Friday, 21 November 2008
Farewell to ITP arms
Seems the ever-revolving door at ITP Business is spinning even quicker with the rumour that Sean Cronin, editor-in-chief of Arabian Business, has stormed out - apparently because of internal censoring. Another recent escapee is David Westley, editorial director of ITP.net. Could they both be heading up the Sheikh Zayed Road to join Richard O'Sullivan in Abu Dhabi?
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80 comments:
More carnage at ITP, could it be true? Well, it won't matter much to the running of ITP surely, it'll be business as usual, I'm sure.
Business as usual my arse! ITP is going bust or will be bought out very soon! In the current climate, advertising revenues are less than 50% what they were just a few months ago, all new launches are on hold and some magazines will be ditched quicker than a 6 month old Bentley in Robert's garage. You cannot keep on treating your staff like pieces of shit and expect good 'ol kama not to come round and stab you in the neck. Happy stabbing, Kama.
Do you mean karma?
Sorry, I mispelt "Kama", it should be Karma. Well, what d'ya expect, I was a journalist at ITP. :-|
ITP is not going bust! It is immensely profitable - despite the fact that agencies don't like it, other journalists don't like it - in fact no one likes it - for reasons both fair and unfair.
ITP does not care what anyone thinks - it's laughing all the way to the bank. It does not have to care. There is no decent competition.
@ 15:01
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
in the last six months alone arabianbusiness.com has falsely reported on a deal involving Ruwaad, mixed up Dubai Lagoons with The Lagoons, and printed a story coming from ENBD about the stopping of home loans that ENBD flatly denied - the AB story didnt even get a quote from the bank!
laughing all the way to the bank maybe, but dont tout ITP as having no decent competition when it makes screw-ups like these - ITP is far from the best that is available across the board.
I would imagine Sean resigned on the spot when he read:
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/539041-party-like-its-1999
How can you have a head of editorial with no writing skills - and obviously no shame?
I like Arabian Business - but not when it publishes crap like this.
anon 1501 is clearly one of the chosen few at ITP, the brethren who turn a blind eye to the exploitation of lower ranking colleagues in return for a nice wage packet and the freedom to 'pop in' when you feel like it and bash out an editorial comment. Its funny how 'mere editors' spend all weekends grafting and certain senior group editors only appear once in a blue moon at ITP. As for directors regularly calling reporters minions or trainee jedis that is not cool for a company that claims to want to be taken seriously. Yes, ITP is immensely profitable - but it is easy to profit from a magazine with only one member of editorial staff, who is also forbidden from claiming expenses. As Matthew boasted not so long ago, "We not only have the highest turnover of staff of any media company in the Middle East, we also have the highest turnover." It is that attitude that will ultimately bring ITP down - noone in the higher ranks is bold enough to address why three quarters of ITP's staff leave the company each quarter. Instead they seem to think its funny. Unfortunately the last laugh is on you. Your bad reputation throughout Dubai and media sector as whole means noone will touch ITP with a barge pole. The name is tarnished.
I think 17:16 misses the point.
Companies are businesses and will advertise on the most effective medium - whatever that may be.
They do not care what the wider media industry thinks. They want to make sure that their campaigns get the best bang for the buck.
ITP repeatedly delivers that. It may well be a crap company to work for. It is clear it does not particularly care for its employees (boo hoo for you). In fact it may even welcome a high turnover of staff to keep ideas fresh and new. The point is, ads on ITP's products in general work. And that, frankly is all that matters.
I think 18.26 misses the point further. Staff retention would be a priority agenda for a MD of any serious European publisher. Hence why HR is seen as an important function.
With high levels of staff turnover you get problems with staff morale, unhappy clients and a bad reputation.
Notwithstanding the high financial cost of recruitment.
How much would it cost a company of 1000 to replace over half its staff every year in this region???
'Fresh and new ideas' as you mention (a bad excuse) may require only 10 new people per year in key positions.
21:17 Just in case you had not noticed we're not in Europe, we're in the Middle East. Different region, different rules.
