Remarks at the Fifth
Anniversary Celebration of
Well,
I thank you all, and I appreciate this opportunity to join in celebrating USA
Today's fifth birthday. When you get my age, it always feels good to be
celebrating someone else's birthday. [Laughter] So, right off the bat, let me say to Al Neuharth and
John Curley, Cathy Black, and all of you who've played a role in this exciting
endeavor: Congratulations and many happy returns!
All
of this brings to mind the story -- something always brings to my mind a story.
[Laughter] Maybe you being in the business have heard it already, but it has to
do with the young cub reporter whose first assignment was to go out to the
senior citizens home, where a man there, the oldest man in the community,
celebrating his 95th birthday. And he came in, and of course the first was,
``I'm from the paper and all, to interview you,'' and then said, ``to what do
you attribute your age, your longevity?'' And he said, ``I don't drink, I don't
smoke, I don't run around with wild women.'' And just then there was a terrible
crashing noise upstairs, and the kid said, ``What's
that?'' And the old man says, ``Oh, that's my father. He's drunk again.''
[Laughter]
Now,
I don't know if any of you have been assigned to interview the oldest man in
town, but I do know that USA Today is offering the American people a vibrant,
new alternative. Your innovative journalism and use of high technology has
literally altered the face of the newspaper business. It's no mere coincidence
that since your paper hit the streets changes have taken place throughout the
industry. More color photographs, extensive use of graphics, and better sports
coverage can be found now in papers all across
The
success of USA Today and industry-wide improvements should be no surprise to
those of us who believe in free enterprise. Competition keeps the quality up
and the price down. And as we're well aware, USA Today is not just competing
with one newspaper; it's up against papers in every major city in the country.
It took great entrepreneurial courage for the leadership of Gannett newspapers
to take on this challenge. Of course, it's not been all peaches and cream.
There was that morning in October 1982 when an airliner cruised by just outside
an editorial meeting. And what was really frightening was that those in the
meeting were able to see through the windows of the plane as it went by and the
passengers were reading the Washington Times. [Laughter]
Seriously,
starting a new business of any kind takes a special breed of people. You can
all be proud of what you've accomplished. Your success is truly a turning point
in the news business. You're leading a whole industry into the 21st century.
And again, thanks for letting me join your celebration. God bless you, and I'll
be waiting for your paper in the morning. [Laughter]
Note: The President
spoke at