NEW YORK — Donald E. Newhouse, who led one of America’s largest family-owned publishing companies and previously served as board chairman of The Associated Press, has passed away at age 96, according to his family. He died Tuesday at his residence in New Jersey.
Throughout his lengthy career, Newhouse held the position of president at the Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, and led Advance Publications’ newspaper division, guiding the organization through the transition to digital media.
“You reveled in his company. He filled you with energy and humor when you felt doubtful and weak,” said Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue and Conde Nast’s chief content officer.
“He was scrupulous about not interfering in editorial business, but if you turned to him for counsel, he invariably offered judicious advice,” she said in an obituary released Tuesday night by the Newhouse family.
A New York resident, Newhouse managed the 35 newspapers under Advance Publications for almost five decades. The media company was established by his father, Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr., in 1922. His elder brother, S.I. Newhouse Jr., led the company and managed Conde Nast magazines until his death in 2017.
Louis D. Boccardi, retired president and CEO of the AP, described Newhouse as an exceptional chairman for the cooperative.
“His voice was never the loudest in the room, but it was often the wisest,” Boccardi said. Newhouse was naturally private, but behind that exterior, Boccardi said, was a generous individual who felt comfortable anywhere and remained curious about everything.
“He could come across as self-effacing and deferential, but in Don’s skilled hands those were qualities that made him an enormously strong and effective leader,” Boccardi said. “You don’t often see the adjective ‘warm’ attached to a titan of industry, but it applied to him.”
Born in 1929, Newhouse was recognized for avoiding public attention. When a reporter once asked him to identify the biggest risks he had taken during his career, he responded: “Inviting your questions.”
The typically private Newhouse did emerge publicly when he assumed leadership of the Newspaper Association of America from 1993 to 1994 and later became chairman of the AP board of directors from 1997 to 2002. He had been an AP board member for nine years prior to becoming chairman.
“He was a smart and shrewd businessman but as thoughtful and kind a man as you’ll find. Being in his presence was always a joy,” said Doug Clifton, editor of one of Newhouse’s papers, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, from 1999 to 2007.
Newhouse studied at Syracuse University but left before graduating to join the family’s newspaper enterprise. He made regular visits to his publications but delegated operational authority to his publishers.
“Each of our newspapers operates independently, with publishers who are strong, who set policy for their individual organizations and who have the authority and responsibility of carrying out the policies they set,” he said in 1993 when assuming leadership of the newspaper association.
Newhouse was recognized for investing resources to ensure papers obtained the finest stories. Jim Willse, editor of The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., from 1995 until 2010, said he would provide “us all the resources we needed to make The Ledger really special.” Willse said Newhouse had a passion for newspapers and those who worked in journalism.
“He especially enjoyed it when we’d have a story about some politician caught with his hand in the cookie jar, or a spicy feature about stuffed shirts behaving badly,” Willse said.
Newhouse’s strategy of investing in quality journalism while maintaining editorial independence resulted in numerous achievements, including several Pulitzer Prizes.
Many of those publications were able to flourish and stay profitable due to their market dominance, but Newhouse acknowledged his awareness of what he termed the “dramatically changing media landscape” and evolving news consumption habits.
“The 15th-century revolution was epitomized by the printing of the Gutenberg Bible; ours by Ted Turner’s cable news network and by web-based news sites — news in real time from anywhere to everywhere,” he said in 2004 at the rededication of a communications school named after his father at Syracuse University.
Three years later, he told one of his papers, The Post-Standard of Syracuse, N.Y., that newspapers can survive “by producing content that is relevant, interesting, accurate and entertaining for newspapers and the internet.”
However, the publications eventually faced financial difficulties.
Advance was recognized in the industry for a commitment that non-union employees would retain employment despite economic challenges or technological changes. In 2009, the company announced this guarantee would be eliminated.
The company also shifted away from daily publication for several papers. In 2012, it announced that the Post-Standard; The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the Birmingham News, the Press-Register of Mobile and The Huntsville Times, all in Alabama, would end daily publication and would only offer print editions on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. These changes resulted in hundreds of job cuts.
“His conservative approach left both the papers and its employees somewhat unprepared for the realities of the internet,” said Thomas Maier, who wrote a 1994 biography of the family.
Newhouse’s eldest son, Steven, led the company’s expansion into Internet and mobile platforms. Steven Newhouse currently serves as co-president of Advance Publications.
“My dad spent his life in the newspaper business and was devoted to it, built it up and enjoyed many good years. When it became more challenging, he was first in line to work through, finding solutions to keep the local journalism franchise going,” he said.
Newhouse is also survived by another son, Michael, daughter Katherine Mele and grandchildren. His wife, Susan, died in 2015.
