Schwarz

Upcoming book talk

Daniel Schwarz will speak about the issues he discusses in his book at the Cornell Club in New York City, March 12. For information, visit the Cornell Club NYC online.

In his new book, "Endtimes? Crises and Turmoil at The New York Times, 1999-2009," Cornell Professor Daniel R. Schwarz takes an in-depth look at 10 difficult years in the recent life of America's most esteemed newspaper.

"I have had a lifelong love affair with The New York Times," Schwarz writes in his introduction to the book, published by State University of New York Press.

 

He will discuss the book March 6 at 4:30 p.m. in the A.D. White House Guerlac Room, followed by a reception. The lecture is free and presented by the Jewish Studies Program, Departments of Near Eastern Studies and English, and the Society for the Humanities.

The first decade of the 21st century was not kind to the Times, which was beset with self-inflicted troubles -- including a series of fictitious articles by Times reporter Jayson Blair and false stories about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- and pressure to respond to growing competition from online outlets and 24-hour cable news.

Schwarz's book discusses virtually every aspect of the contemporary Times, from columnists to cultural coverage; and how it has responded to constant updating in broadcast and online news by providing increased analysis -- as opposed to reporting -- of the news, and adding features on health, investing, travel and food.

Starting in 2004, Schwarz interviewed more than 40 Times insiders, such as publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., every living executive editor, and senior business managers.

He says the book places "the Times in the context of the evolution of newspapers from print to digital, as well as taking account of the changing economic realities of the newspaper business."

The book details the transformation of the Times as it has confronted various challenges, and provides a critical account of its strengths and weaknesses in responding to and surviving in today's media environment, including its survival as a print newspaper.

Schwarz, the Frederic J. Whiton Professor of English Literature and a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow, has taught at Cornell since 1968. His 15 books include "In Defense of Reading: Teaching Literature in the 21st Century" (2008), "Broadway Boogie Woogie: Damon Runyon and the Making of New York City Culture" (2003), "Imagining the Holocaust" (1999) and several volumes of literary criticism including "Reading Joyce's Ulysses" (1987).

Schwarz will also give book talks April 18 at 4 p.m. in Olin Library's Amit Bhatia '01 Libe Café and April 23 at 4 p.m. at the Cornell Store.