Sunday 7 March 2010

Big shake up at The National

Sorry for the delay with getting a post up on this. Lots of people leaving, we're told at least fifteen staff have been fired or resigned over the past month:
Reporters/eds.
This is the best way I could think of to inform you all at once that I have handed in my notice and will be leaving The National to launch a media relations consultancy in Abu Dhabi.
My resignation is lodged and my last day of employment is to be March 31.
I'm really excited about my next move and will fill you all in on the details over the coming few weeks. It will come as no surprise to many of you that my partner in the business is my colleague Matt Slater, who will leave the company on the same day.
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone I have worked with over the past two and a half years as we launched and developed The National.
I will remain in my role until March 31 and Hassan and Laura will be announcing the next National Editor before then.
Thanks again for all your work,
Gregg Fray
National Editor
The National

UPDATE from a commenter below:
3 people were laid off a few weeks ago: two online editors and one woman who did some kind of unspecified work on multimedia. There was no notice and they were marched up to the human resources office and told to pack up and leave on the spot.

In addition to Matt Slater and Gregg Fray, another dozen people at least have left. We can count.

Deputy news editor Roland Hughes, arts reporter Jessica Hume, national reporters Rasha Elass, Jen Gerson and Tim Brooks, photographers Ryan Carter and Phil Cheung, Saturday foreign editor Cassie Biggs, deputy chief sub Bob Garton, copy editor Nick Stout and subeditor Luke Kummer. That makes 11 plus Slater and Fray and there are probably others.

141 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fifteen people have not been fired or resigned at The National. More baseless tittle-tattle.

Anonymous said...

Tomorrow's big announcement is that Gavin is sacking the paper's top editors and replacing them with child camel jockeys, who will work for next to no money and also serve as extras on ADMC-funded Hollywood features, saving the company millions of dirhams and launching The National into profitability overnight.

Anonymous said...

No Newlands - No comment

Anonymous said...

Not true.

Anonymous said...

the ship is sinking, no surprises there.

Anonymous said...

Who uses the phrase "baseless tittle-tattle"?

15 people is not far off the mark.

3 people were laid off a few weeks ago: two online editors and one woman who did some kind of unspecified work on multimedia. There was no notice and they were marched up to the human resources office and told to pack up and leave on the spot.

In addition to Matt Slater and Gregg Fray, another dozen people at least have left. We can count.

Deputy news editor Roland Hughes, arts reporter Jessica Hume, national reporters Rasha Elass, Jen Gerson and Tim Brooks, photographers Ryan Carter and Phil Cheung, Saturday foreign editor Cassie Biggs, deputy chief sub Bob Garton, copy editor Nick Stout and subeditor Luke Kummer. That makes 11 plus Slater and Fray and there are probably others.

Maybe not all of those people left in the last month. This may not be a high rate of turnover in a big newsroom. But whoever says 15 people haven't left is telling their own tittle-tattle.

Anonymous said...

The newsroom will lose a total of 20 by the beginning of summer. If the economy in the West were better, that number would be 50. Rumour has it there are another 8 layoffs coming in the newsroom.
The impending exodus is all anybody here talks about anymore. People are not happy.

Anonymous said...

Reality hits The National. Over staffed, yet producing a paper that has made a real difference in the marketplace. It has to make money & you cannot do that with to many people. They are doing the right thing & will only grow stronger. Cuts were always going to come at The National and from what I hear they still have the best resources in the region.

Anonymous said...

It didn't take Gavin long to screw things up now did it !

Anonymous said...

Total madness at The National today. Reshuffling of jobs after departure of Matt Slater and Greg Fray, who will not exactly be missed. Hassan Fattah addressed the newsroom this afternoon in a rambling and incoherent speech insisting that everything is great and everyone should feel thrilled to work at The National, which terrified the entire place. He also forgot to mention that the Saturday Editor was sacked earlier today and escorted out of the building before the afternoon speech.

At this point it would be misleading to talk about morale at all because it is so low it's off the charts. Not because people are resigning but because anyone can see that the paper is falling apart. Anyone who works at The National and earns less than 45,000 dirhams a month is looking for another job. If you opened a newspaper in London tomorrow you could hire the entire staff for next to nothing.

Anonymous said...

It's two years since launch, people will naturally leave. So what.

The original post, when edited to include names of some going, reads like people are leaving a sinking ship. That's not true. Greg and Matt are leaving to start their own business, Roland's going travelling, Jessica got another job, Jen's got another job, Phil moved to Beirut, Ryan's working for a sheikh, Cassie's only leaving temporarily... you see the picture. People are moving on, I don't wish to sound like Hassan's over-glossed version but it's really not a big deal. There is a bit of an exodus of people feeling they've had their fill of tax-free money and want to return to the West or try something new.

Three people were made redundant recently. The online guy had been given warnings for not doing his job, the two gals out of work did jobs no one seems able to define.

Of course people will always have concerns, but we are still the best paper in the UAE to work for by some distance.

Anonymous said...

Hassan Fattah addressed the newsroom this afternoon in a rambling and incoherent speech …

Were we at the same meeting, Anonymous 22:18? Hassan may not be the Cicero of the Middle East, but rambling and incoherent it wasn't.

And if you're merging your Saturday operation into the rest of the paper, because, as Hassan said, there aren't the funds to promote it, ylu don't need a Saturday editor any more …

Now, here's a lesson in math for you all. Most people move on from a job on average every four years. Out of 250 staff, therefore, more than 60 will leave every year. That's five a month. It's now March - three months into the year. How many people have left The National? Why, 15 - three months' worth. Just what you woukld expect.

Get a grip.

Certainly Not Gavin said...

"Anonymous" @ 19.08 is clearly and obviously Gavin, once again coming to DMO to defend himself using piss-poor spelling.

Careful observers will note many similarities between this post and Gavin's prior efforts to sing his own praises while pretending not to be Gavin.

Have a look at this prior thread, that has at least two Gavin-defending-Gavin posts:

http://dubaimedia.blogspot.com/2010/01/arab-media-group-chief-resigns.html?showComment=1264171351502#c7946936388257434491

We can see that "not Gavin" likes to use the & symbol rather than the word "and", that "not Gavin" has some problems with spelling. Let's look at today's comment:

Over staffed, yet producing a paper that has made a real difference in the marketplace. It has to make money & you cannot do that with to many people.

Here we see a few spelling errors and an ampersand. Just as "not Gavin" previously pretended to have worked at ITP while Gavin was doing such great work there, "not Gavin" also has a surprisingly close familiarity with happenings at The National, though he pretends not to work there.

Anyone who was in "the marketplace" rather than at ADMC would laugh at the suggestion that The National is "a paper that has made a real difference in the marketplace", since it is hard to make a real difference in the marketplace when you're selling less than 10,000 copies a day.

Cuts were always going to come at The National and from what I hear they still have the best resources in the region.

So don't blame Gavin for the cuts, "not Gavin" says, they were "always going to come" anyway. From what he "hears", the paper still has the best resources in the region, so quit whinging already, disgruntled hacks!

Anonymous said...

Who honestly gives a shit? The National has about a gazillion hacks, it can afford to shed a few desk monkeys now and then.

BTW - Why the fuck is this blog so humorless?

Considering where you are, what you're doing and who you're doing it for I'd have thought the need to embrace the irony was a prerequisite to existing here?

Anonymous said...

Everything on here is dull guess work, written by fools and has to be the work of ITP. They are to blame for most things wrong in the region.

I thought the National was staffed with camel jockeys anyway.

Baseless tittle-tattle, of course.

Anonymous said...

here in abu dhabi i have a filipino maid who does the irony

Anonymous said...

@3:44 I'll be happy to confess my ignorance on this but a newspaper that loses a quarter of its staff per year would be considered to be having major problems in most places, no? Or is this a regional norm? Does anyone know about the annual turnover at GN or KT by comparison?

