Lehigh University agrees to publish book

Reversing an earlier decision, Lehigh University administrators agreed last month to print an unflattering book about the demise of The Globe-Times, Bethlehem.
"Betrayed: Death of An American Newspaper"was authored by Walter Brasch. The independent Lehigh University Press agreed in June of 1994 to publish the book But several weeks ago, the university wanted to drop the 400-plus-page, 125,000-word book fearing a backlash from potential donors. Some administrators said the book was "sensationalistic"and didn't want the university to be involved in the project.

That decision brought accusations of trampling on freedom of speech. Administrators reconsidered and decided to print Brasch's hook

University Provost Al Pense didn't see the book transcript until August and told Lehigh University Press that he was wary of how the public would perceive the university's role in the book.

"I discussed with them my concerns that the general public might believe the comments in the book would be Lehigh's comments,"Pense said.

But after a meeting with the Lehigh University Press editorial board, Pense said he was satisfied that readers would make the distinction between the university's publishing role and the author's role.

The university press "needs some independence,"Pense said.

The book is Brasch's 10th. He is a journalism professor at Bloomsburg University and a former newspaper editor.

"As a journalist and an educator, I am pleased that Lehigh University learned a few lessons about academic freedom and freedom of the press,"Brasch said.

"A great university must distinguish itself by a search for truth and knowledge above all other consideration."

Before Lehigh officials had expressed misgivings, the book had been edited, given three supportive reviews and approved by the board of Associated University Presses, a Cranberry, NJ., consortium that includes Lehigh University Press and publishing factions from like eastern universities.

The book is expected to retail for around $50 and be on sale in local bookstores by the end of next summer. It takes an in-depth look at the paper's decision to terminate 40 percent of it's editorial employees in 1988 and what Brasch said was the paper's inability to protect its territory from newspaper competitors

The work is the result of interviews with more than 250 Globe-Times staff members and community leaders.

John Rippey, a retired Penn State journalism professor, wrote that the book "is a micro-examination of how a respected small daily was run into the ground because of poor management decisions."

He called Brasch's account of intimidation of employees during the 1988 mass firings "chilling."

--Excerpted from The Morning Call, Allentown

Selections of this book:

Prologue
Acknowledgements
Introduction