LAURA HOLLIS
ON the first day of this new year, A.G. Sulzberger, new publisher of The New York Times, issued a public statement of purpose. He quoted approvingly the vision of the paper’s founder, Adolph Ochs: “To give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.” And he reiterated the importance of the press to the public at large: “Our founders understood that the free exchange of ideas and the ability to hold power to account were prerequisites for a successful democracy.”