The Chronicle is saying goodbye to its long-time business manager, praised by his colleagues for the stability he brought to the organization.
General manager Jonathan Angier is expected to leave his post at The Chronicle by the end of June. Angier managed the organization for 18 years, during notable events such as coverage of the lacrosse scandal, the creation of The Chronicle’s website and the 2008 economic crisis. He will continue to provide assistance throughout the transition to a new general manager.
“It’s time for a change of leadership to someone who is probably better equipped [than I am] to take the company to the next step,” Angier said.
Angier has worked in the journalism industry since high school, operating on both the editorial and business sides of the field. He worked with the Times Publishing Company for 22 years, specifically the St. Petersburg Times, now known as the Tampa Bay Times, and Congressional Quarterly, which was owned by the Times Publishing Company until 2009. He then worked as vice president for operations at real-estate developer the Adler Group, Inc., focusing on the publication of real estate guides in various cities, before joining The Chronicle in 1994.
Angier said his most enduring memory from his time at Duke is The Chronicle's coverage of the lacrosse scandal, particularly the pride he felt seeing Seyward Darby, Trinity ’07 and editor of The Chronicle’s 101st volume, being interviewed repeatedly on national television.
The Chronicle underwent a number of changes during his time as general manager, Angier said, including the digitization of the paper and the diversification of the staff.
“The most obvious [change] is the swing towards electronic and digital journalism,” he said. “It has changed a lot of things. I also think that the staff of The Chronicle have become more diverse culturally and [in terms of] background.”
Throughout the changes, Angier brought a sense of continuity to The Chronicle, said Elizabeth Morgan, Trinity ‘90 and chair of the Duke Student Publishing Company board.
“He’s provided a lot of stability to the company over the 18 years that he’s been general manager,” she said. “He’s been a very good steward of The Chronicle and very much believes in the work that students do.”
The board is looking to fill the general manager position with someone who will bring a fresh approach to the media business model despite the ambiguity that defines journalism’s future, Morgan noted.
“It’s a challenge to figure out how to bring in the revenue to support the business,” she said. “We’re looking for someone who can look at it as an opportunity rather than a challenge.”
David Graham, vice chair of the DSPC board and Trinity ‘09, noted the breadth of Angier’s expertise, which helped Graham during his time as editor of The Chronicle’s 103rd volume.
“Jonathan was a lot of fun to work with because he understood the organization so well, had been there so long and understands the University so well,” Graham said. “He understands journalism well, too, which I think is something you don’t always get in people who work on the business side of newspapers.”
Graham also noted the poise with which Angier has directed The Chronicle through the economic crisis.
“Like many newspapers we don’t have the sort of revenue we once did, but we’re in better shape than a lot of college papers,” he said. “That’s a testament to his planning and his ability as a general manager.”
Editor Yeshwanth Kandimalla, a junior, said Angier’s guidance has laid the groundwork for the direction the organization will take in coming years.
“He’s really adjusted to the changing nature of journalism as a business,” Kandimalla noted. “He’s gotten the ball rolling for us to plan long-term strategies. Whoever takes his position has big shoes to fill.”
Angier said the most rewarding part of his experience is not the paper itself, but the people.
“The real reward of this job is working with students and helping where we can for them to be successful,” he said. “The kids we get both on [the editorial] side and [the business] side are kids that want to do the right thing, that know how to work, who are not afraid to challenge things.”
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