Taking Stock: Journalism and the Publicly Traded Newspaper Company

TAKING STOCK: JOURNALISM AND THE PUBLICLY TRADED NEWSPAPER COMPANY, R. Bezanson, J. Soloski and C. Gilbert, Iowa State University Press, 2001

Posted: 2 Jul 2001

See all articles by Randall P. Bezanson

Randall P. Bezanson

University of Iowa College of Law

John Soloski

University of Iowa - School of Journalism

Gilbert Cranberg

Independent

Abstract

"Taking Stock" explores the place of newspaper journalism in the publicly traded newspaper companies. It does so through an analysis at the level of the firm and the organization of the publicly held business entity and its subsidiaries, analyzing financial operations, organization and control arrangements; influences of various investor groups and market forces on management of the holding companies and the operating newspaper companies; the dynamics of financial and operating control; and incentives placed throughout the firm to orient employees, including newsroom personnel, to corporate objectives. The technological and surrounding economic environments in which the newspaper firms operate are also analyzed in detail. The objective of the analysis is to draw conclusions about the consequences to journalism of the commerce in newspaper company stock, much of it by large institutional investors; and the influence of investment markets on the operation and incentives within the public firms. James Risser describes the book as "a pathbreaking work...which will produce intense discussion and soul-searching in the newspaper industry, as it should."

Keywords: newspapers, stock options, market specialization, institutional investors, stock analysts' influence, media organization, journalism

JEL Classification: D4, G3, H3, K0, L0, L1, L2, L3, L8, M1, N2

Suggested Citation

Bezanson, Randall P. and Soloski, John and Cranberg, Gilbert, Taking Stock: Journalism and the Publicly Traded Newspaper Company. TAKING STOCK: JOURNALISM AND THE PUBLICLY TRADED NEWSPAPER COMPANY, R. Bezanson, J. Soloski and C. Gilbert, Iowa State University Press, 2001, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=268770

Randall P. Bezanson (Contact Author)

University of Iowa College of Law ( email )

Boyd Law Building
Iowa City, IA 52242
United States
319-335-9171 (Phone)
319-335-9098 (Fax)

John Soloski

University of Iowa - School of Journalism ( email )

Seashore Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242
United States
319-335-5832 (Phone)

Gilbert Cranberg

Independent ( email )

852 Insurance Exchange Blvd.
505 5th Avenue
50309
515-243-3330 (Phone)

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