one-month hiring freeze implemented company-wide by The Economist Group. Montgomery announced that they are looking to add at least three senior editors and five new reporters to its editorial team, which is roughly half of what they’ve lost.

As of late, management has made some unusual hiring moves, or rehiring as the case may be. For one thing, they brought back Shira Toeplitz, who spent a year at Politico before realizing that maybe the grass isn’t always greener type of thing. And today, they’re playing up yet another return: a former intern who has spent the past few years working on the desk of the NYT.

“What we need, it’s not magic,” Montgomery said in our talk. “Roll Call has a great reputation, a great history. It still is the newspaper of Capitol Hill and is still seen that way. We need to continue to do that. We know who our audience is. We know who we are. So my goal is fairly straightforward — to do what Roll Call is known for. We cover the Hill. We cover members. We cover leadership. We cover those staffs. The professional community of Capitol Hill. That’s who are readers are, that’s who we’re there for, and we like that.”

And yet, the chatter in media and staff circles is that HOH, the famed gossip column, isn’t what it was even weeks and months ago when Emily Heil still ran it and when Elizabeth Brotherton was still on board. And Around the Hill has gone a little, well, over the Hill and around the bend. What does Montgomery say to critics and doubters? “I can’t answer that directly because I’ve only been here a few months myself,” he said. “There’s no doubt the environment is very different from what it was. Roll Call can’t be what it was five or ten years ago and expect to prosper. It’s not about whether people think we’ve lost a step, but it’s about the steps we take forward. We need to be a must-read for people. We need to make sure that they are rewarded every time they do.”

On the subject of HOH, Montgomery concedes that there must be a shift toward Capitol Hill and away from the party scene. The parties won’t be abandoned, mind you, but he thinks the column needs some “reporting heft.” He explained, “I want to bring on a smart person who is sourced on Capitol Hill and can bring a level of newsiness, a saucy newsiness.” Around the Hill is here to stay, he insisted, saying that it is something for which the publication is known. “It’s a big part of what distinguishes us from our competitors, and that needs to continue,” he said.

CQ Roll Call Forges Ahead Amidst Major Changes

Betsy Rothstein — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:01:14 +0000

All eyes are on CQ Roll Call Associate Director Keith White to step into the shoes of Managing Director and Executive V.P. Laurie Battaglia. Battaglia’s sudden departure from CQ Roll Call was announced Tuesday. She had been with the company for 23 years.

“It’s been a great time,” Battaglia said by phone Wednesday afternoon, saying she felt she wanted to keep things positive. “The people are fantastic. Sometimes it’s just time to move on.”

White has made it clear he wants her position. The search is underway, but if The Economist Group’s CEO Andrew Rashbass agrees, it’s his. It was Rashbass who tipped employees off that White is up for the job. FishbowlDC has requested comment from White.

Battaglia has not announced where she will go next. “I don’t think she has laid her plans out yet,” said Editorial Director Mike Mills in a phone interview with FishbowlDC Tuesday afternoon, who said Battaglia’s departure “seemed sudden,” but “wasn’t as sudden as it seemed. I think it sort of crept up on everybody.”

Mills said he was not involved in Battaglia’s departure, though it is clear he was heavily involved in Editor Charlie Mitchell leaving the publication last fall, a move that triggered much grief throughout the newsroom. “I was not a part of any negotiation,” Mills said with a sigh that sounded like relief. “Refreshingly distant on the editorial side.”

He sung Battaglia’s praises effusively. “I gotta say though, I’m really going to miss Laurie,” he said. “She has been a terrific boss and a legendary leader over these 23 years.” He said he had spoken to her since the news, but didn’t want to characterize the conversation or say whether she was upset. “I can’t say enough about how much she brought to the company. The Economist gets a third of its profits from CQ Roll Call. That was all her. She was a pioneer int his market. She has also been an inspiration as a woman leader. We just celebrated her being chosen as women who mean business by the Washington Business Journal a few months ago. Obviously I wish her the best and we’re friends and we’re going to continue to be friends. I’m very, very sad to see her leaving. She always wants what’s best for the company. I just feel badly.”

Editorial staff, meanwhile, was shocked by the news…

continued…

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Battaglia Leaves Roll Call

Betsy Rothstein — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:42:17 +0000

An internal memo from Andrew Rashbass, Chief Executive of The Economist Group, which owns CQ Roll Call, announces that longtime Managing Director of CQ Roll Call Laurie Battaglia is leaving the company. Staff learned the news just moments ago.

See the internal memo…

continued…

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Two Upped at CQ Roll Call

Matt Dornic — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:01:02 +0000

This afternoon Laurie Battaglia announced the promotions of two folks from the business side of CQ Roll Call. Keith White has been named SVP and Publisher of Premium Services and Mark Walters will become SVP and Group Publisher overseeing CQ Weekly, CQ Today and Roll Call. Battaglia’s memo below:

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Keith White will take on the role of SVP and Publisher of Premium Services. He will assume ownership of leveraging the strategies that will help grow our current premium digital products, which includes CQ.com, Capwiz, the specialty publications and Knowlegis.