ITP has a core of people - around 10 in fact - that have remained stable over the last decade. They provide the continuity. The herd with their ideas come and go, leaving what is good behind.
The fact that a few members of Dubai's journalistic community have been disenfranchised and are bitter is neither here nor there.
As for recruitment costs - yes, that can hurt. But those months where positions have yet to be filled and one editor does the job of six is money saved. In fact we may even be in the money: A quick telephone call, and a one way ticket is not too onerous a cost. We've even started doing bulk recruitment!
What matters is a business model that is elastic in good times and in bad, is unsentimental and which is profitable. ITP clearly has that. You may not like it, but try to understand this - no one really cares...
@18.26
'ITP gives the best bang for its buck'? Untrue. Certain titles have Dubai wide circulations, and I'm sure these do give advertisers value for money - But what about the other 70-odd mags that only leave the warehouse to go to clients or ITP offices? What happened to the audit thread?
It would be convenient to be able to claim agencies are corrupt and or stupid. However, the reality is that is not the case.
Agencies go where they believe they will deliver the best return from the market their client is looking for - or where that client pushes them to go. If that means publishing in tooth picker monthly, that's where they will go.
And in general that means to ITP - which means even if there are warehouses stuffed full of ITP magazines - which there are not - they still deliver better value.
Maybe nobody cares - but word is firmly out that ITP are not good people to work for.
Which means ITP won't recruit experienced talent which means they won't develop which means their business model is, ultimately, unsustainable.
And of course GCC is not Europe - but once again it shows how limited the spiv brains at ITP really are. They could use the capital to create something that could be bigger but they can't get past their own limited greed.
Finally, there are 100s of companies far far bigger that ITP, which make far far more money, who treat their staff far far better.
Methinks that there is something quite sociopathic in how ITP operate - the point is that you don't have to treat people like shit to make a profit. In fact pretty much the reverse has been proved, long term, to be the case. But the previous poster seems to derive some strange pleasure in the fact that staff are treated like garbage. That just makes them weird.
I worked at ITP in a senior role - they plagiarised stuff, sales teams bullied junior staff to re-write copy and they breached their licence agreements.
They are not in any way shape or form a reputable publishing business or company and should be boycotted.
In fact, given the utter and appaling arrogance of the previous poster, it might be time to approach the NUJ to get them to launch a campaign calling for ALL UK journalists to boycott recruitment. Bring in the NUS as well, get the word out in the universities that ITP are deliberately following such recruitment policies and then lets see how the fuckers get on.
okay, lets return to the topic thread eh?
So.. If Sean Cronin has left that must be a blow for AB. I have to say, Ive been a bit unsure about quite a few of his articles, but he is by all accounts a fine hack and a good guy to work with and for.
However, I just dont understand why he would quit. It wasnt as if AB had a sterling reputation for speaking truth unto power, and he has worked for ITP before, so he must have known what he was going to?
I'm sure he did know, just like the new 'editor' who by all accounts could well be a success as he is well know for towing the company line and writing mundane copy. Sean will go on to bigger and better things while the good ship AB will become compltely rudderless and, above all, pointless.
to 15.56
Presumably you are one the many people who every week send their CV to AB begging for a job - and get rejected. But don't worry, I hear the new editor is looking for a tea boy. Please re-send your details, plus a description of how exactly you would make a decent cuppa for the boss.
and if that fails, then, hey, life at motivate ain't that bad...knob.
A quick question...when last did ITP launch a decent title?
How have 10 people, entrenched in a company (with no quality media background) kept ideas 'fresh'??
As for launches, does any publisher out here do market research before a launch?
Arabian Business seems to go through editors at the same pace as their "editorial director" allegedly goes through man-size wetwipes. They also seem to still enjoy nicking stuff of the FT (didnt that cost one previous editor his job?)
FT, 10 nov:
The Gulf is rapidly finding out that buoyant petroleum revenue and robust economic growth are no guarantees against dislocated global markets. However, Bahrain hopes its diversified economy will ensure that it is not one of the casualties.
AB, 13 nov:
The Gulf is rapidly discovering that its vast oil wealth and economic growth are not immune to the global slowdown. But the tiny island state of Bahrain, with a population of just 1.2 million, is hoping its diversified economy and strong banking sector will see it through the storm.