Secondly, most of the names on that list are leaving without solid jobs in the middle of a shit ecomomy. Your recent redundancy list forgot to include Doug and the archivist, whatever her name was.

Lastly, any boss who looks his staff in the face and says: "Everything on the up and up folks. No more layoffs or firings, just lots of promotions and goood news and candy canes for everybody," but then completely fails to mention that he's just fired the saturday editor forfeits all credibility. The fire itself wasn't a bad move IMO, but journalists don't like being fed lies and that was dishonest.

However, the meeting was redeemed by the look of murder on Matt Slater's face when Hassan called him and Gregg to stand in front of the entire office. Not sure what that was about, but it was really uncomfortable for everybody.

Anonymous said...

The hardline regime loyalists and Fattah dead-enders will obviously defend the naked emperor until Hanadi books their air tickets home. They have a point, of course, the people who are leaving are all mostly useless, except for Burhan and Roland (and they begged Roland to stay).

But the recent departures are just the tip of an enormous embittered iceberg and yesterday's town hall rally did nothing to slow the feverish polishing of CVs taking place at every desk in the newsroom. When people are happy you don't have to stand up and shout at them to tell them how happy they should be.

Anonymous said...

Anon @7.56

"Over staffed, yet producing a paper that has made a real difference in the marketplace. It has to make money & you cannot do that with to many people."

You note a few spelling errors. OK, I can see the to/too mistake and perhaps over staffed should be over-staffed but otherwise what are you talking about?

Anonymous said...

Is this really a big deal? Hassan is just freshening the place up. Slater and Fray decide to leave. They get on fine with him and he gives them his blessing. He then decides to move people around and prior to all of this made a few people redundant as there was no longer a position for them. Burhan was ok but the Saturday edition didn't work despite all the money he spent. He will get another job. Nobody has fallen out with anybody. As for Roland being begged to stay! Get a grip Roland.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @ 15:05 wrote:

You note a few spelling errors. OK, I can see the to/too mistake and perhaps over staffed should be over-staffed but otherwise what are you talking about?

Yes, overstaffed is one word. And those are the only errors, but I would say that two typos in two sentences is a poor showing for the publisher of a newspaper, wouldn't you?

Perhaps it's time to hire back some redundant subs to go over your DMO copy before you post it.

Anonymous said...

Has no one realised that this is simply delayed fallout from Newland's departure? It is only natural that a new editor would remove elements of the staff he sees as divisive. That Hassan waited so long and acted so surreptitiously is no doubt the reason for the shocking drop in morale.

All of the people who were let go and a number of the walkouts were people who had worn large targets on their backs (as disgruntled opposition or people who had run afoul of one senior editor or another), in many cases since before Hassan's promotion.

Matt Slater had already been marginalised. Gregg Fray must have known his days were numbered. Others, like Gerson and Hume, looked for new jobs because they were convinced their time would soon be up.

As for the long-term plan, the switch to a "seven-day news platform" combined with the loss or sacking of much of the paper's UK staff seems to indicate a shift towards a more North American editorial philosophy. Again, this is not surprising given that the US-born editor will now hold court over a Canadian managing editor, a Canadian news editor, an American night editor, a Canadian chief sub and a Canadian production manager.

If Hassan is aware enough of the changes he's making to adapt accordingly, and I see no reason to think he doesn't, then the National could look very different in another year's time. Perhaps not better, but certainly different.

Anonymous said...

Five people leaving every month on average is not the same as 15+ storming for the exit in one month, especially when the global economy is what it is.

Also, you would expect people to try securing new jobs before moving out. Having something else lined up in life after The National doesn't prove they were happy and "just moving on". Lining something up when you have skills that are in demand is the sensible thing to do because let's face it -- we all want to get paid. I personally know no less than eight people staying simply because finding work elsewhere is difficult.

That said, it is absolutely not true that everyone who left has a job in the wings; quite a few just wanted to leave. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't really know what's happening at The National.

Anonymous said...

The two online editors and the third person mentioned by one poster were issued letters from the company stating explicitly that they were being let go due to budget cuts. Yet, we all heard Hassan make comments that they were let go for other reasons. Seems to me that those remarks, in light of the signed letters from the company, amount to slander.
Also, if there were warnings, such warnings are part of an employee's file, which is confidential. Clearly, management is engaging in some pretty unethical behaviour. Add in the "all is well" from Fatah just minutes after he sacked the Saturday Editor, and you get a clear idea of what kind of people are running this operation.

Anonymous said...

Is Burhan Wazir, the weekend editor, out?

Anonymous said...

I knew things were going to go downhill when newland was moved out.

what is happening with national has happened with all newspapers in the country.

the editor is moved out, second-rate editor comes in, good people start to leave and the whole thing goes down.

it has happened with KT, at one time it was a good newspaper, it has happened with GN, it has happened with Emirates Today, etc.

we, the ones who have been here for some years, knew it was bound to happen with national, no surprises there.

Anonymous said...

Might I echo those who have expressed regret at the sacking of Burhan Wazir, admitetdly a journalist of no talent but who always did as he was told, often sacking people who had offended the authorities, and is now rewarded by being chopped. Shame on the National for this. I applaud those who have expressed delight that young Burhan's loyal aide, the ancient but spritely James Langton, has survived. As a married man James had a duty to his family and had no choice but to help push Burhan into the trash can of unemployment. Some in the office have denounced James for this betrayal of Burhan, young man whom he knew intimately. They say this confirms James as a scoundrel, bully, cheat and liar. I do not agree. Family must come first. None of us care for James but we must strive to be fair.

Anonymous said...

Let's go through this list: arts reporter Jessica Hume (had locked herself out of every section and they were happy to see her go) national reporters Rasha Elass, Jen Gerson and Tim Brooks (counted for nothing and basically forgotten), photographers Ryan Carter (got a job with a sheikh and a hefty pay rise and still hangs around the office) Phil Cheung (still working for the paper in Beirut) Saturday foreign editor Cassie Biggs (she was written off a long time ago after she got into a row with one of the editors) , deputy chief sub Bob Garton (did a runner and quickly replaced), copy editor Nick Stout (annoyed the hell out of everyone and was practically asked to leave) and subeditor Luke Kummer (never managed to get a job as anything but sub)

Oh and those people layed off: they would have been fired, but would have gotten nothing--at least they got something.

The only person they tried to hold on to was Roland, by many accounts. So he's the only departure that counts.

Are people so dumb to not realize that all those people were wanted out and all this is part of the plan?

From what I hear, the higher ups have a whole stampede of people desperate to come in, and they have their pick.

And as all those others leave they will quickly realise the real world is far less greener than they think and will be missing the national and the great jobs they had, all of which will be filled very quickly.

Anonymous said...

Ohh goody. The best part about this is watching current and former ADMC employees have a go at each other publicly on DMO.

I can see how Hume would be thought of as dispensable and Gerson, for that matter. I always liked Hume, in spite of her abrasive personality. Gerson was fun for the boys in the office.

But, it's strange to hear that Rasha Elass counted for nothing. She was/is one of the few Arabic speakers in the office, smart as a whip and covered a vital beat really well. I know she was strange as can be, but she did her job well.

When you add it up, all the people who left, for whatever reason, there are a disproportionate number of strong women who are gone. Women, I might add, who didn't like or get along with a certain Canadian editor. It sounds like Koot is doing some house cleaning of people she doesn't like. Hume, Gerson, Van Hecke, Elass, Biggs... If I had a vagina and a strong personality I'd be looking for work outside ADMC.

If it were about job performance and not petty personality conflicts with Koot, then the deputy picture editor would have been sacked a year ago. Instead it sounds like she's on DMO talking about what a visionary Hassan is.

Anonymous said...

flippin sh*t i was tring to get a job on the national but seems that's a lost cause now.

who's the best person to re-approach with all the shuffle/changes/sackings ?

Anonymous said...

Either Hassan is very busy posting comments here or there are still a few fools in the newsroom determined to defend the people who are running The National into the ground.

