Intl. Herald Tribune Gets Name Change, Lives On In BREATHLESS

When I was at the Berlinale Film Festival for the first time in 1998, one of the first things I did in Berlin was buy a copy of the International Herald Tribune. The paper, an European version of the NY Times in English (run by the Times with the assistance of the Washington Post since 1967), is iconic in many ways but especially to me as a filmmaker from it's memorable role in the French New Wave film BREATHLESS. Jean Seberg's character sells the paper in the streets of Paris and her uniquely wan barker's call is burned into my movie memory -- as is that film in general.

There's a piece in today's TIMES about the coming name change for that paper to the International New York Times (happening this fall) which, of course, doesn't quite have the same ring to it.  The article which is in the City Room blog, is fascinating for its mini-history of the NY Herald (for which Herald Sq is named after) and the Tribune (which spawned a sunday supplement which became New York magazine--who knew?).

I love reading about the old papers and how there used to be some many of them until television killed the daily print beast. Now the Internet is trying it's best to knock off what remains. But it's great to read about the way things were and all the different flavors these different papers brought to the coverage of old New York.