Also, ABs conclusion is that: "Saudi Arabia’s bid to become a knowledge-based economy is likely to result in increased competition, agrees Kinnonmont. “One of the reasons why Bahrain has so many financial institutions is because its traditionally been a base for companies serving Saudi Arabia, so that’s one of the competitive threats that its going to face now that the Saudi sector has become more liberalised.”
While the FT says (3 days earlier): Local bankers admit that the domestic Bahraini market is tiny, and for decades its main advantage was its proximity to the largest and richest market in the Gulf – Saudi Arabia.
Traditionally, many Bahrain-based bankers would live in more liberal Manama, but commute to Riyadh and the rich eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
But as Bahrain’s vast neighbour continues, slowly but surely, to open its economy, it might insist bankers and companies wishing to do business there actually move to Saudi Arabia.
As it has a relatively small domestic market, this trend is a “long-term danger” to Bahrain, says a banker. “The business is in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, not Dubai or Bahrain.”
Great minds think alike eh?
Around the same time America launched a decent president.
AB.com is the biggest pile of wank ever! The number of stupid amateur errors on that site is quite simply phenomenal! Pre-pubescent journalism at it's best!
Another question - who are the 10 that 08:38 referred to?
Oh come on. AB.com is excellent. And no, I don't work for ITP.
I also found the grammatical error in 06:55's comment very amusing given the point he was making!
18.56 wrote: "Presumably you are one the many people who every week send their CV to AB begging for a job - and get rejected. But don't worry, I hear the new editor is looking for a tea boy. Please re-send your details, plus a description of how exactly you would make a decent cuppa for the boss.
and if that fails, then, hey, life at motivate ain't that bad...knob."
I don't even know where to begin with the post above. You silly, silly, deluded arrogant cunt.
could we please have a new post on the release of michelle palmer and vince acors?
Victoria from Dubai Eye died yesterday of cancer
Victoria from Dubai Eye died yesterday of cancer
We are very sorry to hear this and have put a new post.
Say what you like about ITP, but ab.com is actually a very good site.
We have just been told that her family doesn't want her death publicised, so we have taken down the announcement for now.
We will consider putting it up in a few weeks with more details of the memorial etc.
If anyone wants to comment, could they please email one of us instead, and we'll save the condolences for if and when we can put the post up again. dubaimediablog@gmail.com
Thank you all.
to 0838.
"ITP has a core of people - around 10 in fact - that have remained stable over the last decade."
that's great retention! like i said the chosen few...
"But those months where positions have yet to be filled and one editor does the job of six is money saved."
...to the detriment of editorial quality and the reader. Where are the readers in all this? They ultimately should be the focus. If readers arent reading advertisers wont advertise, in the true media world that is. Sadly ITP's view is articles are just words to go round ads. The mags are free so readers can't complain about quality. Sales staff actively sell editorial and bully editors into include nonsense articles. The senior folk, meanwhile, are only interested in the front covers, and never read the publications.
"A quick telephone call, and a one way ticket is not too onerous a cost. We've even started doing bulk recruitment!"
That it why you are known as the sausage factory and the visa centre. Glad you are proud of the fact. Will you be building a labour camp at IMPZ to house the masses? It would be better than Almas and the bedbugs... Or would this attention to staff welfare be considered too sentimental for your elastic business model.
Lastly, you do seem to really care, else you wouldnt reply to postings! but i guess noone likes it pointed out to them that they have sold out and accepted an easy time at an unethical company, hurts your manly pride right? and the kid wont be proud of you, will he...
On another note, how about highlighting Gulf News for a change? They started that "Free Sammy the Shark" nonsense a month ago, ran it for a week or two to sell papers, and then stopped the so-called campaign just in time for the launch party of the Atlantis -- complete with an Atlantis advertorial magazine included with every GN copy that day.
via Gorkana:
Frank Kane has resigned his position as Director of Business Media for Dubai-based Arab Media Group, by mutual consent.
