Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk [Hardcover]

Davis Merritt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2005

"The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is clear: Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of the press. And yet a force seemingly even more powerful than the supreme law of the land threatens one of our nation's most precious guarantors of freedom. For more than two centuries, American newspapers have collected, organized, and disseminated the information that makes democracy possible. Occasional opponents of a free press have not been able to cripple newspapers and despite dire predictions, neither have radio, television, or the Internet. But greed can kill American newspapers, thus eliminating the crucial synergy between journalism and democracy. The reality that newspapers must remain financially viable has always dictated compromises between the competing missions of profit and public service. But in recent years the essential balancing of those missions has been replaced by a single-minded pursuit of profit. Whether the chosen method is scaling back of content, cutting corners to control costs, or dismantling the traditional wall separating the news and business departments, the result is the same: the watering down of newspaper journalism, which is the core of all American journalism. Without fundamental change in newspapers' corporate boardrooms, the flow of information that Americans need to govern themselves will dry up. In Knightfall, Davis "Buzz" Merritt, a 40-year newspaperman whose career runs parallel to the seismic shift in journalism's landscape, examines one notable exemplar of this growing trend, Knight Ridder, America's second-largest newspaper company with holdings including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Miami Herald, the Detroit Free Press, and the Mercury News in San Jose. Merritt was a participant-observer in the 1974 marriage of two newspaper companies, a union that seemed made in heaven. Knight Newspapers' longstanding tradition of excellence in journalism coupled with Ridder Publications' business savvy should have created a unique company offering the best of both worlds. That it did not happen is a reflection of complex changes in American society and the realities of modern business pressures driven by Wall Street. There are no pure heroes or pure villains in this story; the players were doing what their training, background, and respective family histories urged them to do. But the story's outcome is ominous for American democracy. Merritt's personal accounts of the 30 years since the merger illustrate the degree to which what we know is being limited. Further, his portraits of key figures, analysis of societal changes, and dozens of interviews with others who were (and are) there reveal that not only is he on target, he is also not alone in his unsettling conclusions. A free press is a cornerstone of our democracy. The erosion of that foundation is a catastrophe in the making: the real possibility that the kind of journalism that gave rise to -- and preserves -- our democracy will disappear."

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With more than 40 years of experience with the Knight and Knight Ridder newspaper empire, Merritt is well positioned to analyze how that venerable news organization and American journalism in general are struggling to reconcile the role of the press in a democracy with the pressure to produce profits. He traces the history of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain from the 1974 merger of two media empires and analyzes the forces that have slowly chipped away at its ability to maintain the integrity for which it has long been known. Merritt points to changes in American culture, including the rise of technology and the decline in newspaper reading as well as the enormous profit demands of investors, which have eroded the line between the editorial and business operations of newspapers. Drawing on interviews and his own recollections, Merritt details the personalities and events that caused many editors and publishers--including Merritt--to leave Knight Ridder as business and editorial interests clashed. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"""A daily newspaper can be regarded as a business not intrinsically different from making coat hangers or carpets. But to do so is to disregard the central role of newspapers and quality journalism in the democratic life of our communities and nation. Buzz Merritt presents a detailed social analysis of the trends that have undercut journalism’s critical role in public life. To understand where we are, how we got here, and where we need to go, invest some time in Knightfall.""

-- Maxwell McCombs, Jesse H. Jones Centennial Chair, School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

""Knightfall lifts the thin veil of corporate respectability from the long, steady suffocation of America’s newspapers. Merritt’s compelling case study is Knight Ridder -- yet the same sad story is playing out in print and broadcast newsrooms across the land. The slow but sure victory of outlandish profits over civic health endangers us all. To respond, we must understand. Start here.""

-- Geneva Overholser, Professor, Missouri School of Journalism, former editor, Des Moines Register

""Merritt presents a sweeping account of the changes in journalism that are having an impact on the role newspapers play in our democracy. No one is in a better position to explain why than Merritt, whose views are informed by more than 40 years as a journalist. He is both an insightful professional and a dedicated citizen.""

