A Spy Reports: Floyd Norris Doesn't Like the State of the Times
This turned up in our inbox soon after the first State of the Times meeting finished this morning:
So Arthur asked us not to talk about what was talked about. It was pretty run-of-the-mill stuff, but it got exciting when people started asking questions. The first was about the stock options that he got rid of to give himself and all the other execs big bonuses. He deflected that question, but then someone else — business columnist Floyd Norris — immediately asked it again, but quoting more numbers and more business jargon. Then Floyd asked him to say that he would rescind his bonuses back to the company to save jobs. He kept deflecting the question — he would answer it but without answering it, and he kept talking about Wall Street and executive compensation packages at other companies and accounting #'s. It was definitely the only thing the employees wanted to talk about.
We rarely find ourselves feeling bad for hereditary company chairmen, but, shit, it's gotta suck to have the nation's best business reporters in your spin-some-bullshit progressive-management staff meetings. Hell, we've always assumed that's why Denton only hires kids who don't understand math.
Earlier: Pinch to Deliver State of the Times Address
Related: Sulzerger's State of the Times: Tumultuous; Well-Paid at Top [Media Mob/NYO]