Pioneer presenter of Piquant news, Clay Felker Dies

Clay Felker, the man behind the influential New York magazine, whose innovative approach to new journalism proved revolutionarily for the media, died at his Manhattan home on Tuesday. He was 82.

Felker had been suffering from cancer of the throat and mouth for several years. His wife, writer Gail Sheehy, was by Felker’s side at the time of his death.

"American journalism would not be what it is today without Clay Felker and neither would New York City," New York Editor-in-Chief Adam Moss said in a statement. "He created a kind of magazine that had never been seen before, told a kind of story that had never been told."

During the 1960s and '70s Felker's New York became indispensable for those seeking the hottest updates of city's social scene and the internal dope on its business and politics. The numerous ‘best of’ lists in the magazine made for precise consumer guidance and many would flip through pages to collect quick tips.

Editors across the country adopted Felker's formula back then and even today his strong point-of-view style continues to echo in magazines and the fresh media. His style soon became imperative to draw people and other magazines quickly adapted to it.

The question becomes, what do you do that's different, and Felker was thinking about what you do that's different a very long time ago," said Ken Auletta, who wrote for New York and the Village Voice, which Felker also owned at one time. "He understood that news is a commodity.”

According to Auletta, Felker’svision is even more true in this new media era, where "everybody knows what the news is by 6 p.m." What readers want is context and point-of-view in addition to solid reporting, she said.

Felker's editing at New York helped nurture the careers of such high-ranking writers like Ken Auletta, Jimmy Breslin, Gloria Steinem and Gael Greene. He was also among the pioneer promoters of female journalists.

Felker was also involved with publishing, writing and editing at Esquire, Village Voice, Adweek and other publications. He formed New West magazine in the mid-1970s in California - an indication to the East Coast media establishment that creative voices and cultural forces could be found outside the 212 area code.

Felker graduated in 1951 from Duke University, where he edited the student newspaper.

Neil Henry, dean of the UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism said on Tuesday that Felker was "one of the 20th century's greatest American editors." His name remains enshrined at the Felker magazine Center in the school.

Felker had to surrender New York and New West in 1977, when Australian publisher Rupert Murdoch grasped it through a hostile takeover. New York's staff left in solidarity with them, days before the latest issue was completed.

Time magazine in 1977, carried an article which said Felker is “variously described by associates and acquaintances as autocratic, devious, dishonest, rapacious, egotistical, power mad, paranoid, a bully and a boor. Almost in the same breath, the same people call Felker a genius."