For ESPN, the social-networking revolution will not be televised--or tweeted, blogged, or Facebooked. Not for now, at least, and not without ESPN's approval.
The sports network has apparently banned its workforce from posting any sports-related content on social-networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook without its permission. The news first came to light Tuesday when Ric Bucher, an NBA analyst for ESPN, tweeted that he had just received an network memo regarding tweeting:
The hammer just came down, tweeps: ESPN memo prohibiting tweeting info unless it serves ESPN. Kinda figured with was coming. Not sure what this means but
In a follow-up tweet, Bucher, who has more than 18,000 followers on Twitter, pondered the gravity of his tweet revealing the memo:
I'm probably violating some sort of policy just by telling you. In any case, stay tuned.
According to a purported copy of the memo posted on the sports blog The Big Lead, Bucher may just be violating the new policy (one point begins "Avoid discussing internal policies...").
In the memo, ESPN tells employees that it is "currently building and testing modules designed to publish Twitter and Facebook entries simultaneously" on ESPN Web sites and mobile platforms, and it plans to roll out the modules this fall.
"Personal websites and blogs that contain sports content are not permitted," according to the memo. But, it says, "If ESPN.com opts not to post sports related social media content created by ESPN talent, you are not permitted to report, speculate, discuss or give any opinions on sports related topics or personalities on your personal platforms(.)"
The memo seems to mirror efforts announced earlier Tuesday by the Marine Corps and the National Football League affecting their respective members and employees. And while one could argue that a military ban on using social-networking sites could ultimately save lives, the NFL is apparently just trying to save itself from some embarrassment.
Professional athletes ranging from Shaquille O'Neal to Lance Armstrong have long twittered about their observations on their respective sports experiences but not always with the approval or to the amusement of their coaches. In April, San Francisco Giants pitchers Barry Zito and Brian Wilson found their Twitter accounts getting the hook over some rather bizarre posts. But those posts paled in comparison to Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, who last season posted a portion of his team's playbook on his personal blog--along with a photo of his penis.
So what is ESPN's angle? A spokesman for the network told The New York Times that, "we want to be smarter about how we do it," adding that Bucher's "interpretation of the policy is mistaken."
As for Bucher, he seems to have no plans to abandon Twitter. "My guess is I can still tweet about my vacation/car shopping, etc. Which I will do, if I can."
Chief Executive Carol Bartz announced how she reorganized Yahoo in a blog post Thursday, but she shared a bit more about the priorities in an internal memo to Yahoo employees. Here's the full text of the memo.
From: Carol Bartz
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009
To: All employees
Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz
(Credit: Yahoo)Subject: Our New Organization
Yahoos,
As I've gotten to know Yahoo! over the past several weeks, I've developed a point of view on how our organization should be structured to set us up for success.
Our goal is simple: to consistently deliver awesome consumer and advertiser experiences, everywhere in the world we do business. Delivering great customer experiences is everyone's job at Yahoo!--and each part of our organization will have a clear role in making that happen every day.
The timing of this announcement is important. As soon as decisions were made, I wanted you to know about them--even if that means we don't have all the details nailed down yet. Yes, there's been a lot of speculation in the media over the past few days...that's been a little frustrating, but I'm not willing to speak publicly about decisions before they're final. Today, they are--so I'll lay out our new organizational structure for you now.
I know you guys have reorg fatigue. Hang in there--our intention is to leave this structure in place for two to four years. We'll continue to make adjustments as needed, but we expect this core structure to stay put.
The structure outlined below will enable us to make big improvements in our product quality and operational efficiency. Part of that is simplicity--I'm frankly amazed at how complicated some things are here! We'll have much clearer decision making and accountability. Product and regional teams will share responsibility for revenue targets and expense management, but we'll have one P&L, for which I'm accountable.
We will also be in a better position to really listen to and understand our customers --both consumers and advertisers. I think we've gotten into the habit of focusing internally too much and we sometimes forget who we're here to serve. You'll notice that our management structure puts a renewed focus on the customer, with stronger feedback loops across the company...and they all come through me.
Also, as you know, no organizational structure is a substitute for collaboration, communication and trust. We'll all need to evolve our behavior a bit--as teams and as individuals--to make this structure work the way it's designed.
So here's the overview, with the roles that will report directly to me. As you'll see, some of our leaders are still to be determined. I know you'll want more detail than what's below--you can learn more on Backyard: http://backyard.yahoo.com/ourorg.
Products: We've combined Tech and Product groups under one roof, led by Ari Balogh as EVP Products & CTO. Ari's charter is to deliver global products that enable extraordinary consumer and advertiser experiences. Ari's direct reports now include one leader for each product group--we've taken care of the "two in a box" problem.
One important note: The Connected Life team has been integrated into various parts of the new organization. Our mobile strategy remains a key part of Yahoo!'s focus going forward and all of our product groups will own mobile innovations. After leading Connected Life for four years, Marco Boerries has resigned from the company to spend more time with his family in Europe. We thank Marco for his important contributions at Yahoo!.
