The editors of Forbes write about the death of a great former editor.
In summary:
James W. Michaels, who transformed business journalism during his 37 years as editor of Forbes magazine, died Tuesday, in New York City, of pneumonia.
He was 86.
When Michaels was promoted to editor of Forbes in 1961, business magazines were filled with articles that were either bland and pointless or long-winded and pretentious.
The stories he edited were very different: short, blunt and to the point.
A writer could be opinionated, so long as he could back up his opinions with fact.
Waffling was not tolerated.
Nor was parroting the conventional wisdom on anything.
“It was always said that Michaels could edit the Lord’s prayer down to six words and nobody would miss anything,” former Forbes writer Richard Behar told The New York Times in 1998.
Michaels constantly reinvented his magazine, adding sections on law, taxes, computers, medicine, science and leisure.
He had the novelty-seeking gene.
He took up scuba diving at 73.
He was one of the earliest and heaviest users of the Internet in the building.
He wanted articles that surprised people.
Once, he said to a young journalist:
“I want writers who get excited about disposable diapers.”
