I’m a retired journalist and CEO who has always deplored what many big national corporations have done to local newspapers.  

The Gannett Corporation has systematically gutted the many fine newspapers it had acquired, and it offers constant reminders of how big corporations prioritize profits over consumers.

Out of force of habit (certainly not for its diminished value), I have continued a digital subscription to one of those gutted newspapers.

A recent “no reply” email (the “no reply” itself disrespectful of customers) recently announced a switch to a four-week billing cycle instead of monthly. The announcement hides whether or not this is an 8.3% price increase.

Gannett’s 800 number is answered by a robot. It requires lots of input from customers before putting them on hold. If you’re stubborn and foolish enough to try to wait for a human voice, you’re forced to listen to Gannett’s choice of music. You are not given an estimate of how long the wait will be, and you aren’t offered the option of a callback.

And Gannett (and other big corporations like them) still apparently doesn’t understand why so many customers have left!