The big bosses are now debating as to how put it down 'peacefully' without attracting much negative coverage. Last I heard was it might be given a final lease of life as an online-only website with a trimmed down staff. Most senior editors are still in dark about the future. A final solution is still being debated... But people have been sacked quietly in twos and threes. Pagination has been cut back to 40 pages from 48.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Emirates Business 24/7
Apparently not looking so healthy according to several commenters:
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Here is a news story from Kippreport:
Emirates Business 24-7's future in doubt
June 21, 2010
Dubai-based newspaper Emirates Business 24-7 may cease publication at the end of June, according to industry rumors and sources close to the title.
Although managers at the paper have told staff they don’t know what is happening, insiders say editorial staff are uncertain of their future.
Four members of staff have been asked to resign over the past month, and more resignations and redundancies are expected before the end of June.
From July 1, the future of the paper is unclear. Several scenarios have been circulated within the newspaper and outside. The title could close altogether; it could become an online publication only, either on a permanent basis or as part of a staged shutdown, or it could be relaunched with more of a lifestyle focus, possibly under new management.
Reporters have apparently been asked to shift the focus of their stories away from the pure business angle the paper has taken since it was relaunched in its present guise in December 2007. The paper initially launched as Emirates Today two years before. They have been asked to gear their stories to the website, and some staff have been receiving extra online training.
The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Riyad Mickdady did not respond to requests for comment.
The daily business title is published by Awraq publishing, a subsidiary of government-owned Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI). Until October last year, it was published by Arab Media Group (AMG).
When it shuts down as being rumoured it will be a case of "just another publication down". It anyway never did contribute in any great deal to the quality of journalism.
Its employees are going to be jobless overnight and right in the middle of summer and its crisis time.
Lets hope that at least they will be paid 3 months salary as AMG did when they sacked people and not be arm twisted to resign.
A formal announcement was made about an hour ago that the print edition of EB 24-7 is indeed being put to rest. It is going online and will have more of general news. Hope at least now it will truly be 24-7.
Please tell me Eudore Chand doesn't survive again?
Well Nothing is to come out of it. All designers and production staff will be shown the door soon. Also in line is a cut in salaries across the board because online editions don't need heavy cash investment like their print peers. There is no specific plan in place or focus for the new e-paper. It's like shooting in the dark. An internal memo send to all staff at EB says the new online avatar will not report business news one but cover general news. It's going back to the days of emirates toady.
The prospects ahead?
From Emirates Today to Emirates Business 24-7 to Emirates 24-7, the progress has only been downhill. It started off well, but soon the quality of news suffered when “not everything was allowed to be printed”. But given the overall quality of print journalism here in the country and the region as a whole, ET was still doing well until some jokers decided to “experiment” with the product.
After having invested in creating a brand, impatience and absolute disregard for common business sense and of course the product, resulted in ET being re-launched as EB 24-7. It would have still succeeded. But soon politics and mismanagement crept in. Exit Frank Kane and enter Riyad Mickdady. He invested in more useless staff, promoting them as editors of various sections, thereby creating a grand editorial set-up, which was obviously good for nothing. Some of them hardly had any serious journalistic experience and most of them were only good at rewriting reports published by other agencies.
Unfortunately, the global economy went into a tumble and it was the wrong time for businesses in general and, obviously, the sole business newspaper in Dubai. Advertisements started drying out. But instead of strengthening the sales team, in another stroke of brilliance, the management sacked the entire sales team and entered into an agreement with MEMS to sell ad space. The result was for all to see.
It’s a classic case of how you can destroy a newspaper or kill a brand.
Now comes the announcement that it’s going to be converted into a comprehensive and interactive electronic newspaper that follows up local and international events. What amused me the most was the comparison: “Famous world newspapers over the past year have turned to e-papers in line with the rise in the readers on the internet such Christian Science Monitor, Miami Herald, Boston Globe and Chicago Sun Times.”
http://www.business24-7.ae/companies-markets/media/emirates-business-24-7-to-be-transformed-into-e-newspaper-2010-06-24-1.259020
Amidst all this confusion there is one man who continues to somehow stick on, Eudore Chand. Does it ring a bell?
Quel bloody surprise. It's not as if they ever needed a lot of staff anyway - how many people do you really need to copy and paste press releases?
