August 9 , 2001

Creating the Future

By Gregory Favre
Poynter Leadership Faculty

Tim McGuire was president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors for five minutes when he issued a challenge to editors across the country.

"It is time for us to create our future, " McGuire said. "It is time for each one of us to answer the call of leadership and the call of change. We must step up with courage, determination, and innovation."

Then he announced that he was appointing a special ASNE board of directors committee named "Creating the Future in Tough Times." And he selected Peter Bhatia, executive editor of the Portland Oregonian, to chair the committee.

What has happened since then? Here are Bhatia's answers to several questions:

Gregory Favre: What is the goal of the committee and how will you judge its success?

Peter Bhatia: The goal, as given us by Tim, is to offer editors real-time, practical advice and information to help during the current economic downturn. And also to give perspective to the cutting back going on and its potential impact on the future of newspapers. The key word for me is "practical." We can all learn from the experience of others, both with very specific issues (reducing stock listings, for example) to more general (keep personal and newsroom morale high in a time of cutbacks). Success will be determined by whether editors find the information at minimum reassuring and at maximum an action they can implement..

Favre: What, if anything, are you hearing from editors across the country?

Bhatia: If you believe what you read in the press, everyone is in a panic: This is the end of newspaper civilization as we know it. But what I hear is more a quiet determination to ride this out, make the best of difficult times, and find new ways to lead and inspire. That is not to minimize the personal pain that many are feeling and the challenge of leading in particular younger staffers who have never been through a downturn.

Favre: Have you heard enough to be able to draw some conclusions?

Bhatia: Claiming no expertise beyond listening and many years in our industry, this downturn feels more sudden and rapid than the two or three others I can recall. I think because of that, the impact of cutbacks is more bunched, more demoralizing, and more emotional. It makes that leadership equation all the more important. And I know this sounds a little strange, but I am impressed by the class many of our colleagues have shown in handling this. As newsroom leaders we must be people-oriented and must have a special appreciation for the zany characters that populate newsrooms. That makes this time even harder. But I hear of editors standing up for their newsrooms, arguing for what they view as proper and right. They don't necessarily "win," of course, and ultimately have to be citizens of the companies for which they work, but they can do so without sacrificing their principles.

Favre: Do you sense that editors are feeling isolated, less in charge of the newsrooms' futures?

Bhatia: I think there is some of that. But if that would be equated to a victims' mentality, I wouldn't go that far. I hope we can all find some solace in the fact that journalism in this country is at its highest and best level ever. I really believe that. Whether the current cuts diminish that remains to be seen. If it does, then our industry will have made a very big mistake. A fatal one? No, but a mistake nonetheless. As editors, our responsibility is to keep pushing our craft forward, in good times and bad. OK, that's Pollyanna-ish, to be sure, but I really believe that. We sought out the opportunity to lead and we must.

Favre: What does the board intend to do with all of the information?

Bhatia: ASNE is the organization of our newsrooms' leaders and has a responsibility, obligation, and mission to help our industry in any way we can. Tim has set us on a new mission to be helpful in a contemporary fashion, a slightly different approach from our traditional attention to important issues such as diversity, leadership, and craft skills that are measured over longer periods of time. I hope we take what we learn and apply it to all ASNE's initiatives. In the meantime, I invite any and all to join with us in this work.

What do you think?

Coming Monday: Lillian Dunlap