'All the News That's Fit to Print'
fter a two-month public search for a slogan that
summarized the news mission of
The New York Times's Web site, The New York Times has
announced that its
original slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print" will
appear on the home page of
The New York Times on the Web beginning today, October 25 --
the date the slogan first
appeared in the newspaper 100 years ago.
The widely publicized contest elicited some 8,000 entries
from across the nation, with 23
individuals calling to keep the original slogan coined by
publisher Adolph S. Ochs in 1896.
Those 23 winning entrants will each receive a $100 cash prize.
One winner, Dr. Fred A. Ringwald of University Park, Pa.,
wrote, "It's a splendid slogan,
and fits the mission of The New York Times, no matter what
medium it comes in these
days. Why do you need a new one?" Another, Richard Olsen of
Brooklyn, wrote, "Keep
`All the News That's Fit to Print.' That's The Times. Enough
Said." A third winner, Nigel
Euling of Seattle, warned, "Don't change it! If you do,
history will judge you poorly," while
a fourth, Karen Pike Davis of Easton, Pa., asked: "Why tamper
with genius? The slogan
says it all and has been saying it for 100 years. Why change
now?"
"We agree with those who believe it is not the medium or
method of distribution that
matters most," said Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of The
New York Times. "What
remains paramount to our mission is the accuracy,
thoroughness and fairness of our news
content, and our daily commitment to our readers. `All the
News That's Fit to Print' has
summed that up very well for the last century and will do so
for the next, regardless of how
we distribute our information."
The Web slogan contest was announced on August 18 -- the date
100 years earlier when Mr.
Ochs completed his purchase of the newspaper. The contest's
judges -- Martin Nisenholtz,
president of The New York Times Electronic Media Company;
Esther Dyson, editor and
publisher of the computer industry newsletter Release 1.0,
and Jack Rosenthal, assistant
managing editor of The New York Times and editor of The New
York Times Magazine --
poured through thousands of entries that included "All the
News That's Fit to Click," "The
News of the Day, a Click Away," "News of the Land, Without
Dirty Hands," "All the News
That's Fit to Print Out" and "The Times @ Any Time."
"After reviewing thousand of entries, we agree with the 24
entrants who called for
retaining the original slogan," said Mr. Nisenholtz. "Nothing
better captures the mission
of the online and print editions of The New York Times than
those simple seven words."
The contest marks the second time in the newspaper's history
in which the original slogan
prevailed. A century ago, Mr. Ochs decided to offer $100 to
anyone who could propose a
better one. The response was astonishing with thousands of
entries including "All the
News Worth Telling," "Free From Filth, Full of News," and
"News for the Millions,
Scandal for None." Although a winner was selected (D.M.
Redfield of New Haven for "All
the World News but Not a School for Scandal"), the original
slogan had already become
ingrained in the public mind. Mr. Ochs and his editors paid
Mr. Redfield the $100 prize, but
elected to retain "All the News That's Fit to Print."
Just as they did 100 years ago, The Times and its editors
decided to stick with that slogan.
And thus with today's announcement, The New York Times
pledges to continue
providing "All the News That's Fit to Print" for as long as
The Times is published in
whatever the form.
--"The future masters of technology will have to be lighthearted and intelligent. The machine easily masters the grim and the dumb." - Marshall McLuhan 1969
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