Regions: There are now two: North America and International. As I've said before, international growth is critical for Yahoo!, which has become too reliant on its U.S. business over the years.
The regions deliver Yahoo!'s products, programming and services to consumers, partners and advertisers in local markets. They will partner closely with the newly formed Regional Solutions & Products group in Ari's organization to help drive a significant shift in how Yahoo! develops products for different geographies. The goal is to have global platforms on which regional product offerings are based.
The North American region--comprised of the U.S. and Canada--is led by Hilary Schneider. The leader of our International region, to be hired soon, will be responsible for a cohesive Yahoo! global strategy and seizing our international growth opportunities. Until we determine who'll lead the International region, Rose Tsou (Asia), Rich Riley (Europe) and Keith Nilsson (Emerging Markets) will continue to report to me.
Marketing: Elisa Steele will be joining Yahoo! as our Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective March 23. Elisa joins us from NetApp where she was SVP, Corporate Marketing. Previous to NetApp, she held executive positions in marketing at Sun Microsystems. Elisa will oversee our global marketing strategy and provide direction for our marketing function. She'll bring together the various Yahoo! marketing teams that have been spread across the company. Reporting into Elisa will be Brand Marketing, Audience Marketing, Corporate Communications, Insights, Policy & Privacy, Community Affairs and related central teams. I'm delighted to have Elisa joining the team.
Customer Advocacy: As I said, we can do much better in hearing the voice of the customer across Yahoo!, and incorporating what we hear into all of our work day-to-day. We have opened a search for a leader, who will oversee Customer Care and Ad Operations globally with the goal of improving how we support Yahoo!'s users and advertisers. In the interim, these teams will continue to report to Hilary.
Service Engineering & Operations: This new team is responsible for delivering common technology services at scale, including application management and infrastructure. No matter how cool our products are, the customer's experience won't be great unless our applications consistently deliver. Note that we're bringing Service Engineering together as one group because these engineers bring expertise that is best applied horizontally. Leading this organization is David Dibble, who joined Yahoo! in December. David's team also will be accountable for delivering more effective corporate IT systems.
Corporate Functions: Blake Jorgensen will be leaving Yahoo! and I am searching for a new CFO. Blake will remain through a transition with his successor, and I want to thank Blake for all of his great contributions to Yahoo! over the past two years. Mike Callahan will continue to lead our Legal team, and David Windley leads our Human Resources function. Joel Jones joins the team as my Chief of Staff.
So that's the high-level view. These changes are effective immediately, but we've got more work to do in filling out the structure of each group. In the short term, this transition will be challenging for many of our people. My executive staff will be working with their organizations as quickly as possible to create further clarity. For example, we'll need to recast budgets and adjust work areas so we have the right people working side-by-side.
I want to thank all of you who've shared your ideas and views with me since I arrived. Several leaders across Yahoo! came together to design this new structure--I've been very impressed with their dedication to the right outcomes, particularly how they've embraced the need to eliminate the silos that have been a drag on this organization for so long.
I think this organizational structure has the potential to solve many of the issues you've helped me better understand. Of course, new issues will emerge. But I know we'll be aligned and nimble in tackling them together.
This is a tremendous, proud company with a powerful brand, great products and a bright future. Now's the time to get more focused than ever on delighting our users and advertisers. Let's show them how great Yahoo! can be.
Carol
After nearly a decade at Yahoo, President Sue Decker is bowing out to make way for new Chief Executive Carol Bartz--after helping her new boss through a transition period. Here's the full text of the memo she sent to Yahoo staff--plus a Yahoo photo of her appearance with Bartz during Wednesday's all-hands meeting with the company's new leader.
From: Sue Decker
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 2:32 PM
To: all employees
Subject: The next chapter
Yahoos
After almost nine incredibly rewarding years with this terrific company, I have decided that it is time for me to pursue my next chapter, just as Yahoo! is charting the next phase of its path-breaking journey.
I have not made this decision lightly. I have been with this company for nearly a decade, and together we have been through a period of amazing change during this time. In particular, I want to thank the Board and especially Jerry, who has been my partner and friend from the very beginning, for affording me the opportunity to contribute to Yahoo!'s success.
The Yahoo! of today is a radically different company than the one I joined in 2000, as befits a major franchise in one of the world's fastest-evolving industries. Financially, the company has grown its revenue base from a little over $1 billion in 2000 to more than $7 billion, and has more than quadrupled its operating cash flow from around $400 million to close to $2 billion. Over that period, working together, we have reshaped one of the world's most vital Internet brands and transformed the company in ways the outside world is only just beginning to see. We did this by anticipating customer needs and evolving our business model ahead of dynamic changes to the online marketplace. While it is true that competition has never been fiercer, it is equally true that Yahoo! has moved decisively and creatively forward.