I have just seen an ad for a GBP100k job in media in Dubai. Who the donald has that sort of cash to be spunking out on editorial staff in Dubaimedialand - unless of course that ultra reliable source of information - Formula Won Recruitment are a) lying, b) made an major typing error
Has anyone seen the laughable supplement in today's Notional? A glossy 52-page blowjob from Hassan Fattah to his masters called Abu Dhabi: Capital of Change. I had high hopes for this paper, but now its a joke like all the others.
http://www.thenational.ae/section/NATIONAL?profile=1703
@ 23 June, 2010 21:06: Eudore Chand, the guy responsible for ruining the paper, will still be there, he will now run the website!! thats middle east media scene for you.
National is going Emirates Today way, its just that they have more money so it will take more time for them to go under.
@12.17
When exactly was Emirates Today doing well? The problems began long before it relaunched as Emirates Business - hence the need for a relaunch. To suggest that it ever had a decent brand, or indeed a decent story, is simply not true. They may have hired one or two decent people in the beginning, but no one in charge ever had a clue, and that goes back much further than Riyad, or indeed the decision to not print anything that makes Dubai look bad. The whole thing was ill conceived to begin with, and it's only due to ego that it was kept on life support for as long as it was.
Well, all said and done, the farce that was 24/7 ended on Wednesday. Apparently, only 18 out of the 79 staffers survivied the transition to "Emirates 24/7". Almost all are, of course, Eudore Chand's pets...oh and Vicki Kapur's, too. He was/is the new power centre, being Dady's favourite son from Gulf Business days. His wife was retained as well. Now team Kapur will milk DMI for Dh50k combined per month at least. Pity! For that kind of money thye could have retained 3 or 4 useful people!
And a little bird says there will be no salary cuts for the group of 18.
There were some good people there as well. Rotten luck for them. First they get associated with a dumb product and then get thrown out when there are just no jobs going. And alomost this entire group was paid peanuts while several bozos were minting money.
If there's a smart employer in Dubai's media, it will target this group and hire them at a sightly reduced salary. But smart employers and Dubai's media just dont seem to mix!
Yes, emirates today was good in circulation and raising revenue, common people knows what is emirates today. due to change the title its ruined.
Finally, over 70 per cent of the staff got the boot at EB. Who remain? Kith and kin of editors, their best buddies (read Vicky Kapur) and his wife on maternity leave ..to run the website...Eudore Chand is either gone hysterical or is simply not able to contain his joy at having done what he wanted..or atleast getting retained!! Once gain the rounds of meetings to discuss the website launch have started....one again its scene as usual at EB...For how loong? Only time will tell!
And dint anyone mention Eudore's family is still working with EB...good for nothing sis in law Rina Dyes glued to the online section as news of shutting down began to float. There were people like the construction editor who kept sweet talking -Eudore and Riyad...it dint really help! ch ch chh .....
I just blame moustache Eudore. By his standards, he is mass murderer.. having put to death Emirates Today n now finished off EB24|7 very cleanly. There is nothing so demoralizing as a boss who tolerates second rate work and encourages mediocrity. As long Eudore is around, Emirates24|7 will last a a year or two, so some more money is wasted.
Well Vicky is great journalist, loved writing 60 word intros using colourful adjectives gleaned from some report. Even Eudore and Roopesh were scared to chop down his convoluted lines despite a house rule of 30-word intros.
Perhaps I should grow a moustache and brush up on my language skills a crash course in Arslikan might come in handy. EC has a masters degree in it
Dear 1 July, 17.40
Oh dear. did I miss being sweet to you? oh you poor grouchy neglected creature.
Pls give me call since I have plenty of time in my indefinite state of joblessness to soothe your ruffled fur..
BTW, Reena also lost her job.
But i hope you retain yours..
with best regards,
The construction editor :)
"Yes, emirates today was good in circulation"
BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
What a spectacular cunt...
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100501/WEEKENDER/704309872/1310
There was this bit on page 10 of The National's M magazine today:
-------------------------------
Coining it
M's guide to out ever-changing language by John Morish
OLD WORD: JOURNALISM
Since the 1830s, the practice of writing for the public, especially in newspapers.
NEW WORD: CHURNALISM
Journalism that is little more than the recycling of press releases.
-------------------------
This, at a time when The National has apparently just hired a former Government censor to help keep the journalists' stories nearer churnalism than journalism.
New string:
Gulf News is to start cutting jobs this week... More evidence of Dubai being bust....
Hassan Fattah's twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/fattahhassan
Dear construction editor,
You really surpassed yourself in your reply to Anon @ 1 july 17:40. That was said with atypical wit!
However, your indefinite state of joblessness can be better utilised to brush up on your non-existent grammar and writing skills, which you are evidently still neglecting: case in point - "please give me call" should read 'please give me A call'.
As for actually giving you a call, we'd all love to do that to have our "ruffled fur" soothed in your inimical way - the same way you employed to soothe something other than the ruffled fur of partner and daddy.
