The defining aspects of great institutions are often described as core values, integrity and continuity. A bright example is our company, DallasNews Corporation, and its predecessors, Belo Corp., A. H. Belo Corporation, and A. H. Belo & Company.
Collectively, along with the Galveston County Daily News, they comprise the oldest continuously operating business in the state of Texas, dating back to 1842. When it comes to distinguished journalism, the quality of what is printed, posted or broadcast matters the most — in every instance.
Today, The Dallas Morning News became an important part of a great American company, Hearst. DallasNews Corporation will no longer be the parent company of The News. We should celebrate the fact that The News is now part of a larger, private entity that can provide the resources needed to enhance the likelihood that it will thrive as a journalistic enterprise promoting the well-being of Dallas and North Texas while holding public and private figures accountable for their actions and personal behavior.
In the digital media world, the viability of a standalone, journalism-centric newspaper like The News is becoming problematic. The board of DallasNews Corporation, which I served for 47 years until my retirement in 2023, made a wise decision in looking far into the future rather than fighting on against steep odds just to say we are locally controlled.
Opinion
While I do not concede easily, I am also a realist. And I am truly proud of our company, its board of directors, its management, and each one of our employees, present and past, so many of whom I have been privileged to count as steadfast colleagues. None of our achievements would have been possible without them and the unwavering support of my sister, Dealey Decherd Herndon, and my wife, Maureen.
DallasNews Corporation and its predecessor entities carved out a special place over the past 50 years. The merger with Hearst has sparked a steady flow of expressions, emails and notes from current and former colleagues who have said that their experience here has been both a gift and the highlight of their professional lives. How wonderful that is.
When I reflect on the journalistic peaks of our newspaper and broadcast companies, it’s gratifying that these achievements were recognized by many Pulitzer Prizes and record numbers of duPont-Columbia and George Foster Peabody awards. But what impressed me most is that few of our journalists who were so honored took themselves too seriously. That was the Belo way.
Journalism in its traditional form is a bedrock of American democracy. Any serious historian will endorse this notion. By “traditional form” I mean a structured process that begins with rigorous reporting, fact checking and an emotional distance from events being covered. Then, a series of editing steps that filter out bias and refine the quality of each story, visual and headline prior to publication. In the pre-internet world, this sequence benefited from the luxury of hours before a story went to press or was aired. Today, the sequence is more likely measured in minutes.
Thankfully, the few remaining great American newspapers and local news broadcasters have found ways to mitigate audiences’ susceptibility to immediate, wing-and-a-prayer delivery of accounts that are too often not actually “news” or even credible. It’s hard to imagine how a democratic society flourishes without the steady, reliable, independent and high-minded presence of news organizations like ours at The Dallas Morning News, amplified by a consistent, strong editorial page.
I am greatly reassured that the most senior leaders of Hearst are journalists at heart. My friend Frank Bennack, who created the modern-day Hearst, is a Texan who began his career at The San Antonio Light. The chief executive officer, Steve Swartz, was a decade behind me as an editor of The Harvard Crimson and began his career as a journalist at The Wall Street Journal. The head of Hearst’s Newspaper Division, Jeff Johnson, served as publisher of the Los Angeles Times prior to joining Hearst. So it is hardly surprising that I am attracted to Hearst as a worthy steward of the company my extended family has overseen for 140 years.
The best news is that my friend and colleague, Grant Moise, will continue in the role of president and publisher of The News. His commitment to journalism, reasoned editorial commentary and diverse views is exemplary. Everyone who knows the deep impact Grant has had on The News and the civic life of North Texas is applauding this deliberate choice by Hearst.
For my part, it has been a blessing beyond description to have led this great company for the better part of a half-century. The talented and ethical people who worked alongside me over these years helped create an organization that will stand out always as one built on principle, a sense of duty and humility.
My chance to play this role was presented by virtue of being a member of the family of a rare individual, my great-grandfather George Bannerman Dealey. Then, beginning in the late 1970s, the board of directors decided that a meritocracy was best for managing the company, and we were able to attract some of the most talented executives in the newspaper and television industries who were inspired by our intense focus on journalism and civic responsibility.
Early on, I came to understand that the resources essential to a great journalistic organization are allocated in the boardroom, not the newsroom, and by the company’s chief executive officer. I think we’ve done pretty well passing this mantle over the past 50 years.
To all those within and outside our company who embraced our enterprise and its beliefs, I extend my sincere thanks and best wishes.
Robert W. Decherd, a Dallas native, began his journalism career as editor of The ReMarker at St. Mark’s School of Texas, then as president of The Harvard Crimson. He spent most of his professional life in corporate roles at A. H. Belo Corporation, Belo Corp. and DallasNews Corporation, serving for decades as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors. He never lost his connection to the company’s newsrooms.