Reporters Committee mourns the death of free press defender Sulzberger

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Executive Director Bruce D. Brown issued the following statement regarding the death of former New York Times Publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger on Sept. 29:

“Like everyone in the journalism community, we feel an intense loss in the death of Arthur O. Sulzberger. For so many, the legacy that he built at The New York Times loomed larger than life and was an inspiration for instilling in us an enduring passion for the First Amendment.

“The Times and the Reporters Committee were inextricably linked from the start, as it was the subpoena for confidential sources of New York Times reporter Earl Caldwell that galvanized a group of journalists into founding this organization to ensure a free press is never threatened by government.

“From our founding, Mr. Sulzberger ensured the Reporters Committee received significant financial support from The New York Times Foundation, and he made sure that Times reporters and editors were able to not only participate but also lead. That tradition of support has continued to this day through The New York Times Co. and its legal and editorial staffs.

“Arthur Ochs Sulzberger always stood unwavering behind the principles of the First Amendment and freedom of the press, no matter the cost, no matter the threat. He was a leader in a field of great men and women. His legacy of fearless publishing and independence of the press will live on in the printed and digital pages of the Times.”