On Sunday, we lost one of journalism’s greatest supporters and advocates, Gerry Lenfest. Gerry had a long career in law, media and investing. Gerry supported newspapers when they needed it most and showed that they are worth fighting for. More recently, Gerry was owner of the Philadelphia Media Network, which includes The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly.com and the Philadelphia Daily News. He paved the way for future business models for news media organizations by donating the publications to a nonprofit foundation, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. He wanted to help newspapers endure and thrive in the digital age. According to The New York Times, he said, “Of all of the ventures I have been involved with in my life, nothing is more important than preserving the journalism that has been delivered by these storied news organizations.” His generosity and dedication to our industry will not be forgotten.
David Chavern is former President & CEO of the News/Media Alliance. Chavern has 30 years of experience in executive strategic and operational roles. Prior to the Alliance, he completed a decade-long tenure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