I am especially proud of some of the innovative open and customizable products and platforms we have developed in the last 18 months, including:
The APT display platform, which has the potential to transform the way display advertising is bought and sold
• BOSS (Build your own search service), which lets others use our search technology through open API's
• The host of mobile and device platforms and services which are fundamentally changing the way consumers experience the internet on devices beyond the PC
• Our new Home Page, which will launch early in 2009, and will be open to 3rd party content and help Yahoo! lean into its greatest strength: understanding consumers
We also faced the difficult decision of reducing costs in a way that has allowed us to hit our profitability objectives, notwithstanding the tough economy. Not too many companies can say that. The result of all of this hard work is a company which has positioned itself to weather a challenging economic cycle and come out the other side stronger than before.
But the real testament to the success this company has achieved is you. You are the best in the business - tremendously talented, highly skilled and incredibly dedicated to making Yahoo! stronger for our users and advertisers. Even through a turbulent 2008 and in the face of unrelenting distractions, you held your heads high and stayed focused, releasing some amazing new products for users and experiences for advertisers that demonstrate your tremendous insight, energy and passion. It has been my great pleasure working with all of you, and I have every confidence that going forward you will continue to drive Yahoo! ahead and to prosper.
As I turn my attention to helping transition in the most successful way possible, I want to congratulate Carol on her new role and put my full support behind her. I would ask that you all do the same. She and I serve together on the Intel board, so I have had the pleasure of seeing her in action. She is a decisive, passionate leader that I believe will serve Yahoo! well as it embarks on the next phase of its evolution.
I am extremely grateful for the time I have had at Yahoo! This has been a profoundly enriching experience for me, both personally and professionally. As I set off on for my next mission, I want to extend my sincerest wishes to all of you for continued success.
Sue
Yahoo began laying off 1,520 employees around the world on Wednesday as the company tries to deal with its financial difficulties.
Here's what outgoing Chief Executive Jerry Yang had to say to employees about it in a memo that uses his trademark lowercase style.
yahoos,
today, most of our layoffs in the US are happening, and they've been underway in other regions around the world.
this is a tough time for all of us and i wanted to take a moment to reach out to you.
Outgoing CEO Jerry Yang
(Credit: Yahoo)saying goodbye to colleagues and friends is never easy. they all are dedicated members of our yahoo! family, who worked beside us and shared our passion.
but as you all know, we must take actions to better perform in today's turbulent global economy. while we've found efficiencies in many parts of our business, laying off employees is unfortunately unavoidable. our difficult decision to let colleagues go reflects the changes we're having to make to better align costs with revenues - something businesses in virtually every sector are also having to do.
for those who are affected by these layoffs, i am extremely grateful for your contributions to yahoo!. we realize the impact this will have on you. that's why, consistent with our past practices, we're making every effort to support you with severance packages and other services.
the reductions we're making are very hard, but they are also very necessary--as we focus on the long-term health of our business. to those who are leaving us, i extend my heartfelt thanks on behalf of yahoos everywhere--you will be missed.
thanks,
jerry
Here is the full text from Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang about his decision to step down to his earlier role as Chief Yahoo.
From: Jerry Yang
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 5:03 PM
Subject: update
yahoos -
i wanted to address all of you on the news we've just announced. the board of directors and I have agreed to initiate a succession process for the ceo role of yahoo!. roy bostock, our chairman of the board, is leading the effort to identify and assess potential candidates for consideration by the full board. the board will be evaluating and considering both internal and external candidates and has retained heidrick and struggles to help in this effort.
i will be participating in the search for my successor, and i will continue as ceo until the board selects a new ceo. once a successor is named, i will return to my previous role as chief yahoo and continue to serve as a director on the board.
last june, i accepted the board's request that i assume the ceo role to restructure and reposition the company as a whole in order to more effectively meet the fast-changing needs of both users and partners. since taking on the ceo role, i have had an ongoing dialogue with the board about succession timing. thanks in large measure to your tireless efforts, we have created a more open, competitive yahoo! and we believe the time is now right to transition to a new ceo who can take the company to the next level.
despite the external environment we face, the fact remains that yahoo! is now a significantly different company that is stronger in many ways than it was just 18 months ago. this only makes it all the more essential that we manage this opportunity to leverage the progress up to this point as effectively as possible. i strongly believe that having transformed our platform and better aligned costs and revenues, we have a unique window for the right ceo to take ownership over the next wave of mission-critical decisions facing the company.
all of you know that I have always, and will always bleed purple. i will always do what I think is right for this great company. while this step will be an adjustment for all of us, i know it's the right one. i look forward to updating you on this process as soon as the board has developments to share, and will continue to do everything i can to make yahoo! fulfill its full potential.
thank you,
jerry
See also:
• Yahoo CEO Yang to step down
• Yahoo's ultimate search: A new CEO
• Yang's travails: A Yahoo timeline
• A pity for Yahoo that John McCain didn't win
• Microhoo revisited: Would it be a search-only deal?
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