First Annual Tufts Leadership Forum
October 16, 2007, 4:30PM-6:30PM
ASEAN Auditorium, Cabot Intercultural Center
Organized by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, cosponsored in part by the Fares Center
Speaker: Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., Publisher and Chairman of The New York Times Company

Summary

Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. ('74), Publisher of The New York Times and Chairman of The New York Times Company, launched the inaugural Tufts Leadership Forum. This event was organized by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, and the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies was one of the cosponsors.

To frame the mission of the Tufts Leadership Forum, which aims to make the formal study of leadership a signature of Tufts University, Sulzberger reflected upon the climate of free speech that characterized the campus in the 1970s. In describing the productive energy at that time, he highlighted a pervading student enthusiasm to seek out and implement change—albeit change of an imperfect nature. Against this backdrop of activism and involvement at Tufts, Sulzberger explored his own initial commitment to the notion of perpetual transformation.

Sulzberger observed that The New York Times Company embodies a similar commitment to perpetual transformation. Now in its 156^th year, the media company began with the print edition, eventually expanded into radio and television, developed an international branch in the 1980s, and adapted to the digital age in the 1990s. Sulzberger praised the ability of the company and its staff to adjust to mercurial conditions, while maintaining consistency and quality within the context of change.

By remaining faithful to its principles, The New York Times Company has long fulfilled its brand promise to collect and distribute information. Breaking stories to the public that would otherwise remain unheard, the media company has uncovered scandals from the infamous Tweed Ring—a group of politicians and bureaucrats engaged in extreme corruption in the 1870s—to more recent questionable federal policies such as covert monitoring of phone calls. No matter the content of the story, the media company has fulfilled its mission of bringing information to the public.

Sulzberger also maintained that leaders should remember that the fundamentals must remain fundamental. Despite the accelerated pace of innovation, the most basic human needs and interests remain constant. It is these needs and interests that should be better addressed through new technology. To this end, The New York Times Company uses the participatory capability of the Internet to communicate with its audience on an enhanced scale, and to learn the as much as possible about its audience and their preferences.

In order to increase organizational sustainability, Sulzberger recommended that leaders promote interactivity. He commented that the parallel elements of community and personalization are the building blocks for a new form of discourse that will have far-reaching effects. Both are profound democratizing forces, and The New York Times Company strives to promote them by becoming a central place for public narrative. Through linking to outside sources, creating blogs, and soliciting reader comments, the media company encourages interactivity and dialogue.

When The New York Times Company decided to actively pursue new technologies, a Research and Development Department was established to explore the capabilities and best uses of technology for reaching target audiences. Although these technologies help to expand options for readers, Sulzberger emphasized that innovation should complement rather than replace current offerings. For example, users are now able to read the print edition of the newspaper in the morning, continue browsing articles on personal digital assistants (PDAs) during their commutes, and track news online throughout the workday.

In closing, Sulzberger noted that the Research and Development Department at The New York Times Company has found that the Millennial Generation consumes less news than previous generations, but has a higher practice of sharing that news with a wide variety of contacts and audiences. Research has also suggested that this generation encourages commitment to community, articulates concern about the outside world, and generates optimism in a rapidly changing environment. To make the most effective use of these tendencies, Sulzberger emphasized constant learning and adaptation as vital tools for the next generation of Tufts leaders.

~ By Christie Wren (MALD ’09)

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