It was also in 1990 that Gene Roberts resigned as editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer . I called to plead that he would go public with what I knew to be his passionate concern about profit pressures. He said he wanted to avoid poisoning the well for his successor. When people do speak out, others look for motives that sap the power of it. This editor had presumed too much, that one was a hothead, another had personal issues.
Most editors just stick to the job.
But the main thing is that everyone has high hopes, and there are always some victories, and journalism is engaging work. What Jay Harris stood before a ballroom full of news executives at ASNE and told us, in a strong and steady tone, is that we have been accommodating ourselves to the unacceptable. He showed us how our collaboration has permitted the construction of a system in which serving the market trumps serving democracy, and profits matter more than anything else. It's a slow and silent surrender. There are those who will focus on the generous investments made in the Mercury News and those who will speculate about hidden meanings or sympathize with Knight Ridder executives.