In 1896, Alden Blethen arrived in Seattle—then a remote town near the Canadian border and at the edge of the continent—with a firm determination to develop the newspaper he had recently acquired. In 1913, he expressed that dream in a telegram to his younger son, C.B. Blethen, who was then editor of The Seattle Times: He hoped that a century later, the newspaper would be even more influential and would remain under the control of his descendants.
Alden proved farsighted. Today, The Seattle Times has been owned by his family for 130 years. During that time, the small evening paper grew alongside Seattle and the Puget Sound region, whose population reached several million people. It is now the area’s largest regional newspaper and one of the leading sources of independent journalism on politics, business, technology and public life. The publication complements public radio and television stations with major investigations and daily coverage of events, including the activities of major technology companies. The newspaper is now run by C.B. Blethen’s great-grandchildren.
The anniversary year coincided with a transition to a new generation of leaders. The author’s father, Frank Blethen, stepped down as publisher late last year after 40 years in the position and 58 years at the newspaper. He retained his role as chairman of the board, while his cousins Will and John Blethen also remain involved in management.
With Frank’s departure, the era of the fourth generation came to an end, and day-to-day leadership passed to the fifth. There are 11 descendants of Alden Blethen in the author’s generation: three work at The Seattle Times, while others participate in its management and oversight. For the family, this is less about owning a business than accepting a responsibility—the newspaper is meant to be preserved and developed, not built for a future sale.
The publication inherited by the current generation is vastly different from the newspaper of 1985. At the time, the advertising market was enjoying its golden age, allowing newsrooms to be large and subscriptions to remain inexpensive. Later, the industry was hit by the dot-com crash, the migration of classified ads to Craigslist, the rise of social media and the Great Recession of 2008. Social platforms captured a significant share of audience attention and advertising revenue, while Craigslist nearly drove newspapers out of the classified-ad market.
To survive and ensure growth, the newspaper created a business model that did not depend on a single source of revenue. The central decision was to place readers and subscribers at the heart of its operations, making journalism not only its mission but also the foundation of its economics. In 2013, The Seattle Times introduced a paywall for online content. Subscriptions allowed the newspaper to receive money directly from readers, offset declining advertising revenue and preserve resources for the newsroom, although they also limited access to some articles for casual users. The move helped the newspaper become less dependent on technology and social-media platforms and gain greater control over its own future.
The subscription model, however, is also vulnerable. Companies developing artificial intelligence pose a particular threat: They use copyrighted publications to train language models without permission or compensation. The newspaper’s relationship with the technology sector makes the dispute especially complicated. It may work with technology companies as advertisers or sources of information while also covering their activities critically. As a result, it must defend its copyrights and seek payment for the use of its material while preserving editorial independence. Potential licensing agreements will depend on copyright law and the negotiating power of the parties involved.
The author also points to pressure on the press from the administration of Donald Trump and insufficient transparency in Washington state’s legislative process. Public-records and open-meetings laws generally give journalists and citizens the right to request government records, attend meetings of public bodies and examine how decisions are made. There are exceptions involving personal data, investigations and matters of national or public security. In practice, access is often complicated by delays and denials, forcing journalists to pursue information through appeals.
Despite these difficulties, the current publisher believes the work is particularly important at this moment. A free press, he says, is needed to expose democracy’s hidden sides, strengthen society and help people maintain a shared understanding of what is happening. That mission has accompanied The Seattle Times through five generations, and the sixth is already beginning to show interest: The author’s two oldest children are studying journalism and have completed summer internships at the newspaper. The memory of the publication’s founder, whose memorial moved with the newsroom through various Seattle buildings, reminds the family of its past and its responsibility for the future. The author hopes that the next Blethens will find meaningful work at the newspaper and serve it, its employees and the entire region that has given so much to their family.
Based on: Seattle Times turns 130 under fifth generation of family stewardship