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• Nor did he ever lose touch with his college alma mater, the University of South Dakota. He did more than touch base from time to time: He helped convert the ancient Old Armory athletic gym into a state-of-the-art media facility that now bears his name. He established an annual award, presented in Vermillion each fall, to honor journalistic excellence. And he worked to promote media education on the Native American reservations.
• On the broader stage, of course, Neuharth will always be connected to USA Today, a national newspaper (founded in 1982) inspired by an earlier brainchild publication of his, Today, which was started in Florida. Both publications broke many of the conventional rules of print journalism, featuring static front-page designs, so the main story was always found in the same place, and color splashed everywhere. USA Today also featured news summaries from every state in its ambitious quest to connect with every corner of its market.
• USA Today lost a lot of money for nearly a decade, but Neuharth persevered, and the publication eventually became one of the largest and, arguably, the most recognized newspapers in the country.
• Neuharth's formula was not without its detractors. In particular, his blueprint insisted on short, tight stories. We're talking really short. Extremely tight. Tiny. According to critics, this bare bones structure sometimes left out some details to get to the overall idea as quickly as possible. However, this point-blank journalistic approach was as much a part of Neuharth's vision as the color and the design schemes. It was his belief that it was what the readers really wanted, especially in a fast-paced age. Judging from the phenomenal, game-changing success of USA Today, it's hard to argue with his methods.
• That may be Neuharth's greatest legacy: He gave the people what they wanted. It's a simple idea that sometimes needs great vision to be achieved. Neuharth was that visionary.
• The kid from South Dakota did pretty well. End of story. That's the kind of straightforward final line Neuharth would have appreciated. And insisted upon.
• ___
• Rapid City Journal, Rapid City, April 21, 2013
• Historical context should rule
• Times change, and so do attitudes. Recent news stories show how attitudes can change over time.
• The South Dakota Board on Geographic Names recently scrubbed offensive names off the maps of the Pine Ridge Reservation -- such as "Squaw Humper" -- and the board has its eraser ready to remove several West River geographic names that include "Negro."

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