Adolph
Ochs,
the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany,
was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 12th March, 1858. He worked as a
compositor on the Louisville Courier-Journal
before buying a controlling interest in the Chattanooga
Times in July, 1878. This became one of the most successful
newspapers in the South and by 1892 was making a profit of $25,000
a year from the venture.
In 1996 Ochs purchased the New York Times
in 1896. It was no longer the force it was and now had the smallest
circulation of the city's eight morning daily newspapers. Ochs announced
to his readers that: "It will be my earnest aim that the New
York Times give the news, all the news, in concise and attractive
form".
Ochs also cut the price of the New York
Times from three cents to one cent, and attracted readers
from the tabloid press. However, he made it clear he had no intention
of competing with the unscrupulous newspapers by declaring on his
front-page: "All the News That's Fit to Print". The strategy
was successful and circulation jumped from 25,000 in 1898 to 100,000
in 1901.
The newspaper continued to prosper under Ochs control and by 1921
circulation had reached 330,000 during the week and 500,000 on Sunday.
Adolph Ochs died on 8th April, 1935.
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