WELCOME to the debut of “The Truth Is!”, a blog of reporting and commentary that aims to be informative, thoughtful and provocative. At least initially, the blog will have a strong heartland flavor by virtue of the connection of a number of us to Cowles family journalism. I am former editor of the Des Moines Register’s opinion pages. Another contributor, Michael Gartner, is former editor of the paper; he later served as president of NBC News. Another former Register editor who has agreed to contribute, Geneva Overholser, is director of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg school of journalism. Followers of the blog will have access also to the work of Herbert Strentz of Des Moines, a close Register and other newspaper watcher who once headed Drake University’s journalism school. Bill Leonard, a longtime Register editorial writer, will add insights.

“The Truth Is!” will be supervised by my daughter, Marcia Wolff, a communications lawyer for 20 years with Arnold and Porter (Washington, D.C.). Invaluable technical assistance in assembling and maintaining the blog is provided by my grandsons Julian Cranberg, a college first-year, and Daniel Wolff, a high school senior.

If you detect a whiff of nepotism in this operation, so be it. All of it is strictly a labor of love. —Gil Cranberg

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Gilbert Cranberg: HOW TO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR NEW YORK TIMES

I avidly read the very boring story in the April 26 New York Times: “Times Co. Profit Falls; New Subscription Model Is Set.” I pored over the account of the Times’s first quarter results from start to finish although I own no stock in the company and have no plans to invest in it. I am, however, invested in the Times in the sense that I read it seven days a week and would be bereft without the paper. 

The news in that story about the Times was bleak: ad revenue down from $215.5 million to $191.2 million; net income down from $42 million to $3.1 million. Could that be accurate? The company’s announced “broader growth strategy,”i.e., introducing “lower cost subscription models” was not encouraging. 

Nevertheless, so far so good with the Times. The biggest ticket items at a newspaper are newsprint and payroll. Hack away at them and quality suffers. Either the Times has been so shrewd in its economizing that it doesn’t show or the company hasn’t made the really big hits yet. 

The demographics of Times readers are priceless assets. The readership is well-educated and affluent. It would be tragic if the paper squanders the assets by allowing its quality to deteriorate so that it loses readers. The company should not be too proud to admit that it needs the help of its readers to stave off economies that diminish the quality of the Times. After all, the loyalty of its readership is directly related to the daily miracle the company delivers. 

The Times quit paying a dividend in 2009. That puts it in a better position to appeal to readers for help. Tomorrow I will put a check in the mail to the Times, over and above what I pay for my subscription, in appreciation for the quality the paper has maintained in tough economic times. 

Better yet, the Times ought to create an Appreciation Fund for contributions from similarly motivated readers and it should promote the fund heavily. 

The Times is a national treasure. It informs not only the public , but also the formulators of public policy. The country is more wisely governed because public officials have the benefit of the paper’s comprehensive news coverage and thoughtful commentary. 

It would be a serious error to wait until signs of deterioration are evident at the Times. The time for readers to rally to support this superb institution is now, before slippage shows.
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