Sale or not, journalism carries on
My newspaper column
In 1964, Frank Batten Sr. owned two newspapers in Norfolk, Va., and was focused on buying the Greensboro Daily News, The Greensboro Record and WFMY from the Jeffress family.
Batten, who went on to build a billion-dollar media company -- Landmark Communications, which now includes dozens of newspapers, two television stations and the Weather Channel -- said it wasn't exactly a standard transaction.
As he recounts in his 2002 book, "The Weather Channel: the Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon," the deal hinged more on personal values than market values.
"We reached a verbal understanding with the owners, and both parties signed their names to a one-page agreement. About a week later, another qualified buyer offered to pay several million dollars more than our agreed-upon price.
"Even though our one-page agreement would never have survived in court, the owners honored it, and we acquired the papers and station at the original price. I like to think that Landmark would have behaved in exactly the same way had our roles been reversed."
In 1998, Batten retired and passed the leadership of the company to his son, Frank Batten Jr.
Frank Jr., who shares the same values as his father, announced last week that Landmark is exploring the possibility of selling the company's properties, including the News & Record.
I have no crystal ball, but am confident that I can safely predict this: our newspaper will continue to be a strong journalistic voice in the community.
In 1965, after Batten Sr. purchased the Daily News and the Record -- he later sold WFMY -- he rented an apartment in town to get to know the city and for the city to know him.
In a speech to the Greensboro Kiwanis Club, he said a newspaper "should be a mirror of its community. It should reflect the community -- its interests, its successes and failures and its needs. If it ever loses touch with the community it has failed in its mission."
Batten later wrote a one-page "Duty of Landmark Newspapers" memo that has guided editors of this newspaper for more than 30 years. It is distributed each year to our journalists as part of our code of ethics.
It begins: "Newspapers live entirely on the bounty of the public. The ability of journalists to report and to comment is based upon a unique grant of freedom from the public. Thus our duty is clear: It is to serve the public with skill and character, and to exercise First Amendment freedoms with vigor and responsibility."
It ends seven paragraphs later: "A great newspaper is distinguished by the balance, fairness and authority of its reporting and editing. Such a newspaper searches as hard for strengths and accomplishment as for weakness and failure. Rather than demoralize its community, the great newspaper will, by honest and intelligent journalism, inspire people to do better."
Our pledge to you is that meeting those high standards of journalistic integrity and service remains the No. 1 priority of this newspaper. They are part of our DNA.
Comments (3)
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John, I hope you will be around to write for a long time, and I offer best wishes to you through the likely ownership change at the paper.
I often find disagreement with your opinions; however, your ability to present a strong case for your arguments cannot be denied. The opportunity to write and challenge your thinking is a worthwhile endeavor for me.
Best wishes.
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:42 PM
Thanks, Bill, and thanks for offering your respect even as you disagree.
I'm not so arrogant as to expect everyone to agree with me. I'm not even egotistical enough to need to "win" every debate. I just enjoy the exchange. And, believe it or not, I listen to what you and others say and learn. (It just takes me a little while.:))
Posted on January 6, 2008 1:25 PM
Yeah, I bet things were pretty good 30 years ago.
So what happened to "honest and intelligent" journalism? Oh, that's right, it's been replaced by celebrity puff pieces. And the "watchdogs" are now people who care more about how the newspaper looks than what it says.
Posted on January 7, 2008 3:55 PM