It would be a mistake, though, to ignore the fact that human nature is a constant. The uniform desire — nay, need — to be informed has obtained since the birth of civilization. “The newspaper is an article of primary necessity,” the Sun’s pioneering 19th century editor, Charles Dana, once said. “You must have your breakfast, but you must have your newspaper too.” Indeed, news consumption on the whole remains high.
It seems, then, that what appears as a contraction is in fact a form of correction. The market is offering a vigorous reminder of its most enduring truth, that a newspaper’s primary customer is its reader. It’s a principle that in many quarters has faded over time, more so amid the industry upheaval that has in recent decades accompanied the digital revolution. This and other factors have led to a realignment of priorities at many of our country’s most storied publishers. They have come to serve other masters.
First among them are advertisers. The temptation is understandable. They’ve long paid the newsman’s bills. The Sun, we must confess, played a role in introducing this model. As the first penny daily, it sold for a fraction of the price of competitor papers. It pioneered front-page advertising to offset the lower subscription price. Later, Charles Dana was described as being “barely tolerant” of advertisers and dreamed of a newspaper that was wholly supported by readers.
Other papers have come to prioritize the politics, leading to a deliberate effort to downplay important stories of public interest. There have been newspapers acquired as status symbols by billionaires and deployed as ideological playthings. Others have been designed or repurposed as government organs. The Telegraph in Britain, a fine newspaper, is now at risk of being swallowed up by the United Arab Emirates.
There are even calls for government funding of newspapers and journalism en masse, a terrible idea, and fully incompatible with the democratic vision of a free press.
At the Sun, we hold the view that the opportunity remains greater than ever for any newspaper that is compiled with a view to serve the reader above all. In the words of Charles Dana, a newspaper “must correspond to the wants of the people. It must furnish that sort of information which the people demand, or else it can never be successful.”
Our aim is for every interaction with the Sun to inform, educate, inspire, and uplift our readers. To do battle on their behalf to protect the “social freedom” that our republic is in danger of entirely losing. So that “every intellectual plant grows vigorously and bears its fruit without hindrance from any quarter.”
We’ve been encouraged by the public reception so far. I’m pleased to report that our readership has grown by more than 300 percent over the past year. Paying memberships, sustaining the Sun’s journalism, have grown by 500 percent. We’ve added new, exciting talent to our newsroom. Daily we hear from young people who are hopeful about making a career of journalism.
We’re not guided by the subjective and parochial analysis of what might be decreed “fit to print.” We’re a paper that for nearly 200 years has borne the promise to “shine for all.” That means relentlessly seeking the benefit and welfare of our readers and all of the public which we serve. Nothing less will do for the Sun.
So may I take this occasion to express, on behalf of my colleagues as well as myself, my sincerest thanks to each of you who have joined us over the past year. And to declare that our arms are held open to all Americans who have yet to make the Sun their home.