Yes, the people who left were not the world's greatest hacks. Their departures mean nothing in terms of the health of the paper, which will carry on fine without them, whether or not they are replaced. (Though the sight of Hassan, or his allies, talking shite about people who have quit tells you a lot about how The National operates.)

The issue here is not that 15 or 20 or 40 people have left the paper. It is that almost everyone still working there is desperate to get out. If the four people who run the paper would take a break from posting lame and barely anonymous attempts at self-defence to DMO they might realise that they have alienated and demoralised more than half of staff. Until they do, they will keep ruling over a newsroom that neither likes nor respects them, filled with journos who hate their jobs but are too scared to leave them.

Hassan can continue to tout the fact that there is "a whole stampede of people desperate to come in” and that jobs will be "filled very quickly". Big f*cking deal. For every person who leaves there are a hundred hacks on the dole who would be more than happy to rewrite Abu Dhabi press releases in exchange for a big pay packet and no taxes.

But the fact that you can still hire people doesn’t mean that you’re not running a shite newspaper, it just means that you have some money to spend, at least until Gavin next f*cks you over and takes away whatever is left.

Anonymous said...

Is there a single soul at The National who doesn't think that Hassan posted as Anonymous 01:36?

Who else would write this nonsense:

Are people so dumb to not realize that all those people were wanted out and all this is part of the plan?

From what I hear, the higher ups have a whole stampede of people desperate to come in, and they have their pick.

And as all those others leave they will quickly realise the real world is far less greener than they think and will be missing the national and the great jobs they had, all of which will be filled very quickly.


About as convincing as that pep talk yesterday, if you ask me, and about as inspiring as dragging Ashby and Granfield up there to show the rest of us poor sods that if we buckle down and work hard and kill stories for no reason at Hassan's behest, we too might one day be promoted to Comment Editor without getting a pay rise.

Listen to the boss, Nationalistas: there's a whole stampede of people desperate for your crap jobs, and the rest of the journalism world is dead, so you might as well stay here and get paid. Can somebody have this printed and framed so we can hang it up as an inspirational poster by the front door?

Take it from Hassan: if you're an incompetent deputy who can't even do his own job, but you're left holding the bag when your boss finally has the spine to refuse to keep burying stories about torture-prone royals and Dubai real estate scams, you might even get to run the whole show, at least after the other people they ask first refuse the gig.

Also nice to see Gavin working hard to stand up his reputation on DMO, and not for the first time. (At least he works hard at something!) Here's a tip, buddy: the idiots who keep hiring you are not the same idiots who read this website, so you might give it a break before you humiliate yourself any further.

And is that Hume posting from Canada? Hope Toronto isn't too cold! And give poor Langton a break already. Can't a lonely drunk man make a pass at a loose young woman without the whole world having to read about it online two years later? At least Burhan doesn't have to suffer the indignity of continuing to work at The National, which is more than we can say for James.

Anonymous said...

Many of the comments here on both sides constitute slander and unrefined pr, but I suppose that's to be expected from UAE-caliber journalists.

Anonymous said...

There are countless reasons to be disgruntled at The National, many of which owing to the number of incompetents in positions of authority. None of which, however, justify the personal attacks on individuals. It all just points to the utter lack of professionalism that pervades the paper.
Stick to the facts and the known duplicity that rules the newsroom. For example, remember Hassan's "journalist friends" who visited the paper last November or so "just to get an idea how it works"? Those were efficiency experts hired by the company, basically, to decide who to fire.
Never, ever,ever, ever, ever believe a word that comes from Hassan's or Laura's mouths.

Anonymous said...

What kind of management stoops to posting on anonymous sites like this?

Anonymous said...

let me tell you how bad it is - someone told me the cuts have hacked off 70 per cent of the paper's budget. This is being sold as "good news" to staff by management.
once thr Grim Reaper is done, all you'll be left with is a local rag. nothing more.
everything is NOT on the up and up, folks.

Anonymous said...

This is excellent and yet another example of how Abu Dhabi runs things. Promise loads, throw buckets of money at something, talk about integrity and ethics and how different it is from our 'brothers' down the road.

The reality is always the same: divide and conquer, destroy, create paranoia and suspicion, withdraw those buckets of money and encourage in-fighting. Theses posts are the result of the policy.

Ever wondered why so many companies chose Dubai over AD in the first place?

Look you lot, it's all about the dosh. If you were here for your Pullitzers and byelines and looking for integrity and truth in journalism you are all seriously deluded.

Take their cash, bury your ethics in the bottom drawer or at the bottom of a glass and use the cash for something worthwhile later in your lives.

The management reading these posts must be pissing themselves.

Anonymous said...

It's clear most of the National staff posting on here don't know what they're talking about.

There is a surprising amount of bitterness from people who don't seem to understand what it means to work at a proper newspaper: don't do your job well and you get moved on.

Those posting personal attacks on staff members are low. Say it to their faces, don't sit their stewing because you weren't one of those considered deserving of a pay rise.

Of those leaving some will be missed and some won't. You know, like any other newsroom in the world.

Of course the budget cuts are not 70 per cent. More like the budget is 70 per cent of what it was.

Anonymous said...

from what I have heard, the management is going to force an across the board massive pay cut by May or June, so be prepared for it.

Anonymous said...

I read today's paper -has anyone noticed how watered down the Murdoch story was, compared to how it was cvered elsewhere?
is it just me or is the paper is making do with fewer pages?
have the rulers got bored of it already? or is management to blame for the decline?

Anonymous said...

any truth in the rumour that rupert's going to take a slice of media business in the gulf ?

Anonymous said...

lets get some things straight. hassan is doing a great job. attacks on him for being a slob are unfair. its only a matter of time before he is poached by a big player. murdoch maybe? who would be able to step into his shoes? i tip laura koot, who has experience across the board as a design guru and managing editor. talk her being a bitch is also unfair. she is tough sure but fair. she has a soft spot for james (and his bread) and would definitely want him by her side.

Anonymous said...

I am sick and tired of people sniping at Hassan. He has had to make some tough decisions to reduce costs and has done so by firing deadwood. The paper is going from strength to strength under him. People who attack him as a useless lump of lard should get a life! And before anyone raises it his private life is his business.

Anonymous said...

Khaleej Times have just fired their editor and deputy editor. To be replaced with a man for all seasons on a considerably lower wage. Now the KT goes from unreadable to, er, unreadable.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous@15:22 = Laura

Anonymous@15:36 = Hassan

If they didn't know about this before, they do now.

Short Guide to UAE English Language Media said...

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.


2010 - Hey, I'm unhappy with my conditions at The National. Let's go on an anonymous media blog, and vent.

2009 - Hey, I'm unhappy with my conditions at ITP. Let's go on an anonymous media blog, and vent.

2008 - Hey, Emirates Business is a joke. Let's go on an anonymous media blog, and vent.

2007 - Hey, they're turning Emirates Today into some sort of rip-off of the FT. Let's go on to that anonymous media blog, and vent. Does anyone know the address?

2006 - Hey, Emirates Evening Post is a joke. Let's go on to an anonymous media blog, and vent. Damn - is it blocked by Etisalat?

2005 - Hey, ITP aren't launching the daily newspaper they promised. We should set-up an anonymous media blog to express our outrage.

2004 - Hey, 7 Days doesn't have a copy editor. Let's try this online thing. Do you have a connection?

2003 - Hey, CPI said my wages have been eaten by a capuchin monkey, so I can't be paid this month. If only the technology existed for us to complain.

2002 - Hey, the Gulf Today office turned out to be an abandoned box with the word "Newspaper" on it. Can you call the Ambassador? I'm hungry and scared.

2001 - Dubai announces major new freezone to promote a new era in media freedom.

Anonymous said...

This is hilarious! Finally somthing from the national that's fun to read!

Anonymous said...

you forgot 1979 and the launch of what's onn magazine.

Anonymous said...

they do plan massive pay cuts and many people are going to get hurt

Anonymous said...

