Can the Former Publisher of The New Yorker Revive The Philadelphia Inquirer?

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As the publisher of The New Yorker from 2009 to 2017, Lisa Hughes played an essential role in ushering the venerable Condé Nast title into the digital era. Under her stewardship, she oversaw a somewhat fusty magazine with declining print ad revenues and helped transform it into a profitable enterprise with a robust web presence.

Such experience will serve Hughes well in her new role, announced Tuesday, as the publisher of another august publication, The Philadelphia Inquirer. The first woman ever to hold the job, Hughes will replace Inquirer publisher and CEO Terry Egger, who is retiring. She starts on February 3.

Hughes is inheriting a newspaper that, like most other publications, has had to contend with grim trends in the media industry. The paper, which has had several owners over the past 15 years, recently underwent a restructuring that resulted in the elimination of 40 jobs.

“Everybody understands that local journalism is under great economic stress, and of course we’re not immune to those challenges,” Hughes, 59, told Mediaite in a phone interview.

But she is optimistic that the paper will succeed, citing, among other things, the Inquirer’s unique ownership model as evidence that it can weather industry headwinds that have resulted in the loss of nearly 1,800 local newspapers since 2004, according to a definitive study.

The Inquirer, founded in 1829, is now owned by the nonprofit Lenfest Institute for Journalism and is the largest American newspaper under nonprofit ownership, a financial model that has been gaining in popularity as local newspapers look to sustain themselves. The Tampa Bay Times is owned by the nonprofit Poynter Institute, and last year, The Salt Lake Tribune became a nonprofit.

“We have support from both commercial and philanthropic revenue, and that’s really important,” said Hughes, who has served on the board of the Inquirer since 2018.

Though she was hesitant to go into detail about her plans for the paper before she starts the job, Hughes mentioned some broad goals as she prepares to step up, including growing digital subscriptions, promoting diversity and shaping the business into a “multi-platform news organization” that continues to deliver investigative local journalism.

“I believe very strongly in strong local journalism, and that’s a big reason why I’m taking this job and why I first agreed to be on the board,” Hughes said. “I was drawn to the mission.”

Hughes believes that the Inquirer is in a good position to thrive, not only because of its “brand equity” but also because Philadelphia itself is “such a vibrant, interesting city,” she said.

“You have some of the greatest sports teams in the world,” she said. “You have an incredible, crazy food scene that’s on fire. You’ve got real estate development. You’ve got fascinating justice reform happening here. A new police commissioner. Very interesting district attorney. Pennsylvania is a battleground state.”

The paper’s coverage of all things Philadelphia, Hughes said, “has deep meaning for people.”

Before The New Yorker, Hughes worked as the publisher of Condé Nast Traveler. Her position at the Inquirer represents her first foray into newspaper publishing. While she believes that there are many commonalities between the two industries — both are dealing, for instance, with similar advertising problems along with disruption from companies like Facebook and Google — there are also “important differences and nuances” that she is anticipating having to learn.

Still, Hughes believes that, given her background, she is in a unique position to look at the Inquirer with fresh eyes. “Sometimes the big stupid question is useful for any business,” she told Mediaite.

It was that outsider status that appealed to Jim Friedlich, CEO of the Lenfest Institute, who was part of the search committee that recruited Hughes. In an email to Mediaite, he cited her achievements at The New Yorker — including a revamped paywall, mobile apps, a podcast and events — as proof that she was a good choice to helm the publisher’s seat at the Inquirer.

“The local news business is facing unprecedented disruption, with threats to both its business model and the integrity of its journalism,” Friedlich said. “Lisa brings fresh perspective and urgency from outside of the industry as well as a demonstrated track record in transforming traditional print brands into multifaceted businesses. Lisa is known for both her business acumen and for her close and supportive working relationship with world-class journalists and editors.”

Ultimately, Hughes hopes to find a model for how to sustain local news — one that can perhaps be replicated by other newspapers around the country. “I think that we’re a closely watched experiment,” she said, “and hopefully a positive experiment in community-supported local journalism.”

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