Mark Walters will become SVP and Group Publisher, with responsibility for CQ Weekly, CQ Today, Roll Call, and our new free websites. Like Keith, he will take responsibility for driving growth strategies for these publications, in conjunction with editorial.

As most of you know, I’m a big believer that ownership always yields the best results, so I’m very excited about these changes as I believe they will help drive the best results both in business and in editorial. Please welcome me in congratulating Keith and Mark in their newly enhanced roles.

Laurie Battaglia

EVP and Managing Director

CQ Roll Call

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CQ Roll Call Adds Newsletter, Logo; Drops Hyphen, Group

Matt Dornic — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:20:21 +0000

In a memo today, Laurie Battaglia thanked the CQ Roll Call staff for their hard work during the midterms, the refreshed RollCall.com website and the launch of a free daily e-mail newsletter by David Hawkings, called ”CQ Roll Call’s Daily Briefing.”

Additionally, Battaglia distributed gifts carrying the new combined CQ Roll Call logo – you’ll notice that they opted for a bumblebee look (I kid) while dropping the hyphen and “Group” from the company’s brand.

continued…

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CQ & Roll Call to Shack Up Together

Matt Dornic — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:07:03 +0000

CQ and Roll Call are finally taking their relationship to the next level – the two organizations are moving in together. In a memo to staff, CQ-Roll Call Managing Director Laurie Battaglia annonced that she has signed a lease at 77K St. NE where both publications will live happily together under one roof. Battaglia said that the move “signifies The Economist Group’s commitment to CQ-Roll Call.”

The move will happen in phases beginning in November and ending around Easter of 2011. See the full memo after the jump.

continued…

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CQ-Roll Call Names New Senior V.P. of Advertising

Betsy Rothstein — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:12:34 +0000

This just in…

CQ-Roll Call has announced this morning that the publication has named Mark Walters as its new senior V.P. of Advertising. Walters begins July 7.

“Hiring Mark is a strategic coup,” said the publication’s managing director Laurie Battaglia in a statement.

Waters’ past: Walters comes to CQ-Roll Call from D & B Digiital, a division of Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. Before that, he was associate publisher of online publishing for Newsweek.

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CQ-Roll Call: A Personnel Update

Betsy Rothstein — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:23:34 +0000

From: Laurie Battaglia
To: CQ-RollCall-All Sent: Fri Mar 19, 2010
Subject: Advertising Announcement; We’ve got several people announcements to make in advertising.

Here goes: I’m thrilled to announce that Kelly Lindner will be rejoining CQ-Roll Call on Monday, March 22nd as our new VP of Events and Consumer Advertising. Kelly was one of the bright stars in advertising at Roll Call, where she initially began in consumer sales, and then moved into corporate and advocacy sales. We are incredibly lucky to have her back in Washington. Unfortunately, that means Connie Witherspoon is leaving. Both she and Holly Maine will be joining Victoria Monroe at National Journal. Holly’s last day was this past Wednesday, March 17th, and Connie will be departing next Friday.

Cliff McKinney will become Vice President, National Advertising Sales. In addition to his current role of managing national print operations, he will assume Holly’s online role as well.

Joining Kelly will be Marie Kilroy, who will be moving from her role in advertising marketing (and events) to consumer advertising. For those of you who know Marie we’re very excited to have her move into this new role.

We are planning a renewed focus on the consumer side of the business, from retail to classifieds, so look for more details as we move forward on this initiative. Subi Issa will be taking on a newly created role Operations. Creating a stronger infrastructure is key to our continued success and growth, and this new role has been created to do just that.

Our traffic team will now grow to four, relieving the burden that has been placed on the team, which currently includes Subi, Laura Weeda, and Christina Chao.

Please join me in congratulating the team as they move into new roles and welcoming Kelly on her return this coming Monday. And as always, if you have any questions, please ask.

Laurie Battaglia, EVP and Managing Director CQ-Roll Call Group

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Roll Call Goes Crunchy

Betsy Rothstein — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:59:27 +0000

In a move that seems more suited for a West Coast city, the CQ-Roll Call Group announces today that Roll Call is the first publication to be “going green,” meaning that it will be printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

The change promises a variety of things:

1. Reduce the environmental impact
2. Improve overall quality for advertisers and readers: the new paper is said to be white, 30 percent brighter. All photographs, graphics will purportedly be “sharper, more attractive.”
3. Reduce the company’s overall carbon footprint

The new recycled newspaper will being in early March and will be made of “100 percent recycled fiber.”