How about a meeting in your boudoir? Soon?
No wonder , now that mediocrity manages the EB ... now Emirates Today , does a shoddy job..The content it provides does nto qualify to be called more than an average blog!!! And BTW the oh so willingly available construction editor... :) you are way too old for me :(
There's a fake Hassan Fattah that has been posting on Twitter http://twitter.com/fattahhassan
Clearly Emirates Business 24/7 is trying a new approach. Their website today features a picture gallery entitled "When breasts can kill". Hilarious.
The funniest thing about the construction editor was throwing in "site" terms into her copy and expecting everyone who reads it to understand. Forget the convoluted long intros she loves to write. Her claim to fame is having done a "Burj Dubai" magazine single-handedly ... that too without mentioning a word about it to her reporter Joseph George until press day. Now you understand why "single-handedly". The best part about the Burj magazine was that design, style and colours were a direct lift from her previous employer, Big Project magazine.
If the EB website staff can't give readers good fresh meat, it should at least get rid of content that is so stale that it stinks. Case in point, a three-day old story on the home page as spotted last Sunday morning; or on July 10, a column predicting the result of a world cup semi-final that was over several days ago. Wake up and smell the coffee, please.
What is the biggest change on the website to make up for lack of content? Throw in a news in images... NEWS???!! Yea crap pics of half naked women with silicon boobs that titillate the 50-plus editors at EB? From the days of banning the word gay and lesbian in copy and headline, see where it has reached. The countdown to closing this semi-porn website is not far away....
Today [Wednesday, 10.20am] there is a Sheikh Mohammed's video right above Katie Price's boobs... Eudore, whatever happened to your protocol placement?
A little birdie tells me that a handful of the sacked EB stalwarts are even now trying to kiss the bosses' collective derriere. How? They refuse to meet any ex-colleagues in case they are seen as 'plotters'! Don't worry, hon, just wear an orange wig, and no one will be any wiser.
I might add to Anon's comment that 'news in pictures' should have some news in it, too, rather than just pictures. The gallery of 'collector's exhibition' says nothing about what is being shown in the pix, or where the show is on, or who these collectors are. Give the little grey cells a little daily exercise, dudes.
Katie's boobs disappear from below Sheik Mo's video (Wednesday 12.30pm). I wonder who selects news for online uploads at EB – Roopesh or Eudore? Anyway both seem to be getting a kick out of allowing the odd sex-rape-gay-lesbian story to go up rather frequently these days...
EB is now like a scarecrow with a bloated head (all the overpaid bosses) and weak, matchstick legs (subs and reporters not up to the job).
The entire EB website carries no more than five special (?) stories from reporters. There is a news based on report directly attributed to The National. Even the so called specials by the highly paid reporters are tabled stories with no meat. Wonder if the EB think-tanks really believe this would sell!
You all cry and complain that the standard of the press is not up to UK standards, then EB starts featuring boobs and lurid gay and lesbian stories, just like the UK press, and you're still not happy.
To all ex-EB24/7 staffers whining on this thread: if we wanted to read archaic English idioms and hideously overwrought metaphors, we'd read the Khaleej fucking Times, not DMO. Thank you.
Dear Anon, you might actually want to read Khaleej Fucking Times. They are miles ahead of Emirates Fucking Business.
@Anon 14:28 21 July: Sod off
Job cuts happening at GN, New thread please
True, hotpotato.. When in comes to archaic idioms, overwrought metaphors and generally strangled English, KT's the market leader
Ouch! Truth hurts.
There is news that the "new and improved" Emirates 24-7 is given 3 months to prove success. This is based on the number of page views per month which (in standard websites should go below 1 million per month). Not like they are getting any ads for it or something. Yet, the current hits don't amount to a fifth of that and it has even gone down by some 9 per cent since the print version went out.
Whats more, some PR agencies have removed the e-paper from their target media list, so no copy/paste press releases either.
Insiders at Emirates 24|7 say Riyad ordered removal of lurid sex images yesterday from the website. A change of heart from the boss after allowing it earlier. Btw the new website is ready. The much vaunted relaunch as a e-newspaper is ready and it should start working from today. www.emirates247.com is no different from the older site other than flash news running on the top. The funny thing is i is not even an e-newspaper as earlier promised. Whteva happened to "famous world newspapers over the past year have turned to e-papers in line with the rise in the readers on the internet such Christian Science Monitor, Miami Herald, Boston Globe and Chicago Sun Times”. A piece of toady shit again. Surely, the brains behind emirates24|7 have no idea how to handle digital medium.
