Deadlines and Disruption: My Turbulent Path from Print to Digital

by Stephen B. Shepard

A Top Editor’s Take on the State of Journalism Today―and His Prescient Forecast of Its Future “This is a personal and insightful book about one of the most important questions of our time: how will journalism make the transition to the digital age? Steve Shepard made that leap bravely when he went from being a great magazine editor to the first dean of the City University of New York journalism school. His tale is filled with great lessons for us all.”
―Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs “An insightful and convivial account of a bright, bountiful life dedicated to words, information and wonder.”
―Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "This is two compelling books in one: Shepard’s story of his life in print journalism, and a clearheaded look at the way journalism is evolving due to electronic media, social networking, and the ability of anyone with a computer and an opinion to make him- or herself heard."
―Booklist Shepard's book will resonate with many and should be read by anyone interested in the flow of information today and its simpact on society as a whole."
―Library Journal “The book is in part a memoir, a tale of a life lived at the height of print journalism when print journalism itself was at its height. But it is also an analysis, an examination of the new challenges facing an old industry as it ambles and occasionally sprints its way into the digital age.”
―The Washington Post About the Book: “My personal passage is, in many ways, a microcosm of the larger struggle within the journalism profession to come to terms with the digital reckoning. Will the new technologies enhance journalism . . . or water it down for audiences with diminished attention spans? What new business models will emerge to sustain quality journalism?” Stephen B. Shepard has seen it all. Editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek for more than 20 years, Shepard helped transform the magazine into one of the most respected voices of its time. But after his departure, he saw it collapse―another victim of the digital age. In Deadlines and Disruption , Shepard recounts his five decades in journalism―a time of radical transformations in the way news is developed, delivered, and consumed. Raised in the Bronx, Shepard graduated from City College and Columbia, joined BusinessWeek as a reporter, and rose to the top editorial post. He has closed the circle by returning to the university that spawned him, founding the Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. In the digital age, anyone can be a journalist. Opinion pieces are replacing original reporting as the coin of the realm. And an entire generation is relying on Facebook friends and Twitter feeds to tell them what to read. Is this the beginning of an irreversible slide into third-rate journalism? Or the start of a better world of interactive, multimedia journalism? Will the news industry live up to its responsibility to forge a well-informed public? Shepard tackles all the tough questions facing journalists, the news industry, and, indeed, anyone who understands the importance of a well-informed public in a healthy democracy. The story of Shepard’s career is the story of the news industry―and in Deadlines and Disruption , he provides peerless insight into one of the most critical issues of our time.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Business

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 21, 2012

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

You get two books in one. First comes the author's memoir, the story of a Bronx kid who goes from City College to Newsweek to editor in chief of BusinessWeek and induction into the magazine hall of fame. Then comes a tight and cogent examination of how journalism is changing as this old-media world crumbles. What unifies the book is the author's rigorous analytical perspective. Shepard rose to the top on his talents as an analytical journalist - a magazine writer and editor who excels at finding the strands that link together events and give them larger meaning. He brings these same powers to bear in his new role, as founding dean of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, making sense of chaotic change and showing the way toward journalism's renewal. Disclaimer: I work for the guy, and my wife worked with him for years. Lucky us!

[Geir Ruud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about the old paper reporter and editor opening up his mind to the digital life - and bulding the journalism school for the future.

It probably helps to be in the business, if you wnt to read it.

[Adam F · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for budding editors looking for their place in the digital world of news reporting. A book my daughter bought for me because of my recent urge to write a memoir. A book I would never have thought to pick up at a bookstore, let alone read through entirely.

The autobiography of Stephen B Shepard. He spent 50 years in journalism and witnessed first hand the transformation of media news. As Editor-in-Chief of BusinessWeek he created a well respected magazine and after he stepped down 20 years later, watched it become a victim during the age of digital reporting. Now anyone can write a story and publish it on the Internet. When he replaced Lew Young in 1984, he knew BusinessWeek had to change. "...after nearly two years auditioning for the role, I was able to move quickly. On my very first day, like a new president issuing an executive order, I sent a memo instituting bylines for reporters and writers on all stories, shattering the voice of God anonymity that had prevailed for 55 years." Shepard was following Ed Kosner of Newsweek, the first news magazine to give credit to their writers. He continues, "To buttress the message, I created a Publisher's Award to be given every month for the best stories, awarding $500 to the winner and acknowledging several strong runners-up. It was an effective way to communicate what I wanted, and it reinforced my own management mantra: praise in public, criticize in private."

After 20 years at BusinessWeek, at the age of 65, Shepard was thinking about "starting from scratch a completely new graduate school of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY). It would be the first publicly supported master's program in journalism in the entire northeastern United States, and I would be its first dean." Stephen Shepard did not "...want just another journalism school." He did just that. Read about his experiences and learn from a pro. Read, Deadlines and Disruption, My Turbulent Path from Print to Digital.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book we're quite interesting, such as the author's time as editor of Business Week, and coverage of such events like the insider trading scandals of the 80's, and the dot.com stock craze of the late 90's/early 2000's. Additionally, I enjoyed the analysis of the author's predictions of the future of journalism, (although some of it is probably dated since the book was written 10 years ago).

Not as interesting was the formation of the CUNY journalism school, and some of the details such as the architecture off the building.

An ok book-I have gained new perspectives into journalism.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle drew me to this book as well as the shortage of current titles touching on the sweeping changes we're facing as journalists. However, turbulent isn't the word I'd choose for Stephen B. Shepard's path.

The bulk of this book is a straight-forward, thoughtful memoir of someone who had a noteworthy career in magazines. As the bookflap says, when Shepard stepped down from his role as editor-in-chief of Business Week in 2005, we were already seeing sweeping changes because of the Internet and market forces. That doesn't seem to have much impact on Shepard's career path although he has some interesting observations about the decline of magazine publishing.