-- David Mathews, President, Kettering Foundation

""The story of the newspaper business in the 20th century is like a Sophocles play where the protagonists can see that their actions will lead to doom, but they are powerless to stop. Buzz Merritt built his career in the middle of this real-life tragedy, and his well-written case study helps us to understand the entire industry.""

-- Philip Meyer, author, The Vanishing Newspaper

""Knightfall is a troubling and revealing account of what happens to journalism when it is yoked to the insatiable demands of Wall Street. It will resonate and reverberate in newsrooms, and should be required reading for anyone concerned about journalism and the future of democracy. Buzz Merritt’s status as an insider gives this hard-hitting book unusual credibility.""

-- Gilbert Cranberg, former editor of the Des Moines Register’s editorial pages; George H. Gallup Professor Emeritus, University of Iowa"

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (March 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814408540
• ISBN-13: 978-0814408544
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,823,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars future of newspapers, August 27, 2005

By 

J. Wellington (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk (Hardcover)

Since I'm the periphery of the print advertising industry, the future of the newspaper industry is asked a lot. Every corporate decision above me has this in mind. Can the newspaper industry be saved? Or will it go become something more like letter writing - a lost art that is rarely used anymore.

This is the story of Knight-Ridder from the editor of a Wichita editor from inside the beast. Davis "Buzz" Merritt believes that the newspaper industry has survived radio, television, and Internet and survived. All these things are supposed to be the death knell of newspapers but they continue to trudge forward. Merritt laments that it's the short-term thinking of profit for shareholders and "suits" that have ruined the quality of journalism.

In the "golden age" of newspapers, there was a wall between advertisers and journalists. Communication was minimized to discourage any tainting of the journalistic endeavors. The jobs of journalists were to find the truth, report it and not worry about how much it cost. Journalists were NOT supposed to write what people wanted ... or newspaper would be all fluff. There was honor in journalism to ask the hard questions.

This book was written by a (somewhat) disgruntled editor that thinks that restoring the wall and giving journalists and editors to research and write (not balance budgets) at the expense of profits will eventually save the industry in the long-term. Though radio, television, 24 hour news channels, direct mail, and Internet did not kill newspapers, they slowly have eroded the readership base. The mini-monopoly of newspapers is losing ground every year.

There is a strong resentment toward Wall Street's insistence that profits and revenues grow every quarter. It makes me wonder what the rest of the story is when profit margins are increased and applauded by Wall Street.

Improving the quality of the newspaper will not save the industry. The newspaper industry will not disappear overnight but there are more than a few grey hairs on its head.

I recommend that you read this book if you read or at one point regularly read a lot of any newspaper.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As the Title Says, August 6, 2005

By 

Robert W. Weeks "Bob" (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk (Hardcover)

The theme of this book, written by a former editor of The Wichita Eagle is that over the past few decades, the business of making newspapers has changed from a business unlike any other to a business just like all others, and we are not well served by this change.

I think the most important quote from the book is this:

With a handful of exceptions, American newspapers are being eroded, their traditional values subverted, their journalistic resources stripped away, their dedication to public service and local communities hallowed out, leaving a thin shell of public relations gimmicks that pretend to be public service and entertainment that pretends to be news.

Newspapers are important. They provide the common set of information that we, as a democracy, can use to work through the issues that face us. Although most people now get news from television and Internet sources, the basis for much of this news content is newspapers.

How is newspaper journalism different from journalism that happens to be in a newspaper? The answer is that newspaper journalism is "not shaped by a limiting technology," such as a television broadcast; it values completeness over immediacy, it is lengthier and deeper than other sources of journalism, its goal is relevance rather than entertainment, and opinion and analysis is presented separately from news.

What has changed?

External changes have worked against newspapers. The baby boomer generation has not read newspapers with the same frequency as their parents. The fact that most newspapers are now publicly owned means that Wall Street pushes for ever-increasing profits. Newspapers, Mr. Merritt says, are a long-term investment and don't fare well in today's short-term investment climate. Technology changes, including the Internet, have been difficult for newspapers to adapt to.