Kane said: “Plans change, especially in these troubled times for the world economy. My role at Arab Media Group was no longer consistent with its immediate plans.
“I am proud to have played a role in the rapid expansion of AMG’s business coverage over the past two years, which have seen it launch the region’s first business newspaper and significantly enhance its radio coverage of business and financial news. I am especially grateful to CEO Abdullatif Al Sayegh for the opportunity to take part in this ambitious project.
“I continue to believe the media industry in the UAE has a great future.”
Frank can be reached at fkane@btinternet.com
hmmm wonder if the eulogy to the greatness of martin newland, as authored by frank kane for the observer, is a sign of where mr kane is heading?
i heard he was fired for being a dick
Frank Kane was indeed let go, as one of a number of cost cutting measures. He's be in the capital faster than you can sheikh a mohammad.
As an aside, anyone see the puff piece on Steve Smith in Campaign (actually, has anyone seen Campaign - I think it's a loose insert without a magazine to wrap it)
Interesting goings on at Virgin (what will that be named in a month?) and the gang...
Frank Kane was told to resign because he was a total drain on the company - and a pretty big drain at that!!!
Looks like all AMG's big hitters are now leaving to head to the National.
Any chance of an Emirates Business audit - not even 1,000 sold each day
If Frank Kane is a big hitter than I guess I dont know what a big hitter is.
Frank Kane is lying when he says he played a role in AMG's expansion. To justify his very fat salary and the perks, he did play a role in drawing up a new look for Emirates Business, but his new layout and the design was so atrocious that the editor threw it in the bin. He has never played any signifcant role in any capacity in AMG apart from kissing everybody's arse every week in his columns. He was finally shown the door because neither he nor the company could justify such a big fat salary and the perks to a person who does nothing but bend backwards every week.
Why does everybody on this site slag off ITP. Why not look at all the people that are happy working there and have been there for years? The high turnover is due to the high growth. All I ever hear is people slating ITP, yet everybody else in Media slate their own jobs too... Is it just everybody is unhappy out here and likes to moan? Is anybody truly happy in their jobs, if not come and work for ITP it's great! I've been there 3 years, have had 3 promotions and 3 pay rises, am on nearly double what I started on 3 years ago and very happy!
Sean left Construction Week a while back. Then chose to go back to ITP as realised the grass wasn't greener. He's left again, so what, his choice. How many people left your companies last month? How many at your companies have got their visas all sorted, get paid on time and have health insurance covered? I know plenty of people that moan about their companies more than friends working at ITP that's for sure.
Re: Michelle Palmer
Anybody want to apologies for all the disrespectful lies and gossip they wrote on this site? Due to the original 'gossip blog' on this site, and somebody sending this original 'gossip blog' to The Sun and informing them of her name it hit front page saying she attacked an officer and was a racist. Due to this she received hate mail sent and her family had to go in to hiding. She suffered so much due to the 'expat gossip'. I'm an ex colleague and friend of hers and she's a mess, a complete mess. I've never seen somebody that's changed so much, gone from a confident business woman to a complete wreck. She's been called every name under the sun (and always her not him but that's because his mate at the brunch (that she wasn't at) worked for News International and said don't worry we'll call you Vince Charming. What a dick. She's had all the bad press whilst he's been out thinking he's a celeb, p'd up all the time, trying to pull and fighting, yet nobody writes anything bad about him, why is that? Nobody knows how she ended up being with him, she wasn't drunk an hour before she was looking after everyone else. Was something put in her drink? She hated him, he made her cry for christ sake and was a nasty piece of work to her and everybody else. She can't remember leaving, can't remember being in a taxi, can't remember being on a beach. She's had to do her own research and speak to the police and read all statements to put it all together as didn't know whether to believe the press or not. It's been disgusting what she's been put through and it all started with this blog. Hope your all happy for ruining somebodies life, lets hope none of you get in to any trouble in the future or it will be written on here then sold to the press straight away!
Hey anon @ 21:12, welcome to the media industry. We eat our young.
Best news story of the year - thanks Michelle
Have to admit though, I agree that Palmer got a rough deal from the press compared to Acors. I dont have that much sympathy for her getting arrested, but splashing her name and face out over millions of newspapers must be a horrible experience.
