37
MEDIA
We need journalism
to elevate humanity
By Marc Benioff
TheView
A free
and
vibrant
press
helps us
under-
stand
our world
and the
stories of
our fellow
human
beingsIt’s a paradox of thIs moment In human hIstory—
we have a vast universe of information at our fingertips, yet we
still struggle to understand the forces that shape our world.
The very technologies and social-media platforms that
were supposed to bring us together have been used to sow
division and undermine our democracy. Power comes from
“we the people,” yet public trust in institutions continues
to decline. The free press that ensures transparency and ac-
countability is under attack, here in the U.S. and around the
world. We’re surrounded by unprecedented prosperity but
also shocking inequality, leading to calls for a new, more
equitable and sustainable form of capitalism. Artificial intel-
ligence can make us smarter, wealthier and healthier, yet algo-
rithms increasingly decide which articles we read.
In moments of transformation like this, how do we ensure
that we’re elevating humanity and not undermining it?
More than ever, the truth matters. Facts matter. Values
matter. Whatever organization, business or institution we’re
a part of, we need to realize that we are not separate from the
larger social issues that surround us. We have a responsibil-
ity not simply to make a profit but to make the world a better
place. We have an obligation to serve all our stakeholders, in-
cluding employees, communities and our planet. When we do,
each of us can be a platform for change and a force for good.
This includes a free and vibrant press, which helps us
under stand our world and the stories of our fellow human
beings. We are inspired—and moved to action—by families
grappling with the injustice of economic inequality, by entre-
preneurs striving to use technology ethically and humanely,
and by young activists demanding that we address the climate
crisis that imperils our planet.
That’s why my wife Lynne and I decided to become the own-
ers of TIME one year ago. For nearly a century, TIME has been
trusted by millions of people around the world to tell the sto-
ries that matter most and to help us see one another. We see this
commitment to telling the stories that matter and that shape our
lives in TIME’s coverage, led by editor-in-chief and CEO Edward
Felsenthal and a global team. Every week, that red- bordered
cover is a call to action to shake off our complacency and face
squarely the most pressing issues confronting our world.
Today, TIME is a leading publisher on digital and social
platforms, with a global audience of well over 100 million,
reaching more people every day than its founders could have
imagined. With five Emmy nominations in the past three years,
TIME has taken readers deep into the Amazon rain forest and
far into outer space through cutting- edge digital storytelling.
Next year, TIME will use sophisticated virtual- reality film-
making to re-create Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic March on
Washington. We’re investing in TIME’s newsroom and its busi-
ness to ensure that both continue to thrive for the next century.
Lynne and I also have a deep ap-
preciation for the power of a free and
vibrant press on a more local level, in
our own community of San Francisco.
Eight years ago, we read a story in the
San Francisco Chronicle about a boy
named Rudy, a homeless fourth-grader.
With his parents and older brother, he
spent nights in homeless shelters, hud-
dled in bus stops and in city parks. In
the mornings, he got up and took two
buses to elementary school, tired and
hungry. Rudy’s story shocked us and
galvanized us, and we have since made
support for homeless families a focus
of our personal philanthropy.
Last year, I supported a ballot mea-
sure to levy a tax on San Francisco’s
largest companies, including my own,
to address the city’s homelessness crisis.
A free press played a vital role during
the public debate. When misinforma-
tion and false narratives began to sur-
face, the press sought out the truth.
Armed with the facts, voters were able
to make more informed decisions, and
we were thankful that the measure ulti-
mately passed by more than 60%.our world has undergone count-
less transformations since the first
TIME magazine hit the newsstands in
March 1923, for a price of 15¢. In our
hometown of San Francisco or wherever
you’re experiencing TIME, none of us
can know what changes will come in the
decades that lie ahead.
What we do know is that the changes
we seek won’t just happen on their own.
They’ll occur only when we truly lis-
ten to one another and recognize that
everyone—including a little boy, homeless
on the streets of San Francisco—matters
and deserves an equal chance to succeed
and to live with dignity and opportunity.
These are the stories that need to be
told. These are the stories that we need
to hear—and that should inspire every
one of us to do what we can to serve all
our stakeholders and to improve the
state of our world.Marc and Lynne Benioff are the owners
of TIME. Marc is also the chairman and
co-CEO of Salesforce and the author,
with Monica Langley, of Trailblazer:
The Power of Business as the Greatest
Platform for Change