The International Morning Read

One of my greatest pleasures when traveling overseas is reading the International Herald Tribune (IHT). So after not having much luck trying to find an English language newspaper (The New York Times preferably) I was very happy when Mauro said he could obtain the IHT from his distributors.

When Patricia and I were in Toronto earlier this year, our downtown Yonge Street hotel offered us "complimentary copies" of USA Today each morning. The idea of reading USA Today each morning when outside the U.S. is very depressing. What a horrible newspaper!

After our first morning delivery, I called down to the desk at the hotel and insisted they not do me the favor of putting USA Today in my room. As a substitute they provided a copy of the National Post but I had to pay for it on my room bill. While Toronto's National Post is not the best paper in Canada, paying an additional charge was worth it if I didn't have to open the door and look at the USA Today.

But I've always enjoyed the IHT going back to the time when I was a graduate student living in London. At the time the paper was jointly owned 50-50 by the New York Times and Washington Post but its editoral was completely independent of either paper. IHT editorial offices were located in Paris and it was the first International newspaper to be flown into cities across Europe it time for breakfast Earl Grey tea, crumpets, and kippers.

The paper had an interesting history, originating in 1887 as the international edition to the old New York Herald. During the newspaper wars of the 1960s in New York and the weeding out of non-competitors, the Herald collapsed while the Paris International edition remained vital.

Most people living in London picked up the IHT to get box scores for the Major League Baseball World series in October, the Stanley Cup playoffs (I recall reading about Minnesota's 18 players beating the Russians and going onto win a gold metal in 1980 in the IHT), or tracking NFL football. I read it for the unique perspectives of the IHT columnists.

Yet, even with its play to homesick Americans, in many ways in the 1980s the IHT was better than the New York Times. Based in Paris, many of the American reporters and columnists had a distinctive world view. Writers were ex-pats who could see America through a prism of intimately knowing the country they grew up in and loved, yet, through distant lenses being separated from American daily life. The IHT always was a forward line in understanding the world reaction to America and it policies with the eyes and ears of foreigners.

I must add, however, I was a bit disappointed to see the current IHT running columns by Paul Krugman, Adam Cohn and Howard M. Wachtel about the CIA tape destruction scandal, Hillary and Bill stumping in Iowa, and the weakening American economy while drinking my morning coffee in São Paulo.

These New York Times regulars aren't living the life of an American in Paris. The publishers are simply repurposing the content written for the New York Times instead of seeking to provide a prism other than that whcih can be obtained from the NYT. This might be a recent devolution in the IHT's distinctive reporting and analysis since the New York Times became whole owner of the IHT in 2007 by buying out its partners.

Let's hope the Times editors and publishers see the value of an alternative world view other than one directed out of New York and written by New Yorkers with little day-to-day life experience overseas.