might be a good thing as RAGBRAI has been getting to commercial lately, hopefully this ride will actually get back to the RAGBRAI roots and be about the small towns and charities running stands along the route. the last few rides you could really see all the commercial food trucks cutting in on the smaller organizations.
RAGBRAI Organizers Split from Register
- Thread starter cyowan
- Start date
TJ will get his ride up and going in no time. The DMR is in a bad spot to keep this going now.
Dear RAGBRAI Nation-
This is a bittersweet day for me and my team. Today, your RAGBRAI Director for the past 16 years and the entire RAGBRAI staff has resigned.
RAGBRAI’s parent companies (Des Moines Register & Gannett/USA Today) claim “we will uphold First Amendment principles”, but they refused to offer me that same opportunity to openly speak to the RAGBRAI Nation and answer the hundreds of passionate questions asked about the future of RAGBRAI following the Des Moines Register’s handling of the Carson King story.
I have always been totally transparent with the RAGBRAI Nation and have earned their trust since my first day in 2003. In these past few weeks, my efforts to communicate with our loyal riders has been consistently blocked as it did not mesh with the company’s PR narrative to spin the Carson King embarrassment. There are hundreds of questions that have been left unanswered in an attempt to save face for the Register, without regard to how it affects RAGBRAI.
I was informed, “Leadership and our PR professionals are in agreement that we don’t want to issue any more public statements on this matter — it is largely dying down publicly, and they see no advantage to re-igniting it at this point.” And then added, “glad to work with you on talking points for interviews regarding RAGBRAI if the Carson King situation comes up.”
So, after 16 great years of service, I was effectively hushed and offered talking points to deal with a mess that had nothing to do with RAGBRAI!
I can no longer be an effective leader when my principles are compromised by the leadership of Gannett/Des Moines Register. If we balked this time, I couldn’t image any future thoughts of making decisions in the best interest of YOU the riders and the great state of Iowa.
So, the entire RAGBRAI staff resigned today.
I promised my mentor Jim (Greenie) Green that I would maintain this great ride across Iowa. I also made that pledge to the late wagon master Don Benson and 89-year-old co-founder John Karras.
You will see this team that just resigned resurface in the near future. So stay tuned!
Thank you for trusting us with the GREAT RIDE!
Sincerely,
TJ Juskiewicz,
RAGBRAI Director
This is a bittersweet day for me and my team. Today, your RAGBRAI Director for the past 16 years and the entire RAGBRAI staff has resigned.
RAGBRAI’s parent companies (Des Moines Register & Gannett/USA Today) claim “we will uphold First Amendment principles”, but they refused to offer me that same opportunity to openly speak to the RAGBRAI Nation and answer the hundreds of passionate questions asked about the future of RAGBRAI following the Des Moines Register’s handling of the Carson King story.
I have always been totally transparent with the RAGBRAI Nation and have earned their trust since my first day in 2003. In these past few weeks, my efforts to communicate with our loyal riders has been consistently blocked as it did not mesh with the company’s PR narrative to spin the Carson King embarrassment. There are hundreds of questions that have been left unanswered in an attempt to save face for the Register, without regard to how it affects RAGBRAI.
I was informed, “Leadership and our PR professionals are in agreement that we don’t want to issue any more public statements on this matter — it is largely dying down publicly, and they see no advantage to re-igniting it at this point.” And then added, “glad to work with you on talking points for interviews regarding RAGBRAI if the Carson King situation comes up.”
So, after 16 great years of service, I was effectively hushed and offered talking points to deal with a mess that had nothing to do with RAGBRAI!
I can no longer be an effective leader when my principles are compromised by the leadership of Gannett/Des Moines Register. If we balked this time, I couldn’t image any future thoughts of making decisions in the best interest of YOU the riders and the great state of Iowa.
So, the entire RAGBRAI staff resigned today.
I promised my mentor Jim (Greenie) Green that I would maintain this great ride across Iowa. I also made that pledge to the late wagon master Don Benson and 89-year-old co-founder John Karras.
You will see this team that just resigned resurface in the near future. So stay tuned!
Thank you for trusting us with the GREAT RIDE!
Sincerely,
TJ Juskiewicz,
RAGBRAI Director
Hawarden, Cherokee, Pocahontas, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Waverly, West Union, Marquette?
More proof of how boring this state really is. 3rd page story has become bigger than 9/11 here.
https://m.soundcloud.com/justgobike/episode-135-resignation-of-ragbrai-staff-new-iowas-ride
Good info from the director here.
Good info from the director here.
CMC better be prepared to answer a couple questions about this during his post game on Saturday.
Quiting your job isn't in the same category as "cancel culture".
Nice job staying on topic, I honestly dont care what they do. The Register sucks but this is the exact same, "take my toys and go home" snowflake culture weve created.
It is when you quit for that reason.
Just spit-balling here, but have to think these folks were looking for a way to start their own ride and are capitalizing on timing, media coverage, etc. Probably way less overhead cost if the ride, registration all goes through them.
Say's the snowflake who needs multiple alts on a rival site.
I always like it when you post something like that but its obvious you do care, and while you're at it, you don't stay on topic either.
Yeah, Im getting numb hearing about this honestly.
This is not "cancel culture" at all. If you work for an employer that you don't feel values your opinion or stands for the things you stand for, and you feel you can do a better job elsewhere, then go for it. To me, "cancel culture" is saying that if I don't like something, or if something offends me personally, no one should be able to enjoy it. That's not this at all.
Lmao, multiple alts???? I only have one account, so which are my other accounts then genius?
I think that the the RAGBRAI organizers were already planning to split from the Register, and just used this as an excuse.
