Sinclair Lewis did. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein did. Jay Harris did. Harris resigned as chairman and publisher of the San Jose Mercury News last month. The Mercury News is a well-respected newspaper, and Harris' move was significant enough to warrant headlines in newspapers across the country.
Shareholders have no interest in journalism.
I hope Mr. Glasser hasn't been wrapped in the cocoon of academics for so long that he can't see the seeds of revolution when they have been planted under his nose. There is still room for improvement, but newsroom defections, raids by competitors and nationwide trends have caused ACBJ to attempt some serious salary catch-up. Knight-Ridder was based in Miami until it moved to San Jose to chase the tech revolution dollars. The day after Harris' resignation, Knight-Ridder announced it was lowering its profit target, a nice public relations touch contradicted by the news that the Mercury News is offering employees cash incentives to retire early. You can work the equations with layoffs or early retirements, but the sum of the damage is the same.