Being a decades-long subscriber, I am worried that like so many acquisitions by rich individuals and corporations of “legacy” properties like The New Republic that TNR will fall under the wheels of the bus that is big-time finances. I hope this will not be the case, but the idea of finding a new owner who is willing and interested in investing in TNR to conserve this cultural heritage that is ours as readers challenges the imagination.

I am disappointed that Mr. Hughes has squandered this opportunity to conserve the best of TNR while bringing it into the new media age. It certainly would have been a challenge for any new owner in this difficult era in which tradition and heritage seem passé to the Millennial generation and even to their parents. His ham-handed execution of the aspired-for transition that led to the departure of virtually the entire editorial and writing staff assured this sad conclusion to this chapter in the history of The New Republic.

I have read extensively about TNR since Mr. Hughes bought the publication four years ago and then proceeded to blow it up with the help of his Silicon Valley hipster CEO. My impression is that at the very least the two of them handled the transition with little cultural sensitivity, stepping on toes, using hip IT jargon, and making no effort whatever to comprehend the history and the cultural environment of TNR after Hughes bought the magazine.

It is apparent to me that Mr. Hughes made one of two errors or perhaps both. He badly underestimated the commitment of the editors’ and writers’ commitment to journalism and good writing when he demonstrated too little conviction in his assurances that he wanted this to be preserved. Secondly, he hired the wrong man for the CEO job, virtually assuring the departure of the editorial and writing staff.

This is a sad day for me as a reader as it must be for my fellow readers who grew up intellectually with TNR on our coffee tables and night-stands. I hope and pray for a rescuer to appear, be it a media company or an individual. Certainly the only hope lies with someone who values the cultural heritage and tradition that TNR represents for all of us. Nevertheless it’s hard for me to imagine that TNR will ever become a profitable venture of the type that a financial investor would look for.

We can only hope that someone with big pockets who loves what TNR has stood for over the years will commit to saving the magazine and that they will have more vision, maturity and ability that Mr. Hughes demonstrated in his short tenure as owner of this valuable cultural institution.