It's all so marvellous. Lot's more going on – if only the departments actually talked to each other they might find out there's many more people going or being moved into positions designed to force them out. Nice use of "math" and inappropriate use of "their" by Laura. I have always wondered why she spends so long on her computer every day. Suggest that she takes a journalism course so she might be able to relate to some of her staff. I would suggest a British one rather than the J-Col rubbish that has resulted in 90 per cent of the muppets in the newsroom...

Anonymous said...

actually 15:22 sounds more like elysia or one of koot's lackies.

koot is tough, but also vindictive, shows favoritism, is petty and has an ass that barely fits through the door.

Anonymous said...

Dear National hacks,

Accept it. The National is no different to any other Gulf paper launched under a fanfare of 'media freedom' and sword of truth waving.

At least the hacks taking it up the arse in Dubai live in a city with stuff to do. Abu Dhabi may be the future and have wealth and whatnot, but its still duller than Surbiton.

Take the job back at ITP, accept you are a sell out hack who can't make it anywhere else, but at least live in Dubai where there's more than two bars, there are buildings with proper facilities and things to do at weekends.

Losers.

Ha ha ha ha ha. 'oooh The National will be different, ooh its Abu Dhabi, ooh Martin Newland.' See you in Garhood.

Anonymous said...

The most talented people at the paper are being pushed out and replaced with d*** sucking puppets who await payday to come along each month and remind them of what they are doing there.
Anyone with half a brain cell is searching for a new job in an office where a town hall meeting means you can actually ask questions, rather than being fobbed off and having to use DMO to "vent".
This transition period has smacked motivation to Fujairah (the office was like a graveyard today). It will not return until Ismail the chai wala becomes the managing editor.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 01:43, who would appear to be a former member of the revise desk, is a wise man. (Dr Blanchard, I presume?)

The only hope for The National is Hassan's departure, and at this point even that probably can't save the place. Anyone with the means is determined to get the f*ck out as soon as possible, but a new crop of eager hacks will take our places, and then they will be replaced a year or two later by another bunch, and on and on until Hassan retires 20 or 30 years from now with enough dosh to buy his own private island. At least by then none of us, save perhaps Koot and Cowan, will still be here to see it happen.

Anonymous said...

People still working at The National, and anyone still convinced that there's some hope left, should have a careful look at the anonymous post from 10 March at 01:36, the one written by Hassan.

Not only does the man have the spare time to come online and post anonymously on his own behalf, something that seems like it might be beneath the dignity of the editors of real newspapers, he thinks nothing of slagging off anyone who's left the paper.

Elass, Gerson and Brooks "counted for nothing". Hume? "happy to see her go". Stout "annoyed the hell out of everyone". Kummer "never managed to get a job as anything but sub". What the f*ck did Luke Kummer ever do to you? What kind of sad insecure bastard creeps online to talk shit about page editors and junior reporters whose only sin was being smart enough to leave The National?

Anonymous said...

This thread is really geting out of hand. Time for another town hall meeting to give morale a boost?

Kinda Anonymous said...

Still 01.43, you were paid well enough to finance your move from the UAE. To Beijing perhaps? At least have the dignity to leave your name once you have left the UAE, seriously. It's not like any of you will get jobs with us again - there is some seriously cowardly shit being said here.

Anonymous said...

Fattah's Town Hall, which he opened by stating "I'm not talking about salaries or bonuses, period", was a charade. He spews PR and propaganda, denigrates the current deputy foreign editor, who is being passed over for the editor slot -- Fattah had attempted to bring in a fellow hack to take over Foreign, someone like him who gets by on his last name and has left a long list of inadequacies and sloppiness in wake -- but it seems that the guy's references were crap, though I am not sure why that should matter.

The journalists at the National, and there are some there, are being served poorly, because the people in the top two positions at the title should in no way occupy those offices; a paper must be led by a strong editor and ME, who have earned the trust and respect of staffers. No one respects Fattah or Koot, no one. It is time they go.

The fact that Fattah prances through his "town hall" and says that all is fine, this is a success story, this is good news, then does not have the courage and management skills to announces that the Saturday editor, who oversaw scores of successful edition, was canned - and let this be a warning to anyone who differs with the boy in any way but chortling backslapping nonsensical ass-kissing - says all one needs to know about him. Mr Newland, can you please speak to someone and let them know that the paper is in dire need of a new editor and ME?

Anonymous said...

Christ for a bunch of journos (def. not hacks) it sure took you all long enough to work it out. Yes the national was a PR machine for Abu Dhabi, complete with more censorship than most other papers face. Can we get over it already. Are you seriously feeling hard done by?

If you're leaving, go. And if you're staying, stop your fucking whining.

Stop blaming everybody you work/ed with. Greed is what got you here.

Anonymous said...

"Greed is what got you here."

You should take a long, hard look at what you pay junior staffers. We are sick at being told we should be grateful for the opportunity to lick your boots.

Many came for the adventure Hassan spoke about in the town hall this week.

Even taking taxes into account, most of the reporting, revise and production staff could find comparable wages back home. It is only the top level people who are being paid more than they would elsewhere.

Many valuable people have been promoted and not given the pay rises that they are due, that were promised to them. They are now expected to be content with the new title and longer hours.

When you make it clear to your staff time and again that they are replaceable, how can you expect loyalty?

The bad morale is not about greed. Let us produce a paper we can be proud of.

Anonymous said...

01.43 doesn't sound like it comes from China. 08:52 is trying to hide the fact that it comes from weightier, Atlantic shores.

Hurts when it comes from the people who know what they're talking about, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

How much money is The National losing every month?

The commercial performance of the paper is appalling. It barely has any advertising in it, especially, if you strip out the Abu Dhabi Govt advertisers that have to support it.

I suppose the chances of The National getting a circulation audit done in the next 12 months are practically non-existent. How many copies do people think it is actually distributing - free of course.

I wonder how long Gavin has before he has to fall on his own sword? Or, will he try and put the blame on the ad sales team and make changes there?

It is certainly interesting to see how much anger and resentment there is in editorial team of The National.

Anonymous said...

All this is so disgusting

Anonymous said...

anon at 10.44, I don't quite agree. I'm really enjoying the whining.

All the National lot were so smug when they were setting out to improve standards of journalism in the region, when there was talk of UK and Washington editions, when all the foreign correspondents boarded planes to their exotic postings, when we could all bask in the glow of Mr Newland....etc.

Of course, everyone else knew that this complete meltdown was inevitable. But 'no' we were told, its different here.

Carry on whining. As far as I am concerned it gets funnier with each moan.

And they can't even blame ITP - its where their cv's are going.

Anonymous said...

anon at 10.44, I don't quite agree. I'm really enjoying the whining.

All the National lot were so smug when they were setting out to improve standards of journalism in the region, when there was talk of UK and Washington editions, when all the foreign correspondents boarded planes to their exotic postings, when we could all bask in the glow of Mr Newland....etc.

Of course, everyone else knew that this complete meltdown was inevitable. But 'no' we were told, its different here.

Carry on whining. As far as I am concerned it gets funnier with each moan.

And they can't even blame ITP - its where their cv's are going.

Anonymous said...

i first worked in the dubai media scene in the very early eighties before leaving in frustration with editorial inertia and the callow and shallow nature of such a superficial life.

over the years the UAE has grown fat and wealthy on it oil revenue and development on a psychotic level has outpaced human needs.

i've watched the green shoots of various media companies prosper and bloom and then eventually wither and i wonder why.

what's happned at the anitonal is also mirrored in what happened at al jazeera english where highly paid professional journlaists ( (mostly westerners) were taken on for the launch and start up before most either left through boredom, frustration or locking horns with arab managers who couldn't run a bath.

if you're a journlaist dont work for arabs is my best advice.

Anonymous said...

Stop whining children at the National - you're vastly overpaid for your negligible talents as it is

Anonymous said...

