New York Times on the Web Forums
Science
Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a
nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a
"Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed
considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense
initiatives more successful? Can such an application of
science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable,
necessary or impossible?
Read Debates, a new
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lchic
- 10:44pm Nov 7, 2003 EST (#
16813 of 16832) ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has
to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong
foundation
Howdy Neighbour / Arthur Sulzberger
"" ..... My job – your job – is not to make policy, but
rather to help our citizens understand the issues they face
and the choices their leaders make. And that job has become
both more complex and more important. Our readers need to know
not only what President Bush says and does, but also what
Chancellor Schröder thinks and how he is responding to the
challenges of this tumultuous era.
Ever since the first newspaper was published in Germany in
1605, each generation feels a closer connection to those
further and further away. To state the obvious, the
communication revolution is turning us all into virtual
neighbors. Through that, our world is being shaken and
transformed in ways that is surprising even the most visionary
futurists. ....
The "Age of Proximity" has arrived and it is not just about
enhanced access to news and information. It is about something
far more important. It's about the emergence of an authentic
global culture and the forging of new rules of social
engagement that are reconfiguring human interaction at a very
basic level.
Of course, as with all technological upheavals, there is
discord and disruption. Individuals, businesses and
governments are trying to come to grips with the seismic
ramifications of this electronic revolution. .....
While I could wax poetically about how the Internet, cell
phones, terrestrial repeaters, PDAs, broadband and fiber
optics are becoming the brick and mortar of postmodern society
and possibly even the impetus for a more rational
international exchange; it is time to ask a very important
question that will have a dramatic effect on all our bottom
lines:
Are these changes good for the newspaper industry? (After
all, isn't this what we are really discussing today?)
My answer is yes.
But we must develop an even greater insight into how this
communication revolution is affecting our way of life and
begin to reflect this new understanding in how we cover our
communities and how we report on the world. ....
As readers become more curious about new cuisine, new
architecture, new music, new industries, new technology and
virtually everything else, they will look for trustworthy
sources of information and a reliable guide … and these are
things we have always done very well, for a very long time.
What these audiences also find very exciting is the
democratization of information. You can find virtually
anything you want to know on the Internet – and some things
you definitely don't want to know. These audiences are also
growing to appreciate the fact that that they no longer have
to be an expert in a particular area to learn a lot about a
specific topic or find out about a new breaking development.
And as we have learned in representative government, when
people feel more personally involved, their interest … and
their participation substantially increases. ....
Another integral element in our global aspirations is The
New York Times on the Web, where 17 percent of our users come
from outside the United States. .....
Learning how to operate in this new era, with its
innumerable technological, geographical, and demographic
challenges is The New York Times Company's top priority. It
has required a lot of very difficult and even painful
discussions about what is important and what isn't, which
traditions are absolutely sacred and which can be discarded. I
am sure that most of you have gone through a similar,
gut-wrenching process.
For The Times, the major intellectual and cultural leap was
to recognize that we had to be "platform-agnostic." To succeed
in this multiple media world, we have to follow our customers.
....
.... newspapers remain very transportable. You can take
them anywhere, no recharging required. ....
Now, in 2003, we are in the midst of our second ten-year
plan. We are committed to building our portfolio of multiple
media properties aimed at captur
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New York Times on the Web Forums
Science
Missile Defense
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