Internal changes have occurred, too. The "creeping corporatism" of the national chains such as Knight Ridder has distanced newspapers from their local communities. The rise of Management By Objective (MBO) in the newsroom has caused editors to make journalistically unwise decisions. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the wall that has separated the journalism side from the business side of the newspaper business has all but crumbled.

Is there a solution on the horizon that will bring back the great tradition of newspaper journalism across America? Mr. Merritt presents several possible solutions, but I have the sense that he doesn't place much hope that any will succeed in the near future.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand newspapers and their important role in our country.

Reading this book has helped me understand why our local newspaper is the way it is, which is to say I understand why it so poorly serves our community. It also reinforces my belief that I should spend less time watching television news and spend more time reading the important newspapers of our country: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Christian Science Monitor. All these newspapers place their content on the Internet through their web sites. The Wall Street Journal costs $6.95 monthly, but the other newspapers are free to read, although you may have to register.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Insider's View of What We Have All Suspected, March 28, 2005

By 

Christopher Byrne "The Business Controls Caddy" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk (Hardcover)

On first glance, I was not sure if a review of Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How The Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy At Risk, by Davis Merritt (242 pages, American Management Association, 2005) would fit in the context of what I normally write. But as I read the book on Saturday evening, I found that although there was not necessarily a direct correlation on its face, the whole underlying theme of segregation of duties/responsibility resonated with me. Why? Because like in the business environment, the break down of barriers in corporate owned newspapers is significantly eroding journalistic integrity, and according to Merritt, puts the notion of Democracy at risk.

Right up front, Merritt admits his bias. As a former editor with Knight Ridder Newspapers, he was present at the beginning of this conglomerate. The merger between Knight, which focused on journalistic integrity, and Ridder, which focused on the bottom line, provides the backdrop for the perfect case study of what happens when two corporations with totally opposite core values and culture come together, and in this case how the bottom line becomes the driver when key mistakes are made in structuring the corporation.

The book does not flow as easily as others I have recently read and at times Merritt unnecessarily repeats himself. but he does manage to weave a story that starts back in the 19th Century when the two companies were originally formed. He examines what was fundamentally different in the two families, one small, and one large with many sons who needed businesses. The story then evolves into one of corporate positioning and internal culture wars as the two organizations tried to meld. Much like the merger of Lotus Development Corporation and IBM, the culture wars left many casualties and bad feelings as the integration slowly moved through the years.

It was during this time frame that Merritt went from being a journalist and editor focused on journalistic integrity to becoming a bean counter with orders to constantly cut costs. He uses a simple metric to show this decay: the number of Pulitzer Prizes won. What has happened over the past decade is that corporate owned newspapers with only one class of stock, and therefore beholden to Wall Street analysts and short term profit motives, have experienced a sharp decline in the number of Pulitzer Prizes as compared to newspapers such as the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Another disturbing trend Merritt notes is the decline of ethics in journalism, citing not front page stories like Jayson Blair, but other cases he has personally been involved in with his own subordinates. In the examples he gives, stronger business controls would have detected and prevented the transgressions. But this is the rub. Like academia, journalists bristle at any kind of controls as being a violation of their first amendment rights. It also leads to very public embarrassments.

So how does this all put democracy at risk? It happens, according to Merritt, by putting the bottom line above doing responsible, in-depth journalism which o other medium as the time of resources to do well. Blogs, he acknowledges have a place, but still are without traditional journalistic review standards for accuracy. Given limited budgets, newspapers no longer are able to cover issues of importance to the public and uncover important stories such as Watergate. The question is whether this is journalistic arrogance (and Merritt admits he has been called as such in his fight with the corporate world) or a very real truth worth reflecting on.

If you are interested in reading an insider's view of this decay, this book may be worth a read. If you don't have the time to read it, just look at the newspapers produced by Knight-Ridder and decide if it is puff journalism or the real thing. And then ask yourselves if this is what you want from your newspapers, especially when even the worst ones make incredibly large profit margins.

Scorecard: Par on an Average Par 4