It takes a certain level of skill to come to a place and work the system and the problem with most people, like those on this blog, who never stop complaining, is they expect the environment they are in to bend to their own will and way of doing things. You come in here and tell the locals how it's done becuase you assume being employed for your expertise gives you the right to assert your cultural and moral superiority. You still work for someone and you do what they say. You try to have a positive and lasting influence but this isn't the west and your tired, boring notions of what makes media great are questionable anyway. Do your job, do what you can, look around you, understand the cultural context, work with it, lead by example and don't expect that everything changes because you're a westerner and you say so.

The complaints and insults on this thread are almost identical to the ones that start up about ITP or ENG - it's all the fault of a couple of senior managers and their one or two deputies.

Anonymous said...

I'm making a cup of tea, does anyone want one?

Anonymous said...

I am a fan of the paper and what it is trying to achieve. Anybody who can say it is not a giant step up in the local market is blind or bitter.

The Gulf News took 30+ years to sell 9 000 papers at the newsstand (BPA Audit). It took 30 years to build about 120 000 subs (BPA Audit).
The National will be selling about half of the GN retail number and will be pushing for a proper subs base. The Mont Blanc pen offer is a winner, and perfect for the brand.

For a paper that is less than 24 months old, it has double the reach of 7 Days and is 4% behind the KT a newspaper that is more than 35yrs old.
It is only 13% behind the GN according to the annual IPSOS readership survey into the reach of all English papers against the UAE population.

You cannot do this without having sales or visibility and The National seem to be doing something right. I think outside the packaging, which defines the paper it is the base fact that they write 80% of the content. GN and KT are full of wire copy. People of a certain kind like it.

Their advertising rates are very high, in fact way to high and hence the shortage of ad spend. In this climate the buyers want the paper, but don’t like the price. Long term they are doing the right thing as they build a strong up market brand that will have a readership that can be sold at a high cpm, however right now it is a tough sell. Selling quality in this region is always going to be tough.

Anonymous said...

Everyone coming down to the One to One tonight? Let's have a real scrap.

Anonymous said...

Errr...What happened ?

Look at this :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtQ9RK5VfIg&feature=channel

Anonymous said...

How can anyone take seriously a paper that employs someone who writes stuff like this. It would have been moderately amusing if it was a joke but it wasn't.

By James Langton
Published: 28 Sep 2005


Space may still be the final frontier, but getting there could soon be almost as simple as stepping into the office lift at the start of the day.

The race is on to build the first "space elevator' - long dismissed as science fiction - to carry people and materials into orbit along a cable thousands of miles long.

American aviation regulators have just given permission for the opening trials of a prototype, while a competition to be launched next month follows in the wake of the $10 million (£5.6 million) "X Prize'', which led to the first privately developed craft leaving the Earth's atmosphere, briefly, last year.

Supporters of the elevator concept promise a future in space that is both cheap and accessible, and contrast it to Nasa's announcement last week that it will be relying on 40-year-old technology from the Apollo programme for its $105 billion plan to return to the Moon by 2018. The companies behind the space elevator say they will be able to lift material into orbit for as little as $400 a pound, compared with $20,000 a pound using existing rockets.

That would open up the possibility of tourists visiting a sky hotel in stationary orbit 22,000 miles above the Earth, with a view previously enjoyed only by astronauts.

It would also allow for far cheaper travel to the Moon and other planets within the solar system, since most of the energy required by rockets is used simply to escape Earth's gravity.

Russian scientists first envisaged a fixed link to space, and the idea was popularised by the British sci-fi writer and vision-ary, Arthur C Clarke, in his 1978 novel, The Fountains of Paradise.

The theory behind the space elevator is deceptively simple. With a base station on Earth and an orbiting satellite, solar-powered "climbers'', each carrying up to 20 tons, would crawl up a single cable into space over several days. The cable would be held up by the rotation of a 600-ton satellite counter-weight, much like a heavy object at the end of a spinning rope.

Until recently, the concept seemed doomed by the technology available, not least finding a material strong enough to make such a long cable, able to withstand extreme temperatures.

Scientists now believe that a material known as carbon nanotubes could be bound together to make a ribbon, rather than a cable, three-feet across but just half the width of a pencil.

Nanotubes, which are microscopic cylinders of carbon, are currently being developed by a number of companies, including GE and IBM.
"Elevator 2010'', which is to be launched on October 21 in California, will offer an annual first prize of $50,000 for the best design for both a tether - or ribbon - and a lightweight climber. It is being run by the Spaceward Foundation, which promotes space exploration, and has the backing of Nasa, which has given $400,000 in prize money.

Brad Edwards, a board member of the foundation, says the initial development could be ready "in the next couple of years", with the elevator itself being built in another decade.



A rival design is being produced in Seattle by the LiftPort Group, which is counting down to a first voyage into space on April 12, 2018. The Federal Aviation Authority last week cleared an experiment by LiftPort that would use a mile-long tether attached to a balloon, something the company calls: "A critical step.''

Fears that an aircraft would crash into the elevator ribbon is just one concern. Space debris and terrorism are others.

Developers propose a floating base station near the equator, more than 400 miles from the nearest flight path.

Should the 800-ton ribbon break, it would either fly into space or fall back to the ground in fragments that would, in theory, hit no harder than a sheet of paper.

Anonymous said...

Several notes, or more:

1. Aside from the idiotic rants here, there are legitimate and serious concerns being raise in this forum.

2. The reason they are being raised here - (and to all the hacks in Dubai at ITP, or wherever or whoever you are, those of you who seem to think that dashing off a few obvious and cheap lines every day or jumping on every press release that crawls into your inbox constitutes journalism, do yourselves a favour and learn something from the learned and responsible posts on this site) - is because the editor of the National does not have the ability to address these issues, so no one at the paper feels as if they can present even valid issues, issues that matter to the mission and future of the title.

3. The issues being discussed on this site - and, let's face it, if there is anyone that still believes that the National is a serious paper, the main issue is the utter lack of ability inherent in the editor and the managing editor - are being aired by people who actually believe in the craft and trade of journalism. These are vital issues. They have nothing to do with the size of anyone's ass, or drinking habits or etc.

4. Editor and managing editor are not the only sources of problems:

a. Arts and Life editor - petty, capricious, no one likes her, her production staff think she is a bi*ch ... so many complaints raised, yet no one has done anything. Again, a person with so little experience, yet so willing to conduct herself in a disdainful inane manner. It would be laughable, but she has fired decent people.

b. The next sh*t to hit the fan is fermenting in the business section; fully half of the reporters are sending out CVs -seems they could deal with the business editor being out of the office for hours on end golfing or wh*ring or socialising - but the arrival of a deputy editor, the candidate finally decided upon after at least one more-qualified person turned down the position, has rapidly earned the ridicule and disdain of many business reporters. In addition, they know he is going nowhere, meaning, if they bring their concerns to the business editor or the editor-in-chief, they will be doing nothing but spitting in the wind. The business editor will do anything he can to keep this underling in place, no matter how many reporters leave, because he can now easily leave for hours each day, knowing that the section will be overseen with plodding, bombastic and needy stupidity. The section will publish each day, but the reporters will be leaving. (Of course, and you all know, because you have been told his, there are plenty of great people just dying to get the chance to become famous at the National, so leave if you want, we can replace you easily.) Mark these words: lack of management ability will result in a loss of good business reporters, soon. Perhaps Hassan can hire a few away from the FT and the WSJ. And if there are so many great and qualified and experienced journalists just dying to come to Abu Dhabi, how does one explain the new business deputy?

c. Online - two words: David Green. How has this man kept his job?

d. National desk- so many reporters, so many crappy stories. Count the number of bodies, and then add up the number of National reporters who can actually write. If there are are 40 in the former group, there are perhaps five in the latter.

e. National TV: Everyone is aware that budgets are necessary, but if that is the case, how can this outfit be justified? Has anyone ever watched this programme? How much are these talking heads paid? Where is the added value? And how many people does it take to record a mediocre at best excuse for journalism? Burhan Wazir fired but these clowns still employed? Something is rotten in Abu Dhabi.

