Schumer Statement On The Passing Of Donald Newhouse, A Giant Of Journalism And A Champion For Syracuse

New York, N.Y. — U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today released the following statement on the passing of Donald Newhouse, longtime journalism leader and owner of Advance Publications, whose newspapers included Syracuse’s Post-Standard:

“Donald Newhouse was one of the finest, kindest, and most decent people I have ever had the privilege to know.

“Don understood that local journalism is not just how a community gets its news — it is how a community knows itself. It is the first draft of a town’s joys and sorrows, its triumphs and losses, its debates and dreams. It is where ordinary people are seen, powerful people are held accountable, and the story of a place is preserved for the next generation.

“At a time when local news has been battered, hollowed out, and too often left behind, Don’s lifelong devotion to serious, community-rooted journalism stands as both a legacy and a lesson. That legacy lives on through the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, where generations of reporters found their calling and carried it into newsrooms across America.

“I will always treasure our annual fishing trips on Lake Ontario. They were, like Don himself, steady, generous, warm, and unforgettable. In typical Don fashion, he’d always catch the most fish, but claimed he caught the least. I will miss his wisdom. I will miss his goodness. And I will miss my friend.

“My heart is with his family, his friends, and all who loved him. May his legacy live on in every newsroom strengthened by his life’s work, and may his memory, like his friendship, be a blessing.”