Just want to add that Kane is actually a great journo, and it seems he was shafted by ITP/AMG when he got here. Hope the payoff was good, he deserves it after lending his name to the dross that is EB247. God, I dont think ive ever seen a worse "newspaper". Frankly, id rather be a janitor at Khaleej Times than see my name bylined in that pile of stinking poo.
Sample headlines recently:
"Dubai real estate market has all the ingredients to keep it booming"
"47% return on realty capital in the UAE"
"Big5 highlights Dubai's business potential"
"UAE will hit new heights "
Within the next week I predict the paper will say Dubai has cured cancer, fed the world's hungry, and put a man on the moon. Even AB looks like a paragon of objectivity compared to Emirates Biz.
The National says ITP has closed two b2b mags. Anyone know which ones?
Well, they're all pretty shit, so just draw the names out of a hat.
21:12 forgot to mention the impact that the story had on ITP's international reputation and rightly so. Finally, people outside of the UAE got to see this tinpot outfit for what it really is. They had no intention to sack Michelle until the Sun put their name and logo on the front page and they shat themselves.
ITP treat their staff like shit and the instant dismissal of Michele (without any evidence of her wrongdoing) to save their own arse was another clear indication of this.
So if any good has come out of this episode, Michelle can rest assured she brought ITP down with her. Well done gal, they deserved it.
And to Anon. 20:57, you're clearly one of those morons who gets to treat subordinates like shite, thanks to your "3 promotions" because after being their 3 years, you're probably well trained in the ITP way.
Most people who post on this blog have at some point probably worked for ITP, but no longer do so. So you're in the minority. And if I were you, I'd watch my back - you're only a $number at ITP and they day your figures don't stand up you can kiss your arse goodbye.
Medical Times and Dentist - the world is in mourning.
Have to agree with anon at 15.04. Frank Kane is a terrific journo, and has written some great stuff since he arrived. There is no shame in being turfed out by the powers that be at EB24/7, it was far beneath him anyway.
From my experience, he is also a really decent bloke.
Who is Rob Corder, the writer that wrote the AB story refered to earlier in this blog?
Yes, Rob Corder was the guy who spent day and night correcting all the mistakes on ab.com that appear on a daily basis, many of which could be corrected if a)the journo involved got off his/her fat arse and occasionally left the office to carry out a bit of research, b)had a couple of GCSE's to his/her name, c)knew where the spell check button was in Microsoft Word and finally d)Spent more time learning the field which he/she was randomly "given" by David or Anil, instead of facebooking or moaning about how shit Dubai is all day.
Love how this Gulf News reporter didn't even read the quote he lifted from a press release - and obviously neither did anyone else in the editorial system..
On the launch of the Nokia music store in the UAE:
"We are aiming to satisfy the needs of users with a simple service that is easily accessible, offering the most comprehensive catalogue of artists, thought of by and for Italian music enthusiasts," said Tom Erskine, head of sales, Music, Nokia.
Heh. Must have been a one-off mistake, after all, Naushad is an award winning journalist
anon at 17:52: One mistake in a quote and you have not only posted it here, you have also decided he is not a good reporter???
what a logic!!
by the way, award winning journalist should be hyphenated.
anon at 10:51: If Emirates Business was beneath Frank Kane, why did he work there for so many years???
And even now he didnt resign but was asked to go.
beneath my ass!!!
great guys. still ITP slagging.
and i work elsewhere by the way.
Mumbai happened and the world has changed but not a peep here.
perhaps some day.
Can be now get back to how Imbecillic Toss Pots is going bust? Any further news? Any more magazines sent to Room 101? Any other loyal employees been pissed on from the top floor? Com'on, I'm getting bored, I may have to start making up rumours myself!
23:29 - The error shows he lifted a whole quote from a press release without even reading it. And then submitted a finished story without reading it. It's also the last sentence of the a story, which matters more than most to a good reporter.
And he works at Gulf News, so of course he isn't a good reporter!
