Richard Scudder: Behind the Curtain at MediaNews
By Joe Strupp
Monday, July 24 2006
Monday, July 24 2006
Published on AllBusiness.com
If you ran into Richard Scudder, you might not suspect he wields as much power as Dean Singleton in the ever-changing newspaper world, that he facilitated newsprint recycling, and that he was something of a war hero.
At first glance, the 93-year-old Scudder, who sports a gentle grin and mussed white hair, appears more like a retired grandfather than a powerful media mogul. But get him talking, and the sage newsman quickly emerges.
"The secret of successful business is to find people who are smarter than you are and let them do what they do best," says Scudder. For 23 years he has been the largely silent partner of MediaNews Group CEO Singleton, who keeps adding new papers to their company. "We are very determined."
Since the partners bought their first newspaper together in New Jersey in 1983 and formed MediaNews two years later, the company has grown to become one of America's largest newspaper chains, with some 55 dailies among its holdings. That number does not include the 31 former Knight Ridder dailies and weeklies to be passed along by McClatchy (the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News among them). Add to that such recent deals as the unusual three-way swap that secured The Detroit News last year, and Singleton and Scudder appear more muscular than ever.
"Dick's my best friend," says Singleton, who at 54 is young enough to be Scudder's grandson. "He has an enormous insight into the business, into people, into human nature. He is a dedicated newspaperman."
But if you were to judge purely by news stories and industry buzz, you might never know of Scudder's influence. Despite being chairman of the board for MediaNews, and the fact that his family holds a 45% stake in the company -- equal to Singleton's -- Scudder isn't often mentioned when the chain is discussed. "I am a full-time gardener," Scudder jokes about his low profile during a phone call from his home on the Jersey shore. "I keep up to date with what is going on. We talk several times a day, and everything we do [Singleton] is kind enough to put by me for approval."
Singleton, who calls Scudder "the conscience of the company," says every deal requires his stamp, adding that when it comes to big, complicated plans, "he grasps every bit of it." While Scudder says he was not involved in the Detroit deal other than to approve it, he declines to comment on his role in the McClatchy purchase, saying only that "they are wonderful papers and we are going to make them better."
One thing the partners do not agree on, however, is President George W. Bush. While Singleton is a longtime friend and supporter of the Bush family, Scudder despises the 43rd president. "He is an idiot," Scudder declares flatly.
A widowed father of four,
At first glance, the 93-year-old Scudder, who sports a gentle grin and mussed white hair, appears more like a retired grandfather than a powerful media mogul. But get him talking, and the sage newsman quickly emerges.
"The secret of successful business is to find people who are smarter than you are and let them do what they do best," says Scudder. For 23 years he has been the largely silent partner of MediaNews Group CEO Singleton, who keeps adding new papers to their company. "We are very determined."
Since the partners bought their first newspaper together in New Jersey in 1983 and formed MediaNews two years later, the company has grown to become one of America's largest newspaper chains, with some 55 dailies among its holdings. That number does not include the 31 former Knight Ridder dailies and weeklies to be passed along by McClatchy (the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News among them). Add to that such recent deals as the unusual three-way swap that secured The Detroit News last year, and Singleton and Scudder appear more muscular than ever.
"Dick's my best friend," says Singleton, who at 54 is young enough to be Scudder's grandson. "He has an enormous insight into the business, into people, into human nature. He is a dedicated newspaperman."
But if you were to judge purely by news stories and industry buzz, you might never know of Scudder's influence. Despite being chairman of the board for MediaNews, and the fact that his family holds a 45% stake in the company -- equal to Singleton's -- Scudder isn't often mentioned when the chain is discussed. "I am a full-time gardener," Scudder jokes about his low profile during a phone call from his home on the Jersey shore. "I keep up to date with what is going on. We talk several times a day, and everything we do [Singleton] is kind enough to put by me for approval."
Singleton, who calls Scudder "the conscience of the company," says every deal requires his stamp, adding that when it comes to big, complicated plans, "he grasps every bit of it." While Scudder says he was not involved in the Detroit deal other than to approve it, he declines to comment on his role in the McClatchy purchase, saying only that "they are wonderful papers and we are going to make them better."
One thing the partners do not agree on, however, is President George W. Bush. While Singleton is a longtime friend and supporter of the Bush family, Scudder despises the 43rd president. "He is an idiot," Scudder declares flatly.
A widowed father of four,