There are many more problems and issues at The National, and we hope they can be solved. It is time for the paper to decide if it is a real paper; if the answer is yes, Hassan Fattah and Laura Koot must go. If the answer is no, then Hassan Fattah should say so.

anonymous said...

Regardless of what happens with staff at The National, hope the paper remains as good as it is now and doesn't turn into crap.

Anonymous said...

anon 02:15, it is only good seen from the perspective of this backwards country; read a real paper if you want good.

anonymous said...

anon @ 02:43: Thanks for advice. I read plenty. In terms of media in/about the UAE, The National is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else.

I am really not Gavin, I promise said...

Yet another post from Gavin? (Anonymous at 22:01)

I am a fan of the paper and what it is trying to achieve. Anybody who can say it is not a giant step up in the local market is blind or bitter.
The Gulf News took 30+ years to sell 9 000 papers at the newsstand (BPA Audit). It took 30 years to build about 120 000 subs (BPA Audit).
The National will be selling about half of the GN retail number and will be pushing for a proper subs base. The Mont Blanc pen offer is a winner, and perfect for the brand.



Have you no shame?

Who else on earth is a "fan" of the National's branding efforts? Are we to believe that there are people just sitting around in the UAE, people who are not Gavin, who think to themselves, "You know, that Mont Blanc pen offer is a winner! It's perfect for the National's brand, in fact!"

No matter how you slice it, being the number three paper (and not a close number three, either) when numbers one and two are utter pieces of shit is a humiliating failure of marketing. You can spit your audit figures and market penetration stats and IPSOS numbers (and who else besides Gavin is going to quote the fucking IPSOS numbers?), but the bottom line is that nobody reads this thing, even if it's much better than the competition.

And finally, Gavin, if you think that "advertising rates are very high, in fact way to high", then perhaps you should lower them?

I'm impressed that you've ditched the ampersand, but your failure to master the very tricky difference between "to" and "too" still tells me it's you. Does Ed know how much time you spend on here patting yourself on the back?

Anonymous said...

Can we stop talking about people's personal lives? It has nothing to do with the problems at The National or with journalism in the region. It's also mean-spirited, which in the end helps those people who want to whitewash everything. It would not be surprising if this blog was shut down or blocked with all the slanderous comments, many of which cannot be proven.

Hopefully the people who run the site will keep it focussed on the pressing issues and not on journalists' body parts or private habits outside the newsrooms. It would be a shame if due slander DMO was shut down. DMO is one of the only venues available in the UAE for honestly discussing media issues but libelous talk could easily spoil the site if the wrong people go after it.

I want to know more about the budget cuts - are these really true and how can we trust this info?

What could be done - if anything - to salvage the situation that The National is now in?

Regarding those who have been let go, how were they treated? (They were not given a straight answer and only told they were being fired due to budget cuts, but then we know what was said about them at the "town hall" meeting when they were not around to defend themselves.)

As a previous poster mentioned, how was the decision reached to make a TV show and what does the management have to say for it? Regarding the YouTube link someone posted earlier, what is that about? It only plays the last few seconds.

How is it that money is being spent on some things that are fantastically expensive such as new unnecessary tech but then budget cuts are being made?

Any word on the budget cuts from those who supported launch of The National? (I cannot for the life of me understand why they would put so much into this project and then take their money out. What kind of policy is that?!)

Anonymous said...

Wow, a elevator that can go into space. That's cool.
HEy, where that cup of tea?

Anonymous said...

Hitting people below their belt with what they do outside work - like the poor sod who drinks - seems very uncool for journalists...

all of us have frequented press clubs in our countries before coming here and our brethren there are not really drinking milk in those joints.

By the way, it is recession guys and people get fired. we have seen it in Dubai and now maybe it is your turn.. that's life mates.

even back home from wherever you all come from. get real

it is good to gripe but some of the posts here are really below the belt ouch stuff...

and from people who got the highest paid salaries in town and looked down on the rest of the world. so much for masks

Anonymous said...

Any correlation between Newlands being moved upstairs and the entire National imploding?
Selling less than 5,000 copies a day is terminal.

Anonymous said...

This blog was meant to be a place for intelligent discussion. It has now become purely trash where everyone's dirty laundry is aired. Some of you here should be ashamed of yourselves.

Anonymous said...

The National is not perfect but compared to the other outlets here, its superb. Gulf News is beyond a joke, KT is unreadable, 7 Days is appalling and XPress is not even a newspaper. I though the National might force the other papers to raise the bar, but they have all actually got worse in the past year.

Anonymous said...

I agree. There's a danger DMO will be shut down because of all this personal abuse. The moderator should trash comments like these. That is not censorship only common sense.

This is a debating forum. It's OK to attack people for their ideas, competence and honesty but not to expose their secret drinking or have a go at them for being fat or overweight.

For my part I was sad to see Burhan sacked as Saturday editor. It was not his fault the Saturday edition lost so much money. The other six editions lose as much but his was high profile so he had to be sacrificed. What sort of company gets rid of competent people like him and pays fortunes to someone like Colin Randall? Without getting personal we were all glad to see the back of Randall in Abu Dhabi. He had spent his time preaching to us about using English English, not American English. Now he is back in Europe and still writing his rubbish column and occasionally visiting pleasant capital cities. How much is this costing the paper? Why is he still employed? Who's protecting him? Does anyone know?

anonymous said...

Anonymous @ 12:38: I disagree. Gulf News has made several obvious efforts to try and improve its coverage.

Anonymous said...

'Selling less than 5000 copies a day is terminal.'

Does anyone know for sure how many copies are sold? Or given away?

How is the paper distributed? I have never seen any delivery trucks.

Is it shipped abroad? Friends of mine who live in the UK say they cannot find it anywhere. They can buy papers from all around the world but not the National.

Making a profit from the print edition is not an issue and anyway it will never happen.


Maybe it will move to online publication only. It would make sense.

Anonymous said...

If you think there are not going to be massive pay cuts, then you are just deluding yourself.

Anonymous said...

How long before hassan gets rid of great ex telegraph british hacks like allan philps who were hired by newland? will the excellent bob cowan, who is no one's fool, survive or will hassan go for a pliable yank deputy?

Anonymous said...

it doesnt matter if few copies are sold and no-one reads it, its just a publicity and PR vehicle for the UAE government to show the world that despite their being no democracy in the UAE there is at least a free press and vibrant home grown media scene ( of sorts- ed)

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @ 12:38: I disagree. Gulf News has made several obvious efforts to try and improve its coverage.

12 March, 2010 13:15

Examples? From what I see the whole thing is a badly written mess.

Anonymous said...

If Matt Slater and Gregg are off to set up a PR agency then this is great news.

The standard of PR in Abu Dhabi is dire so they can only improve it. I've never met Gregg but Matt is a decent lad and knows what journalists will need.

The standard of PR was so bad in the capital I refused to cover anything that one PR firm (Viola) were looking after as it would always be more trouble than it was worth.

We may have lost a decent journalist to the 'dark side' but it should improve things a bit.

And the National could lose 50 per cent of its staff and still be streets ahead of Gulf News or the KT.

Anonymous said...

Editor of Khaleej Times - Rahul Sharma was shown the exit! Seems nothing happened after the supposed relaunch of KT in August 2009.

http://bit.ly/bKTiJq

Anonymous said...

Enough, already. Everyone who joined the National knew exactly what kind of newspaper they were coming to work for and what kind of regime controlled it. Those reporters who proceeded to bitch and act surprised or outraged every time a story deemed sensitive was spiked - and yet continued to file only such stories - are the worst kind of morally bankrupt hypocrites, happy to take the money but not to toe the line. Either that, or they are plain stupid. Here's a tip: if you don't like working for these people, stop working for them. It is that straightforward. Go home and get a job on what you consider to be a real newspaper (although if proprietorial influence is what gets your goat, good luck with that).
To those who are using this forum to launch vicious personal attacks on individuals: you are bloody cowards. If you can't bring yourself to say something to someone's face, keep your mouth shut. Did anyone speak up during the infamous National town hall meeting? Were there guards on hand to make sure you didn't? Thought not. Any idiot can be a sniper. It takes guts to go mano a mano. Pathetic.

