Emails from the Publisher to the Managing Editor
From: Livingston Grim
Sent: Recent
To: Sally Strong
Subject: Cronkite Chronicle Lite
Sally,
For now let’s simply field the best online version of our current newspaper product we can. Devote several of your best folks to devote some part of their day to the Internet.
As you know we are giving this content away and therefore all costs are eaten by the main product.
I do not want to aggravate this situation.
Along the same lines, I would appreciate your vocal support on this. I do not want to discourage the staff with any dispute over the matter.
Liv
From: Livingston Grim
Sent: Recent
To: Sally Strong
Subject: Re: Cronkite Chronicle Lite
Sally,
In addition, let’s stick to converting present product to online. We have neither the manpower nor the understanding to embrace the new media. Besides the corporate office continues to demand a steady cash flow.
Liv
From: Livingston Grim
Sent: Recent
To: Sally Strong
Subject: Re: Your Memo
Just do your best to anticipate customer demand and other marketplace requirements.
Liv
Email from the Publisher to the Advertising DirectorFrom: Livingston Grim
Sent: Recent
To: Matt Sunshine
Subject: Commissions
Matt,
Give some thought to reducing commission rates for the sales staff. This could potentially save us money.
Grim
BTW- Nice going Matt, one of these days the car dealers will be back big time. Keep up the good work!
Email from the Managing Editor to the Advertising Director
From: Sally Strong
Sent: Recent
To: Matt Sunshine
Subject: Sales
Matt,
You better get your butt in gear. I can’t keep cutting staff without seriously threatening the quality of the newspaper.
Hell, Matt, we ain’t half what we used to be.
Sally
Emails from the Managing Editor to the Chronicle Innovation CommitteeFrom: Sally Strong
Sent: Recent
To: Innovation Committee
Subject: Sunshine my Ass
Everyone,
Just for what it’s worth, I simply don’t want to be involved on a committee with Matt. He is a seller, I know and that’s okay, but I can’t trust him to be on time or to devote sufficient energy to our project. The fate of the whole business rests on what we do and he’s only worried about the next sale. He’d write any story, twist any fact to get a sale. This is not good for us.”
Sally
From: Sally Strong
Sent: Recent
To: Innovation Committee
Subject: Re: Sunshine my Ass
Sent: Recent
To: Innovation Committee
Subject: Re: Re: Sunshine my Ass
Sent: Recent
To: Innovation Committee
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Sunshine my Ass
Email from the Home Office to the Publisher
From: Ace Bandage
Sent: Recent
To: Livingston Grim
Subject: Urgent
Liv,
I’ll make this simple.
This note is to remind you how important it is that you and every publisher in the group hit his numbers.
It is critical to the overall good of the company. We have loan covenants that are unforgiving. We need the money. I don’t need to tell you the consequences. Cut wherever you can. Be heartless if need be, we don’t have a choice here.
In short, Liv, don’t screw this up.
Ace Bandage
CFO
Cronkite Federated
Home Office
Email from Livingston Grim, Publisher, to his wife.
From: Livingston Grim
To: Wife
Subject: Miss youHope you’re having fun with the girls. Sounds like a good time. Since I can’t reach you by phone and you’re in a different time zone here’s a note. Just talked with Bandage. What a jerk! The heat is really on to keep old levels of profit.Can’t be done in this economy. At best we are converting print product to online. I want in the worst way to create a separate entity to create a mobile product for our readers.I don’t know if Bandage realizes a replica product is all defense or he just doesn’t get any of it?
Truth is it’s almost as if we should be counting the days until retirement.
Liv
(She is away on a reunion trip with her college sorority sisters… he could not reach her on the phone so he wrote her this note.)
Email from a Classified Clerk to an Account Representative
From: Susan Smith
Sent: Recent
To: Andrea Sellers
Subject: Pace
Andrea,
I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing three people’s work. I’ve got the start taking Billy to school early next year and I can’t keep this up. I can see they are running you ragged in sales too. Do you have time to get together and talk after work sometime soon?
Susan Smith
Classified Advertising
The Cronkite Chronicle
Email from Ford Dealership to the Advertising DirectorFrom: Jack Motors
Sent: Recent
To: Matt Sunshine
Subject: Rates and Value
Matt,
What the hell is all this internet talk? I need to reach buyers when they’re considering buying a new car, not every two weeks.
I don’t understand all this online stuff. But I do understand this, I’ve GOT to sell cars or I’m history.
Jack Motors
General Manager
Cronkite Ford
P.S. Give some thought to reducing my rate per inch too. I don’t want to go to cable, but I will.They’re cheap! Real Cheap!!
Other Memos and Letters
- Memo from Matt Sunshine to Publisher
- Letter to Chronicle on Debt Restructuring from Bank
- Letter from President of Better Tomorrow to Publisher
- PublishertoDepartmentHeads
- Memo from CFO to Innovation Committee
- Letter from Consultant to Publisher
- A Second letter from the Consultant to the Publisher and his Management Team
- Memo from Sally Strong to the Publisher
- Open Letter from the Publisher to the Department Heads
- Letter from Publisher to Innovation Committee
- Letter from Publisher to Local Softball Team
- Letter to Publisher from United Way Director