Reception for Reuters CEO, Tom Glocer (11/10/2004)

Tom Glocer, the CEO of Reuters, gave a brief address discussing both Reuters' use of technology (dating back to the company's founding in 1861). Technology was somewhat loosely defined including carrier pigeons to bridge a gap in the telegraph wire (with the added innovation of redundant carrier pigeons) and rowboats (who intercepted mail ships bound to London coming from America off the coast of Ireland, then made use of the undersea cable between Ireland and London to "scoop" the companies that waited for the ships to arrive.) More recently, they pursued policies of open access, choosing to discontinue their proprietary hardware and focus on content instead. He also spoke about the Reuters' principles that have built and protected the Reuters' brand over the 150 year history. A strong editorial separation has given Reuters much greater credibility. (Anecdote: BBC typically insists on two independent sources before they'll run a story, but makes an exception for Reuters' stories.)

He answered questions from the audience, and stayed to mingle for a bit, praising the work of the RDVP fellows. A number of interesting people came to hear him speak, so it was a great opportunity to communicate our projects to a broader audience.