Enough said...

I am sad that no-one so far has supported Laura that much in the middle of all this petty, petty whining. Some people may ask questions about why she favors her people above others, and they'd be right to, but this is still someone without whom the paper would not have started in the first place, and someone who does so much behind the scenes that goes unappreciated by most of us in the newsroom. Just because you don't hear about what she does for you (while you sit on your ass complaining, and not writing, while earning three times more than you'd deserve to earn back in your home countries), doesn't mean she does nothing for us. And would you blame her if she now did nothing for any of us ever again? I wouldn't. A newspaper of this size needs a Laura, and - incredible, I know - occasionally, they have to make unpopular decisions.

Anonymous said...

The National is the UAE's finest newspaper!!

The KT and GN had their day in the 90's and EB went downhill when the management stopped listening to sanity, they tried but they failed to make the impact in the end and that's why key people left.

The National is the only decent paper in the gulf.

I've worked with Gavin and he is a good leader and doing a good job, at least he understands the market here !

His sales background is turning the paper around and into something much better.. give them five years.

Anonymous said...

Gavin is an honest guy, at least someone is shaking up things at The National.

Give him a break

Anonymous said...

If The National sells 5 000 and the Gulf News sells 9 000, the paper is doing well. If it has at a guess say 20 000 subs and drops the rest of the copies into hotels, airlines, coffee bars and the like, for a new paper it will be doing just fine.

Internal issues are internal issues and are very dull.

Anonymous said...

The only internal issues are whinging idiots. Of course we're not perfect, no one would suggest we are and although we consider ourselves the best paper in the country should also remember how quickly things can come crashing down.

But, come on, for a paper that's not yet two years old we're doing pretty well.

There's lots of criticism about Hassan here. Was Martin any better? Sure, he didn't come across as bumbling in the way Hassan does but he didn't exactly pull up trees. He spiked plenty of stories that he deemed sensitive, and remember he left an alcoholic in charge of sports.

Hassan inherited a newspaper where he was forced to make cuts (although the lack of bonus and appraisals for any pay rises came under Martin). This is happening all over the world. I would wager that if The National was owned by Murdoch or a Western owner the bloated amount of reporters would have been cut by at least a third now - and those who are on here sniping, if their work attitude is anything like their comments suggest, would be those out of work.

Anonymous said...

To the people recording names on this blog, shame on you. You have to be a real bottom feeders. Personal comment renders this debate useless.
The moderators have let this site down.
Written by fools, read by even bigger fools, believed by nobody

Anonymous said...

I am in the media business and have watched the National from birth. I put up the IPSOS research in an attempt to bring sanity to the contrived and one sided views on this forum. Facts people. 3rd biggest readership in the UAE in less than two years. Double that of 7 Days, a paper that has considerable reach and is at least 4 years old. The other two English papers have over 60 years in the UAE between them. The National has issues trying to convert the all important wealthy UAE Indians into readers of the paper. You cannot be significant in this market without them. It is backed by Abu Dhabi and will be around forever. It could survive on the Abu Dhabi ad spend alone in the next 10 years.

Anonymous said...

National 4th most awarded paper in the World in the annual society for newspaper design competition 2009.

TOP AWARD WINNERS
1. Los Angeles Times 100
2. National Post (Canada) 54
3. The New York Times 50
4. National (UAE) 47


Come on down, Laura Koot and team!!!

Anonymous said...

So the poor man's Guardian is getting awards for design???

Wow!! Getting awarded for making a bad copy of something must be very rewarding!!

Anonymous said...

You guys, im sorry to say are seriously pathetic. If you have issues with the paper, talk to management, or leave. But dont post things online and ruin the reputation of this paper. Alot of people put hard work into it everyday, and your posts do nothing to uplift it. considering you have nothing better to do with your time, instead of putting that time into filing interesting stories, seriously pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Wow. As the National would say, this site keeps shitting out gems.

Anonymous said...

Quite honestly, with all it's problems, I am proud to be a reporter at The National. You should see how many KT and GN people ask me to help them get on board. Seems like everyone wants to jump ship from other publications and come on board with us. Yes, the high salaries are part of what makes them want to jump on our ship but also to be associated with The National, with it's high standards, is a point of pride for me. Remember The National RECRUITED all its people in the beginning. So if you work there you should know you are not someone without talent. Whatever our sales and distribution might or might not be, it is a professional newspaper that has become something to reckon with not only in the UAE but in the region. So many of you that put The National down would give up your first-born to be a part of our team. Yes, we have problems but what organization doesn't in these trying times.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else think that most of the recent comments (12 March 21:57 and 21:59 and 13 March 07:06 and 13:45) look an awful lot like another outbreak of Gavin?

Anonymous said...

@ 13:45
Erm, you are saying facts but quoting Ipsos!!
In order of readership:

Gulf News
7Days
(Massive Gap)
Khaleej Times
National

In order of money paid to Ipsos in brown envelopes:

The National
Khaleej Times

The only facts out there are the BPA audits of Gulf News & 7Days. The only figures from KT & National are their mesely print runs of <40,000, most of which are either given away (National) or sent abroad (Khaleej).

I am sorry that The National appears to be self destructing as it must be awful working there - no matter how much you are paid.

Anonymous said...

After reading all the hate and slander, I think the National has a great future ahead of it. But it needs someone like Mr Eudore Chand from Emirates Business to drive into the sunset, literally. He has knack for turning around papers.

Anonymous said...

i don't work on the Editorial Dept at TN, however do work at ADMC.
I am disgusted to see how the Edit team is treating each other on this forum.

As you seem so unhappy then do please feel free to leave. We do not want people with standards such as yours. Personal attacks are completely uncalled for. If you are not being managed in what you think is a fair manner then go...its simple...just go.

As for the competence levels of Hassan and Laura i believe they are the right people for the job. Newsland's shoes are tough to fill and there are probably only 10 people in the world that could fill them without team members feeling a monumental change. They are doing just fine and support you petty fools at every turn.

Please just leave.

Anonymous said...

Given the resources that have been lavished on The National the product is pretty second-rate. Given that amount of money - i would approximate that they must have been burned through the best part of $40 million - i would have expected them to have had a larger impact in the market.

GN seems to be carrying the same amount of advertising, KT was in a death-spiral before the advent of The National and 7 Days seems to be doing reasonably well in a tough market.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 20:17. If The National lost 50% of its staff, it would still employ more people than GN and the KT combined ;-)

Anonymous said...

I am also saddened and disappointed by the level of vitriol directed by National staffers at each other. But some of the blame for this must go on the system; the paper operates in a country that bans unions.
Elsewhere, staff grieviences would be directed through structures that would allow problems to be aired without personal invective.
There is no communication between senior management and the newsroom staff.
This blog is about as close to a two-way dialogue between the bosses and workers as it gets.
Under the current system, there is no way staff would dare openly offend Laura, Hassan, Gavin or anyone else. (This is also unfair to senior managers, who are put in a position of that makes them appear unapproachable).
At some point the National must institute a liason committee (Don't call it a union!) that allows staff and management to communicate without rancour, and without fear of retribution.
It won't solve all the problems, but it would help to at least keep both sides on the same page. But as long as there is no such mechanism, disgruntled, frustrated staff will use forums like this to vent.

Anonymous said...

Re: design awards, so what? Believe it or not, readers read. They don't oggle design and use a newspaper as a coffee table book.
The newspaper design awards are judged by designers.
The National, for the second year in a row, sent in countless pages to be judged. It's not like the judges happened across The National and said, hey, we should give some awards to these guys.
Yes, the design is good. But don't forget, it's a newspaper...that's NEWSpaper.

