Dear Smartertimes.com Reader:
As you may recall, Smartertimes.com was founded in June 2000, "dedicated to assembling a community of readers to support a new newspaper that would offer an alternative to the dominant daily."
Well, the dream of that new newspaper is now less than a month from reality. On Tuesday, April 16, The New York Sun -- the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be launched in New York in two generations -- will make its debut.
The Sun is backed by a group of distinguished businessmen who care about New York and by Hollinger International, the publisher of the Daily Telegraph in London, the Jerusalem Post in Israel, and the Sun-Times in Chicago.
The New York Sun will be edited by my journalistic colleague and business partner Seth Lipsky, a veteran of the Wall Street Journal, and by yours truly, the editor of Smartertimes.com. The Boston Globe once called Seth "a legendary figure in contemporary journalism," and over the years I've come to see why.
The New York Sun will strive to adhere to the standards of accuracy and clear writing -- and to some of the principles of freedom, democracy and constitutional government -- that have guided Smartertimes.com. In contrast to Smartertimes.com, however, it will not be primarily a critique of another newspaper. The Sun will be a new and lively original voice, a high-quality newspaper focused on news of New York -- its policy debates, its politics, its cultural, commercial, philanthropic, spiritual and sporting life, and its effort to rebuild.
Seth and I have recruited a talented group of newspapermen and women to help put out the paper. The news staff includes veterans of the Wall Street Journal, the Forward and even, believe it or not, the New York Times. The paper will include a carefully edited national and international news report, a crossword puzzle, restaurant, art, book and movie reviews, opinion columns by former speechwriters for President Reagan and Mayor Giuliani, a chess column co-written by a former chess champion of both America and the Soviet Union, and a bridge column co-written by the chairman and chief executive of Bear Stearns, James E. Cayne, a 13-time U.S. national bridge champion, and the Cold War hero Michael Ledeen. And much more.
The new newspaper is already starting to generate an encouraging amount of excitement. "I think it is great that there will be another voice with smart guys behind it," the dean of the Columbia School of Journalism told the Chicago Tribune. The publisher of the Wall Street Journal, Peter Kann, told the Tribune, "In the end, the most important thing is if the editorial product is really good, and I think it will be." Even a top editor at the New Yorker magazine, Hendrik Hertzberg, said of my colleague Seth Lipsky, and of the New York Sun: "He can make it lively, he can make it intelligent, and he can go way, way up-market with it, with a raffish edge. He's going to have more fun than anybody in the world. I envy him, and I wish he were a liberal."
Many of you have already contributed to the success of Smartertimes.com by spreading the word, by contributing letters to the editor, or by just wiring a private note of encouragement. For that you have my warm thanks. Smartertimes.com has been free -- with not even a digital tip jar or a banner ad -- since its inception.
Now I am writing to offer Smartertimes.com readers a special opportunity to get in right at the start of the new newspaper -- and to ask you for your custom.
If you live or work in New York City, Westchester or Long Island, you can sign up now for convenient home or office delivery of the New York Sun, Monday through Friday, for only $2.50 a week. If you act now, you'll send an important signal of support -- and you'll make sure that you don't miss out on The New York Sun's special April 16 inaugural edition, which is sure to be snapped up quickly on newsstands. You can do this by calling toll free 1-866-NYC-SUN1, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Another way to show your support for The New York Sun is to purchase a congratulatory ad in that inaugural edition. Or to purchase a schedule of advertising for your business or nonprofit organization. The Sun will offer advertisers competitive rates and a high-quality, high-value editorial environment. You can do this by e-mailing the vice president of advertising of The New York Sun, Christopher Garrity, at [email protected].
With your help, the Sun will shine for all.
Cordially,
Ira Stoll
Editor
Smartertimes.com
P.S. If you'd like to know a little more about The New York Sun, its staff and its owners, please feel free to check out the newspaper's Web site at http://www.nysun.com
PPS. The number to call for home delivery in the New York area is 1-866-NYC-SUN1. The way to advertise is to email Christopher Garrity at [email protected]. Please tell them you were sent by Smartertimes.com.