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At the 1996 Society of Newspaper Design (SND) Convention in Indianapolis, Howard Finberg challenged the room to confront a growing reality: newspapers were being outpaced not by technology, but by their own slow response to it.

Speaking as part of the Friday afternoon session lineup, Finberg emphasized that designers, editors, and strategists needed to embrace change holistically — not just with visuals, but with workflows, platform strategies, and reader engagement. He warned against seeing digital as a cosmetic redesign and urged the profession to think structurally, not stylistically.

“The longer we cling to the idea that change will slow down, the further behind we fall.”

In hindsight, this address stands as an early public moment where Finberg not only analyzed disruption, but dared the design community to lead it.