The timing of his retirement was right for him to accept the challenge of being the founding dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York. Here's where digital comes in, because the university was well-positioned to include multi-media and digital in its curriculum when other schools didn't. Shepard discusses the decision-making process that went into designing and developing these innovative programs. This is interesting, but from the academic point of view of how to educate future journalists rather than the nuts-and-bolts of adapting to sweeping changes that working journalists are facing on the job.

It isn't until the final six chapters of the book that Shepard focuses on the future of print journalism and news reporting in a digital age -- the very real problem of finding a business model that will support the core values of journalism. These chapters serve only as a snapshot of a few approaches, and he's understandably conservative about predicting what will last. The chapter, "Digital Dimes: Will Advertising Support Journalism?," explains why Internet advertising is not likely to ever support watchdog journalism. "Getting Users to Pay Their Way" is a good discussion of the dilemmas of pay walls.

The chapter "Will the Daily Bugle Survive" is a curiousity. Citing as his source, "the archive of my imagination," Shepard describes the strategy of a hypothetical daily metropolitan newspaper as if he were interviewing its imaginary CEO. This is a major shift from the fact-based approach throughout his book. And, some readers will note immediately that the strategy described in ths chapter is not imaginary. Maybe the copyright date of 2013 explains why he didn't use real life examples as he did with other strategies. Speaking for myself, I'm not comfortable with the results.

In all, I didn't give this book a higher rating because the subtitle raised my hopes that it would be something different from what it is. I'd understand if those who feel they are on their own "turbulent path from print to digital" skipped ahead to the final six chapters. Those concerned about journalism education may find the sections on how the school at CUNY was established interesting without reading all of his life story up to that point. I'm reluctant to pan his personal memoirs -- I believe it's an honest account, and he's strived to maintain objectivity and accuracy about both his personal and professional life. He was editor-in-chief of Business Week during a pivotal time and handled some breaking news of historical significance, so it's good that this has been documented.

[Patrick Neylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shepard's book promises a look at the changing nature of journalism, but it's more of an autobiography with a few short think-pieces at the end. His account of growing up in New York, falling in love with journalism and becoming the very successful editor of BusinessWeek is interesting without being gripping and personal without being revealing. Throughout the book he is at pains to mention the names of all the big beasts he met (star CEOs and presidents) and the names of all those who helped him along the way, such that at times the book resembles a very long retirement speech. Perhaps that's what it is.

He is good on the ethics of journalism and honest about his mistakes, and there are some interesting anecdotes about some of his struggles with awkward business people and legal battles, but generally the book lacks bite. His insights into the change to digital journalism and the crisis of newspapers are certainly interesting, although there isn't enough depth to justify buying the book for these alone.

All in all, it's a pretty solid three stars.

Quibbles? The fact that you're a star editor doesn't mean you're immune from mistakes. He (or his editor) should know that it's 'card sharp' not 'card shark', and that the plural of 'syllabus' isn't 'syllabi'. And his summary of the articles published in his time at BusinessWeek needed a maths check, unless the average length of stories during those two decades really was 100 words.

[Mark Tatge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book by former Business Week magazine editor Stephen Shepard (1984-2005). Shepard recounts his triumphs at Business Week. There is no disputing that Business Week was a great magazine under Shepard's leadership. It broke many stories and won many awards. But it is also true that Shepard left the publication ill prepared for the changes that followed. By the time Shepard left in 2005, the transition to Web publishing was well underway. One has to ask: Did Shepard know Business Week was falling apart? Four years after Shepard left, McGraw Hill contemplated closing the magazine. Readers looking for insights into this fact will be disappointed. Instead of closing Business Week, McGraw sold it to Bloomberg in 2009 for $5 million, plus assumed debt of $31 million. It is true that no one could have predicted the devastating impact the Internet would have on print advertising. Yet, it is puzzling that a more detailed account of the impact of this development on Business Week and other print publications is neglected in this very readable memoir. To read more about the rise of digital media and its impact on traditional journalism, turn to: www.tellingdigitalstories.com.

[judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 2013--the first problem. I checked it out to see if journalism has a future. Evidently we don't know yet. Lots of solid professionals are struggling with how journalism can make money or even be a respectable non-profit. My own theory would be that we don't have the technology yet and, sadly, we may have to re-define what we consider news. If you are an old timer, this book may help you recognize the disaster that is already overtaking our profession. As the author points out, he has been chosen to start a modern J-school masters program with the aim of bringing in more minority students. Even with that assignment, he sometimes finds himself tripping over the past. The past is something we all have to forget to forge a new beginning. He has first rate journalists working on the problem. I'd settle for 3rd rate computer geeks to help me know what may be possible. Where is Ray Kurzweil when we need him?

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longtime editor of BusinessWeek describes his career in magazine publishing, the ways in which the Internet altered the traditional business model of newspapers and magazines, and where things might go from here. I found it a couple years after the book came out, so probably unfair to hold to a standard of currency, but if you follow this industry at all or read newspapers, the spotting-of-trends stuff will not be news to you (some are shifting cost burden from disappearing ads base to the readers of their digital content, etc.).

More interesting part to me was his memoir, especially the tale of starting a journalism school at CUNY as founding Dean, after he retired from BusinessWeek. Energetic guy even toward the end of his career, and gives you a sense of the many tough curricular and personnel decisions, fundraising challenges, etc. involved in getting such a project going.

[Richard Uhlhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent memoir of life as an editor of a major magazine. Beyond the "I did this" stuff and into the changes facing the publishing industry, it raises some serious questions about where journalism is headed.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.