175 Years, Five Generations: How a Newspaper Weathered Presidents and the Internet

A newspaper’s survival across 175 years and five generations offers a story of resilience in the face of presidential pressure and digital disruption, according to publisher Arthur Gregg Sulzberger.

Sulzberger describes how the paper escaped the threat of digital collapse and reached 13 million subscribers. He attributes that survival to family stewardship focused on investing in quality journalism and protecting editorial independence.

In his account, family ownership is more than a matter of succession. It provides the foundation for an approach that places the strength of the newsroom and its freedom to report at the heart of the business.

The lesson Sulzberger draws is that adapting to the internet need not mean abandoning those principles. His explanation for the paper’s endurance links its subscription growth to a sustained commitment to journalism rather than a retreat from it.