New York Times Announces New Publisher


Photo by Damon Winter/ The New York Times

Photo by Damon Winter/ The New York Times

The New York Times named a former reporter for the Oregonian as their new publisher once current publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. retires at the end of the year. That former Oregonian reporter, however, is A.G. Sulzberger, the son of Sulzberger, Jr.

A.G.’s first day will be January 1.

Sulzberger, Jr. has been publisher of the Times since 1992, when he took over for his father, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Sr. Under Jr.’s leadership, the Times dealt with the Digital Revolution and launched nytimes.com and the resulting paywall. The Times also won sixty Pulitzers, doubling the paper’s haul.

A.G. also played a role in the Times’s shift to digital as the author of the 2014 Innovation Report that analyzed the Times’s digital standing at the time and proposed a future-facing strategy. The Report was later leaked in part to BuzzFeed and in full to Mashable. Newly installed executive editor Dean Baquet said in an email to staff that it “was never intended for wide circulation.”

Jr. will remain involved with the family business, however. He is continuing his role as chairman of the board. A.G. was also elected to the Board of Directors.

“Arthur is the only publisher of his generation who took over a great news organization and left it better than he found it,” A.G. said in a statement. “The fortunate position The Times enjoys today was not a foregone conclusion; it is a direct result of the bold bets Arthur made, from taking the paper national and then international, to embracing the Internet, to insisting that great journalism is worth paying for.”

“Original, independent, deeply-reported journalism is the fuel that powers a healthy and engaged society. My focus as publisher will be on ensuring the continued journalistic excellence and commercial success of The Times through a period of transformation for the news industry.”

“It has been an extraordinary honor to serve as publisher of The New York Times and I will step down at the end of the year prouder than I have ever been of the strength, independence and integrity of this institution,” Jr. said in a statement. “My colleagues – the women and men who have devoted themselves to producing and distributing the world’s best journalism – have made my job so fulfilling and I am forever in their debt.”

“A.G. embodies the values and mission of The Times. He has proven himself to be a powerful force for change, deeply dedicated to moving the company forward as the pace of transformation in our business continues to speed up. I am completely confident that he – and his cousins who are working alongside him – will dedicate themselves to preserving the excellence at The Times that my family has been committed to for over 120 years.”

“Over his career, and in particular during this past year as deputy publisher, A.G. has displayed superb leadership skills,” Times board of directors presiding director Robert Denham said in a statement. “He asks smart questions, he challenges, he exercises excellent judgment and he makes things happen. His reputation as a fine journalist and digital strategist is well-earned. As publisher, Arthur has positioned The Times for future success and the board is confident that A.G. is the right person to succeed him.”

A.G. will take over the Times at a moment when the future is becoming more digital than physical paper. Throughout the industry, print advertising revenue has fallen and the Times has not been an exception, but the news organization has seen growth with digital-only subscribers. The company has offered several rounds of buyouts throughout the past several years as a way to cut costs.


About Tyler

Tyler is the chief media reporter for TKNN, with the news organization since its founding in November of 2010. He has previously served as chief political reporter and chief political anchor for TKNN.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *