Reflections on Change: The Life of a Newspaper

The International Herald Tribune recorded history and now is part of history, as the paper becomes the International New York Times. For some, it’s a name change and, for others, an end of an era. Newspapers document change and must deal with change themselves, explains Serge Schmemann, the Tribune’s editorial page editor, in the final edition. The essay reads like an obituary, marking end and legacy: “the DNA of a great paper is defined by the evolution of the complex and intimate interplay of reader and editor, owner and technology.” The tribute to the Tribune includes stories from the previous century and photos of readers from around the globe mesmerized by stories of great and unusual events. The global newspaper was “a child of revolutionary technological advances,” including expanding wealth, and inventions like the telegraph and steamships that allowed for faster connections among the continents. The methods for delivering and reading news may evolve, but human curiosity for local and global news remains intact. – YaleGlobal