Anonymous said...

Not to be getting personal or anything, but what is the deal with The National's North American brown corduroy brigade? The template needs to change - its too sinister with all these corduroy nerds.

Anonymous said...

Christ, that thread dried up faster than a Carrefour baguette. Try these instead..

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100317/NATIONAL/703169807/1133

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100314/NATIONAL/100319829&SearchID=73384833237740

Goodbye tourism, hello 14th century.

Anonymous said...

I think what everyone is really interested in is what is happening at ITP.

Surely it is at the root of all The National's problems after all.

Anonymous said...

the thread didnt dry up, the guys who run this site apparently forgot to post the bleeding messages. ITP c#nts!!

Anonymous said...

Anon at 16 March 18:29 wrote:

Not to be getting personal or anything, but what is the deal with The National's North American brown corduroy brigade? The template needs to change - its too sinister with all these corduroy nerds.

I know you're trying "not to be getting personal", but what the hell are you talking about?

Anonymous said...

Here's to the 'high standards' of anonymous @ 2138, who doesn't know the difference between 'its' and 'it's':

'to be associated with The National, with it's high standards, is a point of pride for me.'



The second wave of people posting here in the last week, and perhaps they are merely the management puffing up their own, seem rather desperate. There's no point coming here to whinge about everyone else's whinging. When you can't run a newspaper, your staff vent on crap websites like this one.

Most of the staff at the paper are seriously unhappy because they know their bosses are not up to the job. Somebody said here that 'only 10 people' could fill Newland's shoes. Surely some of those were available? A newspaper that likes to boast of its world-class stature wouldn't appoint an editor so obviously unqualified for the job.

Anonymous said...

http://twitter.com/hassanfattah

Anonymous said...

Well, whatever is going on at The National, they seem to be hiring again

The National, Senior Sub-Editors
date posted: Thursday, 18th March 2010
date ending: Thursday, 15th April 2010

The National, the English-language newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is accepting applications for senior sub-editors.

The newspaper has brought together journalists from some of the most important news organisations in the UK and North America, and has established itself as the Middle East's quality English-language broadsheet.

The ideal sub-editor candidates will have a strong understanding of the finer points of newspaper editing – from general news to magazine-style features – and be able to help foster a culture of accuracy and professionalism in the newsroom.

Familiarity with Middle Eastern issues and culture is a definite advantage.

We offer very competitive salaries and benefits packages, including one flight home a year. Income in the UAE is tax-free. Applicants must be willing to relocate to the UAE.

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in these positions; however, only those who are considered for an interview will be contacted.

Interested candidates should submit their CV and covering letter to jobs@thenational.ae.
application details
job type: National
job role: Editorial
job location: Middle East & Africa - United Arab Emirates
email CVs to: jobs@thenational.ae

Anonymous said...

I am saddened to learn that the UK Sports Correspondent and former sports editor Alam Khan has been "released" from his contract with The Notional. Along with Burhan Wazir, Alam is one of the most high-profile and talented British journalists from an Asian background making their name in a profession that is, let's face it, dominated by the white middle class. What a coincidence that both have been "let go" at the same time...

Anonymous said...

so..rather than submitting their site to audit, eMap has decided to sell AMEinfo. Bring on audits for print!

cherry said...

when will you guys realise that the uae brings the expertise and knowledge of the west then 'learns' from them in 6 months and 'thinks'that they can do the same job and thus employ tonnes of lazy but scared and ironically arrogant injans to fill space and protect each other (silos..if youve never worked in a uae govt company...)....ho ho ho just like my time at AMG...how i laugh....shame it still looks like there aint no chance i will be able to come back....and if this is how it continues to go (i.e. increasingly an overspill of bombay/mumbai and nationalistic protectionism of unable emiratis) what chance is there for me to save my investment into dubai real estate.....noooooooooooooo (!!!!) bugger....well barasti was fun anyway...well until the lebs colonised it at 11pm....its raining in blightly and the leb birds were good to look at....halas...

Anonymous said...

@22.44 Ameinfo is audited by ABCe. It gets about 2m unique's a month. Do your homework

Anonymous said...

@10.27 - still quoting 2 year old figures from ABCe I see, rather than getting with Effective Measures or Nielsen for some accurate stats from this year!

Anonymous said...

Cherry @ 04:17

It's a pity you won't be able to come back, coz you sound really cool.

Anonymous said...

does Newland read this. what say we start a petition to bring him back?

Anonymous said...

Even if you manage to get past the ridiculous name....

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100325/LIFE/703249976/1196

WTF

Anonymous said...

@11.53 - Audit from Oct 2009, so about 6 months old, but it's done on an annual basis? Can we find out what other sites are audited in the UAE and what are their numbers pls?

Anonymous said...

TIME just reported on this site http://www.getunvarnished.com/beta where users can leave anonymous comments about bosses or colleagues. And it links to Facebook.

"The site, dubbed Unvarnished, came out of private beta testing last week and aims to create an open forum to rate professionals in the workplace — for better or for worse.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1977982,00.html#ixzz0kRo6d6YU

Anonymous said...

Could Executive Editor Colin Randall please explain to us the difference between 'totally irrelevant' and 'scraping the barrel'?

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100410/WEEKENDER/704099868&SearchID=73387631086009

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100413/LIFE/704129972&SearchID=73387631243775

Anonymous said...

Hey is DMO admin on holiday? New thread, new thread, new thread

Anonymous said...

New thread request:

Faye James, editor of Emirates Woman has been fired!

What's happening, friends?

Anonymous said...

is this site defunct ???????

Anonymous said...

plus neil and jason.....

whzt about theaulado ITP exodus to CPI???

Anonymous said...

Looks like Neil and Jason gone from Motivate....

Plus CPI poaching staff from ITP....(who would ever have thought it!?)

Anonymous said...

CPI still exists?

Anonymous said...

The exodus continues-but at least someone at the National is making an effort to find out why morale is so low. Not sure who 'we' is or are, but the below is from the managing editor of the paper Laura Koot. Word has it that many in the newsroom are not being bothered to fill out the form, which is below.


Everyone:
We would like to take the pulse of The National staff and get your suggestions on how we can improve.
Please find attached a feedback form.
We would appreciate if all full-time staff would honestly respond to the questions.
Your answers will be anonymous.
Just open the attached document in Pages and type the answers.Print out the form, fold it and drop it in the box that Alvea has at her desk. If you are in the Dubai office, Nic Ridley will arrange with you to collect your forms.
We will leave the box sealed until Aug. 5 and then review the results. Please drop off your form before that date to ensure we get your
response. Looking forward to hearing from you,
L.

Anonymous said...

NEWSROOM FEEDBACK SURVEY

What type of job do you have?
Writer/Reporter
Production Journalist/Editor
Senior Editor/Assigning Editor
Section Head/Deputy
Visuals
Online
Support Staff

How does your current job compare to the one you had before coming to The National?
Same
My job here is worse
My job here is better
Comment why: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are you satisfied with the level of challenge in your job?
Yes
No
If no, how would you like to see yourself challenged? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do you judge your performance compared to that of your colleagues?
My work is equal to my colleagues
I work harder and perform at a higher level
I struggle to keep up
Comment how ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is there something the editors/managers can do to make you more efficient/ productive/happier in your job?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you feel your department head gives you constructive feedback on a regular basis?
Yes
No
Comment ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you feel you have grown in your job during your time at The National?
Yes (why?) _______________________________________________________________
No (why?) _______________________________________________________________

What in-house seminars would you like to see?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have you attended a Lunch with Hassan?
Yes (did you find it productive?) ______________________________________________
No (why not?) ____________________________________________________________

If you could take five people from The National to start a newspaper, who would you take?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you like most about working at The National?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you like least about working at The National?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What suggestions would you make for improvement?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have any editors (past or present) particularly inspired you?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________