I got a lot of criticism for the way I tried to change Tribune—for the approach I used, as well as for the substance of the changes themselves. I know I used harsh language; I know my rhetoric was inflammatory. Most of it was deliberate. I wanted to ignite passion in the employees—to shake them out of the status quo, make them realize that they had to change, and help them do it. I didn’t think I had all the answers. But it became increasingly obvious that without a serious wake-up call, Tribune—like all newspaper companies—would not succeed. The more stubborn the writers, editors, and
...more
