Poynter Online
Go


Top Story

Young Journalists Use Facebook Ads to Reach Prospective Employers
Most Recent Articles
1.James Hoge to step down as Foreign Affairs editor
1:20 PM Feb. 9, 2010
2.Glitches, Delays Disrupt Plans for Virtual Border Fence
11:33 AM Feb. 9, 2010
3.KTVU sees 300% increase in mobile Web traffic
11:08 AM Feb. 9, 2010
4.Young Journalists Use Facebook Ads to Reach Prospective Employers
5:20 AM Feb. 9, 2010
5.What Great Bosses Know about 'No Surprises'
4:20 PM Feb. 8, 2010
Most E-mailed
Recent Comments
Recent Tags
Community Activity

Poynter Training
Poynter Seminars
Small, in-person training experiences.
1.NewsU: Picture Editing 101: Essentials and Ethics
Apply NOW
2.Poynter Fellowship for College Journalists
Apply by March 1
3.Making Your Opinion Matter
Apply by March 22

News University
Today's most popular courses on NewsU, Poynter's e-learning site for journalists.
Webinars
Our online classroom is just a click away. Learn more.
All Webinars

Poynter Forums

View Forum Post

Topic: Letters Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 2/27/2006 1:29:49 PM
Title: Chandler tribute
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
From DAVID CROOK, editor, Wall Street Journal Sunday: It's a sad day. Otis Chandler was a great man.

I wish to correct a comment from the current editor of the LA Times, as it appears in today's online obit at latimes.com….

"Otis Chandler will go down as one of the most important figures in newspaper history," said Dean Baquet, editor of The Times. "He built a newspaper that was as great as the city it covers. He set his sights on a goal -- making The Times one of the two or three great American papers -- and he pulled it off."

Those of us who were fortunate to work at The Times during the days of Mr. Chandler and Tom Johnson know there was absolutely no notion that settling to be "one of the two or three great American newspapers" was OK. We aimed to be and were expected to be the BEST newspaper in the world. Mr. Chandler, in his oft-quoted note bringing Mr. Johnson on board, made it clear that he expected the LA Times to be as good as the New York Times and, ultimately, to knock it off its pedestal. For The Times to sit at the top of journalism's ladder was Mr. Chandler's personal goal that became a corporate goal that was articulated to every member of the paper's staff.

It was made clear to every reporter and editor, from the day you walked into the building, that you were best, working for the best. There was no equivocation.

Indeed, from my perspective, one of the main problems affecting the paper in the post Chandler-Johnson years was the compromise of that sense of excellence. As other mangers took over, it became less a personal goal, then less a corporate goal. Today, apparently, it is OK to be among the better. To be less than the best.

That was never the case when Mr. Chandler was there. [Permalink]

View Complete Forum Topic

Username
Password
New User? Signup Now
Poynter Careers
See All Jobs
Add Your Resume
Post Your Job
Become a Member
More media jobs