The Paper's Papers
A Reporter's Journey through the
Archives of The New York Times
By Richard F. Shepard
Times Books, $30
ISBN 0812924533
Review by Kate Mullis
Not only does Richard F. Shepard share with us the plunder of his rummage through The Times's archives, but he also provides reminiscences so rich in detail that they imbue his larger task with a sense of poignancy. A Times war horse who worked his way up from newsroom copyboy in 1946 to reporter and editor, Shepard is well acquainted with the dynamics of the business. The retiree sagely comments on the microcosm of society lurking in The Times's inner sanctum, complete with its own class system represented by glamorous foreign correspondents, other-worldly publishers, and world-weary reporters.
Changing trends in reportage, page makeup, editorial policy, and management are commented upon, but some things never change: critics and columnists, and the freedom of expression they enjoy, are peered at with a wary eye by stalwart reportorial types accustomed to genuflecting in the presence of objective ideals and column inches.
Written in a highly avuncular style and peppered with nostalgia, Shepard's account is a repository for newspaper vignettes. By delving into the forces of personality and circumstance that made The Times an institution in itself, Shepard humanizes a monolith.
©1996, ProMotion, inc.
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