As I sit in my air-conditioned home office, writing this letter on my laptop while Spotify provides the soundtrack to keep me on task, I am forced to reflect on the vast differences between my life and that of the MIT graduates who MIT Technology Review and designed the pages by hand. My life – all of our lives – would astonish Arthur D. Little in countless ways.
(Last but not least, I am the person writing this letter. MITTR When the Institute was founded, American women’s suffrage was still 20 years away. There were women at the Institute, but their numbers were few. Today, I am honored to be CEO and editor of this historic title. And I am proud to belong to an institution whose president and dean are both women.)
I came to MIT Technology Review to lead the digital transformation. Yet despite the pace of change over the past 125 years, my role is not much different from that of my predecessors. I am here to ensure that this publication – in all its digital, app-enabled, audio-enabled and livestreaming formats – continues. I am deeply committed to its mission of providing its readers with trusted insights and information about the potential of technology to change the world.
In some chapters of its history MIT Technology Review served as little more than an alumni magazine; others tended it more towards academic or journal-like publications. During the dot-com era MIT Technology Review invested large sums of money to increase circulation by aiming for advertising pages comparable to those of its then counterparts. Industry standard, WiredAnd Company 2.0.
I believe that in each of these chapters, certain core principles have remained the same – namely, a focus on innovation and creativity in the face of new challenges and opportunities in publishing.
Today, MIT Technology Review is in a privileged but precarious position in an industry that is fighting for its survival. Print and online media are, frankly, in crisis. We are fortunate to be supported by the Institute, which allows us to cover the technology stories that matter most to our readers. We are driven by impact, not profits for investors.
We value our advertisers greatly, but they are not the reason we are here. Instead, we focus on our readers. We are here for people who truly care about how technology is changing the world. We hope to make you think, dream, and see. We hope to both inspire you and ground you in reality. We hope you find our journalism valuable enough to subscribe and support our mission.
Operation MIT Technology Review is not a cheap endeavor. Our editorial team consists of some of the most talented reporters and editors working in the media industry. They have a deep understanding of how technology works and ask tough questions of technology leaders and developers. They are gifted storytellers.
