Dennis Ryerson, Editor of the Indianapolis Star Speaks to My Rotary Club on March 14, 2007   I was enthralled by every word spoken by this man who is an example of leadership and innovation in the newspaper publishing world. It's a world that is a log-rolling contest of trying to stay on top of and being a success. Dennis Ryerson, who interestingly is an Iowan of Norwegian heritage hails not far from my my wife Beverly's (also Norwegian) birthplace in southern Minnesota. He is Editor and Vice President of the Indianapolis Star newspaper. He spoke of a world in which it's not always easy to perceive what changes will come and how those who envision them will survive and thrive and those who don't will disappear. Indianapolis was the home of the first car factories making specialty cars such as the Dusenberg for the rich. Henry Ford in Detroit had a better idea: mass produce affordable autos for the middle class.  Detroit quickly became the world capital for auto manufacturing.  No one remembers the auto industry of Indianapolis.  He commented how once leaders in technology such as DEC Computers were masters of the mainframe. When the suggestion of personal computers for home use was brought to them, their response was "why would anyone want a computer at home?!"  They're out of business. At one time there were 1400 department store chains in the United States.  After Wal Mart, there are now only 14 major chains as many have merged or gone out of business. AT&T was reluctant to move into the mobile phone market, predicting that there would possibly be no more than 900,000 mobile phone sales a year by 2005.  Today, there are 900,000 cell phones sold every ten hours.  AT&T is non-existent today -- only the name has been salvaged and used by SBC because of its legendary origin. He then went on to speak about the challenges to the newspaper industry which has been declining and two years ago faced serious issues of survivability in the age of the Internet. Large newspapers such as the major daily in Dallas have laid off 100 people in the news bureau. Dennis Ryerson has not allowed what happened with other major industries happen in the Indianapolis Star.  The newspaper is not dead, but people because people want news and information 24/7.  At the Indy Star he calls what was once the news bureau, the "Information Center."  Internet has been seriously harnessed and is used give people information, that is not only news, but valuable day to day info. The Indianapolis Star has developed a number of websites that provide information that the hungry public demands. One of the more successful websites they have developed is www.indymoms.com that provides information and networks young mothers in Indiana.  He believes in creating custom content and filling critical needs. The outlet for for that content needs to become the center of conversation. This requires constant reorganization. One new information service will be the web posting of live locations of police and fire calls. People may be interested in looking to see what is happening in their neighborhood...especially if they are away from home! A question from our Club asked how such sites that require lots of maintenance are financed.  Advertising was the answer. There are plenty of advertisers who want to be on web pages visited by tens of thousands of young mothers daily.  I was impressed by Dennis Ryerson's keen business sense of not only providing solutions in a time of fragmenting audiences, but how to make sure that the service that is provided pays for itself. Mr. Ryerson had a lot of respect for the people who worked for him as he developed new ways of providing information. He believes in matching passion for a job with the job.  A newspaper is no longer a newspaper as we know it. It needs to Be a digital data base 24/7 Have custom content Be oriented to public service Be multimedia -- video/electronic Have local content Mr. Ryerson had previously served as the Editorial Page Editor of the San Jose Mercury News.  He was also editor at the renowned Des Moines Register and moderated three nationally television debates. He has also appeared on such broadcast programs as "Hardball" and "Meet the Press" as well as the National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." He is past president of The National Conference of Editorial Writers, has four times served as a Pulitzer Prize juror.

- by Victor Kubik vic@kubik.org