(btw, perhaps think twice before giving punctuation advice when you use sentences like "what a logic")
21:09, or Rob - that would be GCSEs. No apostrophe required.
I think, personally, the very fact that a press release of this kind has formed the basis of a story in a 'national' newspaper is very, very poor.
That is the fundamental issue here. That the journalist forgot to localise it (and the PR presumably) is just embarassing. Publishing it at all is a damning indictment of its quality standards, and the pride of its journalists.
turning our heads vaguely back in the direction of journalism in the UAE, I was wondering what people have made of The National on Saturday?
Why dont we start a thread on just links to bylines with articles, which are press releases?
Being on the PR mailing list of ever agency in town, I have seen this happen across ALL papers. Even the National.
You will be amazed to see how the famed ones in the industry do not even get an additional quote from the company to beef up the piece.
Or even bother to rewrite it.
The only additional line is their byline
Miaow
:-)
Well, if you're into ice hockey and the Sunday Telegraph (and let's face it, who in Abu Dhabi isn't?) then it's wonderful.
I heard ITP are falling on hard times and are likely to go bust at a recent awards night, is there any truth in this?
not a chance. they are making too much $$$. If some under performers are closed, it doesnt mean the commpany is falling on hard times.
To many other core products bring in the $$$
I've heard, possibly, that the company is in dire, dire straits.
They keep trying to cover it up but word is getting out.
They look done for.
You are insanse if you think ITP is in any trouble at all.
If you want to take it on, you have to compete understanding how strong it truly is. Deluding yourself will do you no good at all.
Only if you understand its strengths and recognise them will you be able to put together a viable competitive product.
agreed that a theme of naming and shaming bylined press releases would be a good one. i think it would be great if this blog did more in recognising the best and worst of the reporting being done here.
and seriously, could the same five people who do their best to turn every thread into an ITP gangbang try to exercise some restraint? or start their own ITP gossip blog?
it is seriously boring for everyone else here who are not personally connected to the company.
I can see this blog doing the shaming part, but I think I would fall over backwards and die if I saw a positive thread.
I am thinking of producing a magazine filled with the wipings from my smelly ass - do people think that compete with ITP?
21:09 - It is widely recognised by those of us who have to deal with him that Corder is an idiot, and worse, an idiot that likes to stick his spanner in the works. How he is in the position he is is a complete and utter mystery.
That's an unfair comment. I worked with Rob for almost two years - and he came up with some pretty strong ideas during that time. Didn't always agree with them, but usually they worked.
I have known Rob for years - a good guy, and under no illusions as to the market. And, lacking in the bullshit factor of most of his colleagues.
GO WESTley - buggar me...David Westley's left ITP - how many bleedin' posts has that guy held..
'Es like a bleeding yoyo - though thought he may've enjoyed itp - useless, lazy and crap at writing usually flourish down garhoud way...
Christmas cheer - some lovely anagrams of Robert Serafin:
errant if sober
entire bar for S
boner fart rise
on brief arrest
bonfire arrest
error if absent
arrest rife nob
barren site for
store if barren
barren so re-fit
Brief rat snore
briefs are torn
ten briefs roar
briefs near rot
rear infest rob
ban, fire, resort
bar if/or resent
Sir after boner
boner fits rear
tree for brains
brief rent soar
And me favorite: Retire naf robs
Wow, you anagram genius, have you ever tried appearing on Countdown? Or even typed "anagram finder" into Google? You fucking genius.
Have any of ITP's senior management every held jobs in a senior capacity at any other media company outside Dubai?
Rob 'good guy' Corder or the Dwarf Akawi. How about the Bride of Frankenstein that is the editorial director of Harpers?
It would be interesting to see their CV's to see what makes them so qualified to dismiss so many of their staff so easily. Clearly these guys are perfectionist demanding only the best and this is bound to be reflected in their impressive rise to the top.
I had the misfortune for working for ITP. What a horrible Company to work for. Senior Management are on the take and total bully's. Real bunch of cons on the make who think they are hard men. Bring them back to a professional Western business enviroment and they wouldn't know what had hit them, they wouldn't survive a week!!
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