Summary of a February 7, 1995 presentation about PAFET, generated by AI

An Interview with PAFET – 1995 Slide Deck Summary

Overview:
PAFET (Partners Affiliated for Exploring Technology) was a research consortium formed by six leading U.S. media companies in the early 1990s: A.H. Belo, Central Newspapers, Cowles Media, Freedom Communications, McClatchy Newspapers, and Pulitzer Publishing. Collectively, these companies represented the second-largest daily newspaper circulation in the U.S.

Mission:
PAFET’s purpose was to support its member companies in exploring and understanding emerging technologies related to media content and marketing. It was not a development or operational body, but a strategic initiative focused on information-sharing and innovation.

“PAFET is not a development or operating entity… It provides information, experience, and analytical support.”

Key Objectives (1995):

• Track technological and market threats to traditional newspapers

• Identify opportunities for digital expansion

• Support internal R&D efforts

• Assist members in repurposing content across new platforms

• Launch industry-focused consumer studies on online behavior

• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes affecting digital media

Structure:

• Management Committee: Company executives (e.g., Michael Pulitzer)

• Operating Committee: Media strategists and technologists (e.g., Howard Finberg, Martha Duckert, David Lipman, Gary Pruitt)

• Operated under the National Cooperative Research and Production Act (NCRPA)

1995 Priorities:

• Launch a multi-market consumer study on online news habits

• Create CD-ROM and digital publishing tools

• Conduct innovation workshops for employment and real estate

• Collaborate with vendors to improve repurposing workflows

• Study the evolution of content markets and user behavior