So does this mean all reporters will now be forced to wear Birkenstocks and clothing made of hemp? (Somehow we can’t really imagine that.) Stay tuned.

Read the release after the jump…

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CQ-Roll Call Completes Integration Initiatives

Matt Dornic — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:48:14 +0000

This morning, CQ-Roll Call Managing Director Laurie Battaglia emailed staff to announce the completion of four projects designed to further integrate CQ & Roll Call.

Yesterday, we told you about the relaunch of CQPolitics.com but Battaglia’s memo highlighted a few of the additional initiatives:

CQ StateTrack’s regulatory monitoring service: a new service to enable subscribers to keep current on proposed and adopted state regulations using the same interactive map-based display, search engine and alerting functionality from CQ StateTrackÂ’s legislative service.

CQ Energy & Climate: a new service on CQ.com that incorporates elements of the Environment & Energy Briefing Room with related content from nearly 20 CQ.com services.

Content migration: they migrated many of the features and content from the Briefing Rooms and CongressNow onto the CQ.com platform. Battaglia says, “as a result, CQ.com and our specialty products, including Budget Tracker, HealthBeat and Homeland Security, have been enhanced and are better than ever.”

Read the full memo after the jump.

continued…

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Help Wanted: Nutting’s Job Jinxed?

Matt Dornic — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:34:54 +0000

A tipster sent us this CQ “help wanted” description for the position held by Brian Nutting who was terminated by CQ-Roll Call‘s Mike Mills and Laurie Battaglia. Nutting, a 27-year CQ vet got the axe after sending an email to the entire newsroom demanding “answers” after the Economist-owned organization slashed 44 editorial positions late last month.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION EDITOR: CQ’s newsroom is seeking a full-time editor for its Legislative Action team to edit news stories and descriptions of votes for CQ.com and CQ print publications, as well as longer analytical pieces for House Action Reports and BillAnalysis. The job also requires helping to train reporters on CQ’s methods and quality standards, as well as how to write for different CQ-Roll Call Group publications. In addition to demonstrated experience in news editing and writing, candidates should have familiarity with Congress and legislative procedure. Frequent evening work required. Contact Peter King.

According to Michael Calderone, silly Mills offered Nutting’s gig to Jodi Schneider, who he had canned just five days earlier. Schneider passed on the masochistic opportunity.

Who will take this jinxed job? In this economy and industry, we’re surprised it’s still unfilled. But then again, the cast of Alive didn’t eat their teammates on the day their plane crashed.

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CQers Fete Brian Nutting

Matt Dornic — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:45:37 +0000

The man at the heart of the Economist Group’s PR nightmare and former senior editor of CQ that was wrongfully-fired by CQ-Roll Call News Director Mike Mills and Managing Director Laurie Battaglia will be feted tonight by his colleagues. The honoree, Brian Nutting was canned after questioning the layoffs of 44 editorial staffers last week.

The party will be held at the home of another high-profile journalist discarded by CQ. A large turnout of CQ staffers looking to express their appreciation for the hero-editor is expected.

Unfortunately, Nutting won’t be last of the layoffs. Sources tell FishbowlDC that the business side of the combined entity will take a hefty hit in the near future.

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News Notes: Nutting Fired but CQ-Roll Call Burned

Matt Dornic — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:22:52 +0000

Perhaps the biggest misstep (and PR nightmare) of the Economist‘s acquisition of CQ has been the firing of veteran newsman and CQ editor Brian Nutting after he questioned the layoffs of 44 staffers via email to the CQ-Roll Call newsroom.

Tips, endorsements and notes of raw emotion and respect for the beloved editor poured into FishbowlDC and made their way around the Washington media circuit throughout the day. One thing is for sure – employed or not, Nutting knows how to make a headline:

Nutting told Politico’s Michael Calderone, “I didn’t feel like I could turn my back on the people I worked with.”

When WaPo‘s Paul Farhi caught up with Nutting, he said that Mike Mills claimed the email [posted by FishbowlDC] had “embarrassed the company” and that “he was insubordinate.”

In addition, The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg posted “A Journalist with Guts” and DCRTV posted “CQ Cans Hero-Editor.”

Nutting’s name also hit Twitter and tweets about his firing exploded into a #cqfail “protwest” of sorts, suggesting that everyone unfollow @cqpolitics. The protwest even took on catchy slogans like “Every time CQ is unfollowed Brian Nutting gets his wings.”

While participating in #CQfail protwest@anamariecox said:

ALL HAIL BRIAN NUTTING, hero of #CQfail! “We now know the real reason was money.”

Not a good day for Economist PR at all…

I can’t help wondering what Mike Mills and Laurie Battaglia thought they were accomplishing by dismissing the one guy that seemed to be “out for” the already-shaken CQ staff. Are their executive egos that easily bruised? Were they making an example? A point? If so, what was it? That the Economist rule is dictatorial?

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