4 mit A .
, 44
Company Man
The new publisher at The Detroit News is steering
the ship through rough waters.
LINDA BACHRACK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
T
here are no windows on
the world in Mark Silver-
man's temporary office at
The Detroit News.
Somewhat insulated in his
new environs, Mr. Silverman,
47, who took over The News'
publishing responsibilities from
Robert Giles, easily can close his
eyes to the Action! Motown '97
prayer vigil and union rally that
fills the street in front of The De-
troit News building.
By early afternoon, Mr. Sil-
verman learns of an adminis-
trative law judge's ruling against
the newspapers.
Welcome to Detroit, Mark Sil-
verman.
It is a volatile and challeng-
ing position that Mr. Silverman
has accepted in the wake of Mr.
Giles' resignation.
"This is too good a newspaper,
too great a town, too wonderful
an opportunity to say no to," said
Mr. Silverman of his decision to
come to Detroit, leaving
Louisville's Courier-Journal,
where he served as vice presi-
dent of news and as executive
editor.
"There are many more posi-
tives than negatives here," Mr.
Silverman said. "Circulation and
advertising sales have bottomed
out and are coming back. Time
wins, ultimately. We haven't
missed a day of publishing [since
the strike began two years ago]."
Of a recent National Labor
Relations Board ruling that
found Detroit Newspapers guilty
of unfair labor practices, Mr. Sil-
verman said it was anticipated.
"This is just the first inning.
We expected the complaints
would be upheld by the unions'
hand-picked administrative law
judge. It's very preliminary and
we have a month or two to ap-
peal."
According to the NLRB, how-
ever, Judge Thomas Wilks was
simply assigned to this case
through a blind draw.
Mr. Silverman praised his
newsroom, saying the attitudes
and morale among reporters and
editors are better than at any
other paper at which he's
worked.
"We have a fun newsroom.
Our reporters are dedicated to
the city and the paper. They're
not wringing their hands. They
have great attitudes," he said.
If a judge grants a request by
the NLRB that former newspa-
per workers be immediately re-
plictivki2
instated, Detroit Newspapers
likely will be forced to call back
more than 1,000 strikers, and
many of the replacement work-
ers might be discharged. The in-
junction is pending.
Though the Free Press has
hired back some 220 former em-
ployees, The News has not rein-
stated any of its previous staff.
Mr. Silverman believes Judge
Wilks' ruling will be reversed.
Besides, "We have no open-
ings," he said. "If we do get an
opening, we will look at the pref-
erential hiring list [of locked-out
workers]."
Former Detroit Newspapers
employee Marilyn Witt said
there are some 40 locked-out
Jewish newspaper workers who
feel abandoned by the Jewish
community and, more specifi-
cally, by Mr. Silverman.
"Silverman does not appear
to follow Jewish doctrine; he is
a sad example of a Jew," said
Ms. Witt, now employed by the
strikers' newspaper, The Sun-
day Journal. She cites a Jewish
Labor Committee article that
points to the fact that the Jew-
ish community has consistently
supported legislative and policy
issues of importance to the labor .
movement.
"The Jews of America should
stand up for the American work-
er, just as the labor movement
has been an ally of the state and
people of Israel," she said.
Mr. Silverman would like to
move beyond personalities and
name-calling and get to the busi-
ness of making The Detroit News
411 •
•
Detroit News Publisher Mark Silverman
a substantive reflection of the
community. The Boston native
is an 11-year employee of Gan-
nett Company, for which he has
served in management positions
with the Westchester Rockland
Newspapers in White Plains,
N.Y., the Rockford Register Star
in Illinois and The Courier-Jour-
nal. In April 1991, he joined
Gannett's corporate staff as di-
rector of the company's NEWS
2000 program, which grew out
of brainstorm sessions convened
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