Knight-Ridder Corp.

The Basic Story Regarding Knight-Ridder and Information Systems

Knight-Ridder has historically been aggressive in pursuing computer-based strategies. It had an earlier experience with an on-line approach in Florida in the late 1960s and early 70s called Viewtron that was a financial disaster. Improvements in IT enabled the San Jose Mercury News to try its Mercury Center approach to become one of the very first newspapers to provide an on-line service. The San Jose Mercury News was the recipient of a number of awards for its Mercury Center approach.

Much has now changed as there are hundreds of similar approaches both within the U.S. and on an international basis. As indicated by a number of the following articles, Knight-Ridder, as well as the entire newspaper industry, is trying to determine the best possible business model to assure their future success. An acceptable premise is that editors need vision and chief financial officers need the right kind of numbers. For future success, newspapers need both and a good understanding of the potential represented by and the threat of information technology.

Newspaper Industry

• Facts About Newspapers
  
• US Daily Newspaper Advertising Expenditures
  
• Does Big Mean Bad?
  
• 2001: From Bad To Worse, But Newspapers Proved Their Value
  
• Tabloids, Talk Radio, Future of News: Technology's Impact on Journalism
  
• Ridder: Online Products Won't Kill Print Cousins
  

Knight-Ridder and Rivals

• Knight-Ridder Web Page
  
• Knight-Ridder: Who Owns What?
  
• Rating the Best Newspapers
  
• With Strategic Alliances, the Map Gets Messy
  
• Information Revolution (per Tony Ridder)
  
• Tony Ridder Outlook for Newspaper
  
• Technology On The Front Page: Publisher Knight Ridder Sees IT, And The Web, As An Enormous Opportunity To Expand Its Business
  
• Tony Ridder Just Can't Win
• Gannett Corp. Web Page
  
• New York Times Web Page
  
• Tribune Web Page
  
• Dow Jones Web Page
  
• Bloomberg Web Page
  
• Knight Moves
  
• U.S. Papers Cutting Staff
  
• Cutbacks Crisis
  
• Knight-Ridder Post 9/11
  
• Tony Ridder Responds (to management criticism)
  
• Knight-Ridder 2004 Goals
  

Industry Organizations

• Newspaper Association of America
  
• The Newspaper Industry
  
• Editor and Publisher Interactive (See Steven Outing articles)
  
• Steven Outing and Planetary News
  
• Columbia Journalism Review
  
• New Media Trends
  

Knight-Ridder and Information Systems

• Knight Ridder Digital Management
  
• RealCities.com (San Jose Mercury News)
  
• Knight Ridder and New Media: If You Can't Beat 'Em...
  
• Technology On The Front Page
  
• The Future of Technology and Its Impact on Newspapers
  

Key People within Knight-Ridder and The San Jose Mercury News

• Tony Ridder, Chairman and CEO, Knight-Ridder
• Steve Rossi, President, Newspaper Division
• Dan Finnigan, President of Knight Ridder New Media
  
• Sharon Mandell, Knight-Ridder Vice President/Technology
  
• George Riggs, Chairman and Publisher, The San Jose Mercury News
  
• Dave Bauer, Vice President, Technology, San Jose Mercury News

Some Tips on Doing a Paper on Knight-Ridder and the San Jose Mercury News

• This is a funnel down paper. Start with a focus on Knight-Ridder as one of the major newspaper comglomerates in the U.S. and then introduce the San Jose Mercury News as one of its major publications with the intent of discussing Mercury Center as an example of an IT strategy and implementation in Section III of the paper.
• The Porter Competitive Model analysis should use the San Jose Mercury News and the Bay Area as the defined market.
• Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.
• The basic tenets of journalism: balance, accuracy, leadership, accessibility, credibility and news judgment.
• The Bloomberg Web page is cited above. Is Bloomberg a competitor of the San Jose Mercury News? Yes? No? Maybe? Notice on the Bloomberg home page where it says Bloomberg also produces related media products for distribution in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Australia, and Asia. A challenge for the traditional newspapers is determining their more serious future competitors? As part of this determinination is selecting what is the right model for the future success of the San Jose Mercury News? Can it succeed in the future on its own or are key alliances critical to its future success?
• Remember that Mercury Center (now Bayarea.com) is like a user department relative to the IS organization that provides the traditional IS support. In newspapers this is editorial systems, publishing systems and business systems (including subscription, advertising, etc.) Mercury Center has no IS manager per se. They do have a web master. Comment on the importance of both the traditional information systems for the entire newspaper and the importance of IT to Mercury Center.

  Updated January 11, 2005

  Back