6 | MARCH 12 • 2020
publisher’
s notebook
WE Are Partners In the Future of OUR Jewish News
Views
O
ver the years, I’
ve
learned that as pub-
lisher of the Jewish
News I have lots of partners.
You are the ones who call
to scold me about a story
or advertise-
ment you find
offensive: “Mr.
Horwitz, WE
cannot have that
kind of story
in OUR Jewish
News.”
Have a handy-
man you found through a
Jewish News ad who didn’
t per-
form adequately? “Mr. Horwitz
(for some reason, they always
say ‘
Mr.’
), WE cannot have
that kind of (fill in the blank
— plumber, electrician, handy-
man, heating and cooling guy,
roofer, landscaper) in OUR
Jewish News.”
These days in the media
industry, the “partners” are
often vulture capitalists:
investors who buy controlling
positions in newspapers,
squeeze costs, decimate news-
rooms and pay fat dividends
rather than reinvesting in the
communities they are sup-
posed to serve.
Yes, dramatic changes are
disrupting all facets of the
media industry. And to my
most important partners,
I’
ve shared that OUR Jewish
News is not exempt from
these trends. You know that
since 2004, more than 2,100
newspapers across America
have
ceased to exist as print
advertising, the backbone of
the industry, has eroded. And
that just two mega-businesses,
Google and Facebook, gobble
up 87% of all digital advertis-
ing dollars.
Meanwhile, OUR Jewish
News — thanks to a combina-
tion of print and digital read-
ership — now reaches more
people than at any other time
in its 78-year history. Here are
eye-popping numbers from
Google Analytics that illus-
trate OUR rapidly growing
online presence: In February
of 2019, WE logged 72,376
pageviews on OUR website. In
February of 2020, that number
jumped to 132,369. That’
s an
83% year-over-year growth.
And nearly half of those
accessing the site are under
the age of 45, many of them
OUR children and grandchil-
dren; some who now live out
of state but want to remain
connected to Jewish Detroit.
Well, partners, for the Jewish
News to continue to serve,
inform, engage and connect
OUR community requires a
transition to a nonprofit, com-
munity ownership model. The
independent Detroit Jewish
News Foundation is emerg-
ing from the quiet phase of a
critical “Bridge to the Future”
campaign to secure the funds
needed to help the Jewish News
succeed in this transition. WE
are collectively reaching out to
you today, YOUR Jewish News
partners, to join us in this
important task. WE are listed
on pages 34 and 35.
Please join us! Assist the
Jewish News in its transition
to nonprofit, community
ownership. Support indepen-
dent, credible journalism for
Jewish Detroit. Assure the
newest chapters in the ongo-
ing story of our community
are captured and shared. And
now through May 1, your
tax-deductible gift will qualify
for a match from the William
Davidson Foundation. Visit
djnfoundation.org and click
the donate button. Or, if you
prefer, call me directly at (248)
351-5172. You already do for
so many other things! After all,
WE are partners in the future
of OUR Jewish News.
Arthur Horwitz
Publisher
To make a donation to the
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfoundation.org
The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at
29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at
Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to:
Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034.
6 | MARCH 12 • 2020
1942 - 2020
Covering and Connecting
Jewish Detroit Every Week
jn
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us
| Editorial
Editor: Andrew Lapin
alapin@thejewishnews.com
Associate Editor: Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@renmedia.us
Story Development Editor:
Keri Guten Cohen
kcohen@renmedia.us
Digital Editor: Allison Jacobs
ajacobs@renmedia.us
Multimedia Reporter: Corrie Colf
ccolf@renmedia.us
Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello
smanello@renmedia.us
Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com
Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar
rsklar@renmedia.us
Contributing Editor: David Sachs
Contributing Arts Editor: Gail Zimmerman
gzimmerman@renmedia.us
Contributing Writers:
Nate Bloom, Suzanne Chessler, Stefani
Chudnow, Shari S. Cohen, Adam Finkel,
Andrew Field, Ben Freed, Benjamin
Freed, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss
Ingber, Lynne Konstantin, Susan Peck,
Mike Smith, Julie Smith Yolles
Advertising Sales
Vice President of Sales and
Business Development: Carol Kruemmer
ckruemmer@renmedia.us
Senior Account Executive: Keith Farber
kfarber@renmedia.us
Account Executives:
Kelsey Cocke, Catherine Grace,
Annette Kizy, Kathy Harvey-Mitton,
Andrea O’
Banion
| Business Office
Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho
agusho@renmedia.us
Operations Assistant / Event Coordinator:
Ashlee Szabo
Circulation: Danielle Smith
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner
| Production By
Farago & Associates
Manager: Scott Drzewiecki
Designers: Jessica Joannides,
Kelly Kosek, Michelle Sheridan
| Detroit Jewish News
Partner:
Arthur M. Horwitz
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Partner:
F. Kevin Browett
kbrowett@renmedia.us
Partner:
Michael H. Steinhardt
How to reach us see page 12