EB has quietly been relaunched as emirates247.com with minor cosmetic changes. But we grew old waiting for the top headlines to take us to the stories. And then the page crashed. Super.
Now emirates247 is giving reporters a byline for rehashing Gulf News reports, like Joseph George's story on banks causing loan defaulters' visa hurdles. Never knew doing special stories could be so easy.
I was born as Emirates Today in 2005. My sales & marketing uncle celebrated my arrival by fixing reclining-to-the-side benches all over Dubai in line with "Small in Size, Heavy in Content" policy.
I was small in size but was never heavy. I was malnourished from the beginning. I did get some vaccination shots time and again, but none of them proved to be life saver. My father (Al Sayegh) promised me a NYT future but he got too busy with his own misadventures.
My mother (Jason) left me within a year. My father married and remarried - MTV became his favourite wife. I was with my nanny (Brian) briefly and then my step-mom (Hayam) stepped in. She warmed up to me for a week and then ignored me completely. I was weak, hungry and dying as there were so many bugs, flies and worms, who kept growing fat and fatter, feeding on me. My mother couldn't care less. I knew my time has come when the elders decided to take life support off me. They said I was good for nothing and had no future.
Was it my fault, that I got infected from a life-threatening disease?
Just before I was euthanised, I got a new mother (Kane). My DNA was taken and after my death my clone was born. On my birth day, I got another mum (ironically called Daddy).
My clone's new mum tried to nurture me and hired baby-sitters, governesses, teachers and servants but all with dubious qualifications.
In this life-changing drama there was one distant cousin (Chand) of my biological mother, who was always around the house but was so insecure that instead of looking after me, he played with my life to further his own interests.
My clone was doomed like me. My father abondoned me, when I needed him the most.
Anyway, I got a very powerful father. Now the problem was that my new father already had other bright children to look after, so he accepted and dumped me in no time.
It was decided that my clone would be euthanised as well. Dozens of servants and governesses, few decent ones and many useless souls, were shown the door just before my funeral. Only a dozen attended my last rites. Deja vu, some DNA was kept aside to clone me all over again.
I am back again - weak and diseased.
I hold responsible my fathers, several mothers, numerous uncles and aunts for killing me ruthlessly. I don't blame helpers and servants because my family did not paid attention to what the workers did around the house. It was my family's responsibility to fix the house rules.
It's an extremely tragic saga and could be titled "Countless (unsuccessful) Weddings and Two Funerals".
An appeal: Please don't copulate if you are not ready to take responsibility of a child.
Edward, your story is tragic, indeed. Should we get our black suits out in preparation for a third funeral? Perhaps we should, since the new cloned entity has so many congenital defects and may not even blow the first candle.
Who're the good ones you keep referring to?
the good ones are the ones venting their frustration on this blog and, obviously shunted out of EB one time or the other!!!!!!!!!
Angie's diet under films & music??? And nothing else in that section?????? Has the world run out of films n music? Scrap the section if you cant handle it.
em247 can thank its stars for dis blog. dis is d only publicity dey r getting now.... at least some folks r talkin' abt it
Shunted out of EB? hahah Maybe walked out with their head held high on their own terms. Even rejected Daddy's counter-offer.
Daddy has timeto make counter offers? He can spare time for the paper aftr playing the stock market, as if thats wat he is paid for?
to be fair you're kind of missing the point. indeed govt press release re-writting and the general absurd happy clappy spin on everything isnt what the readers from the western world would want but having done a lot of research into the paper's readers it wont suprise you to know that westerners didnt read it but it had a considerable and loyal readership from the sub-continent and middle east (it just wasnt distributed to them as the distribution department was rich in silos of the sub continent protecting themselves and doing nothing other than forming political links to more senior arabs...like the rest of the paper...). running the editorial like a protection system for the weak isnt going to upset those demographics that it protects and who read it. eb247 failed because the senior management have no knowledge of publishing, are protected by their own, and the commercial function did absolutely nothing other than protect themselves through internal politics as above. add into that huge infighting in the final days between the locals, their lap dogs and the rival locals and their lap dogs and...halas....as they say...what broblem....?!?!?!? the editorial was, ironically, the least of the issues that needed solving.
Dis protection racket cud not protect the 1 thng tht matterd - d newspaper dat cud hv made money for the mngment. So dey r d big losers. Shot themslves in d foot... and achievd Allah knows wat.
@Anon 10.46 27 July: Dude what you trying to say? Is that even English?
The lack of outpourings for the past few weeks on this thread is remarkable - now even the ex-staffers have no interest in the paper that died and the website that will die soon.
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