New York Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger announced today that celebrated reporter Jayson Blair will replace Howell Raines as executive editor of the Times.
Mr. Blair, whose “great shoe-leather reporting” introduced Times readers to a whole new world of fascinating people in obscure locations, will take command of the newsroom at the peak of a revival in the newspaper business not seen since the 1920’s.
“Jayson Blair has taken journalism to new frontiers about which we had only fantasized,” said Mr. Sulzberger.
“For the past 30 years or so, we have built our reputation of trust on unnamed sources, but Mr. Blair refused to be constrained by this journalistic convention. After all, if you’re going to quote anonymous sources, why not imaginary ones?”
The publisher said the promotion also recognizes Mr. Blair’s sensitivity to the business side of journalism.
“Because Mr. Blair stayed in Brooklyn and didn’t file for hotel reimbursements in far-flung places, the Times saved a pile of money,” said Mr. Sulzberger. “We’re hoping he’ll teach all of his reporters that same fiscal discipline.”
Mr. Blair said his leadership of the newsroom will focus on the basics of modern journalism.
“People have come to expect a certain feel, a particular voice from the New York Times,” he said. “Traditionally, our reporters maintained that voice by carefully choosing sources and quotes to align with our readers’ expectations. I have achieved the same results without wasting money and time flying around interviewing real people. If the ends are the same, who cares about the means” “
Mr. Blair said that since so many stories originate from public relations professionals, he decided to cut out the middle man.
“My desk was covered each day with news releases full of manufactured quotes,” he said. “In business terms, what I did was supply-chain management to reduce costs and speed our time to market. I can invent better quotes than the PR guys any day.”
Mr. Blair’s promotion couldn’t come at a more propitious moment for him. Media experts agree that the jump in newspaper circulation figures is not an aberration. Readers are turning away from the Internet and picking up the paper in rapidly climbing numbers.
“People have finally realized that news on the Web is just too fast,” said one unnamed journalism professor. “Reader surveys tell us that the measured, deliberate speed of newsprint journalism is like a cool glass of lemon-aid on a hot day. Stories that broke online hours earlier gain fresh life from being reiterated on paper. And personally, I don’t feel informed until my fingertips are black with ink.”
Studies also show that people like the adventure of finding the newspaper somewhere in the front lawn, the hedgerow or the storm-water culvert.
In addition, since so many local papers consist primarily of wire service stories packaged in a modular layouts, readers who travel can enjoy the consistency.
“I can leave town and travel across this great land, stop in any convenience store and pick up something that looks just like my local paper,” said one unnamed sales executive. “That’s a real comfort to me. I sit down at McDonald’s and read the same news my wife’s reading over breakfast back home in Des Moines. Newspapers bring us together as a family.”
Former Executive Editor Howell Raines could not be reached for comment; however, Mr. Blair said, “I think Howell would say something like, ‘I resigned to pursue other opportunities, and wish Jayson all the best. He’s a great shoe-leather reporter.’ “
Advertisement