Nieman Reports

Special Issue 1999

The Business of News, The News About Business

Cover for Special Issue 1999

This special issue of Nieman Reports has been created to report to the readers of Nieman Reports, to members of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, and to newspaper and broadcast communities on two recent reports, as well as to share relevant insights from other Committee members.

A joint project of the Nieman Foundation and the Committee of Concerned Journalists.

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Newspapers Arrive at Economic Crossroads

Special Issue 1999: Introduction

Opinion March 4, 1999

This special issue of Nieman Reports has been created to report to the readers of Nieman Reports, to members of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, and to newspaper and broadcast communities on two recent reports, as well as to share relevant insights from other Committee members. A joint project of the Nieman Foundation and the Committee of Concerned Journalists. Read more

Excerpt From Letter

By Opinion June 15, 1999

… It is my utter conviction that newspapers are a business and, since their production is a team process, no department can be immune from the fact. They are expensive to equip and run, and the only way to ensure … Read more

Essay

By Opinion June 15, 1999

Once upon a time the editor of a daily newspaper edited. There’s little risk of that happening now. The top newsroom manager probably has a title like vice president and executive editor, spends most of the time in meetings with … Read more

Excerpt From Remarks

By Opinion June 15, 1999

There has been more than a little talk lately about how well the editorial and business sides of journalism work together. Since I am at least in part the cause of some of the ruckus, let me tell you my … Read more

Essay

By Opinion June 15, 1999

“The chief business of the American people is business.” So it was back in 1925 when President Calvin Coolidge offered that now famous aphorism about America’s fevered, overreaching economy in the roaring 1920’s. Coolidge didn’t foresee the coming crash and … Read more

Excerpt From Remarks

By Opinion June 15, 1999

Before you can discuss what might be done [with newspapers] you have to look at the business proposition that you’re dealing with…. The people who own these journalistic institutions, by and large, are large companies…in which these journalistic institutions play … Read more

Essay

By Opinion June 15, 1999

The separation of business and news is only about 100 years old. In 1800 the most common name for an American newspaper was The Advertiser. Take that literally. Not advertising in the sense of the purchase of space, but the … Read more

The Transformation of Network News

Excerpt From Speech

By Journalist’s Trade June 15, 1999

We celebrate tonight the men and women whose dedication to the collection and distribution of facts threatens their very existence. When they antagonize those with money, political power and guns, they risk their lives. We, on the other hand, tremble … Read more

Excerpt From Remarks

By Journalist’s Trade June 15, 1999

In 1978, ABC started a program called “20/20,” as a kind of a standard newsmagazine program. They were trying to see what they could do in the “60 Minutes” business. The first show was an absolute disaster. The hosts were … Read more

Excerpt From Remarks

By Journalist’s Trade June 15, 1999

Big companies are like battleships going down the middle of a gulf. When we fire our guns they’re pretty loud, but we don’t change direction very well. It’s the size of our dissemination, probably, that gives us power. But we … Read more

Masthead

Publisher
Bill Kovach
Editor
Melissa Ludtke
Assistant Editor
Lois Fiore
Editorial Assistant
Adam Reilly
Design Editor
Deborah Smiley
Business Manager
Gina Camara

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