Peter Rinearson
Encyclopedia
Peter Mark Rinearson is an American
Pulitzer Prize
-winning and New York Times best-selling journalist, author and businessman.
from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree
in communications—although not until 2004, when he returned to finish his last two credits. During his time in college, Rinearson was managing editor of the University of Washington Daily
, editor of the Sammamish Valley News (the now-defunct weekly newspaper in Redmond, Washington
), and winner of the National Championship of the William Randolph Hearst
Journalism Awards program.
Rinearson originally wrote for the Seattle Times, for which he covered politics, Boeing
, and Asia. In 1984, Rinearson won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
for a series he wrote on Boeing's development of the 757
. Two years after winning the Pulitzer, he left the Times to write books.
The Pulitzer Prize Board announced a new category of "Explanatory Reporting" in November 1984, citing Rinearson's series of explanatory articles that seven months earlier had won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. The series, "Making It Fly," was a 29,000-word account of the development of the Boeing 757 jetliner. It had been entered in the National Reporting category, but judges moved it to Feature Writing to award it a prize. In the aftermath, the Pulitzer Prize Board said it was creating the new category in part because of the ambiguity about where explanatory accounts such as "Making It Fly" should be recognized.
Rinearson was subsequently a national semifinalist for NASA
's Journalists in Space project, cancelled in the wake of the Space Shuttle Challenger
tragedy.
From 1995 to 1999, Rinearson assisted Bill Gates in writing a newspaper column carried by the New York Times Syndicate.
. Excerpts have been included in several books on journalism, including America's Best Newspaper Writing.
Rinearson was also the recipient of the Lowell Thomas Prize from the American Society of Travel Writers for his consumer affairs journalism regarding air travel and the John Hancock
Award for Business Writing for his Japan coverage.
He has served as a member of the national advisory board of the Poynter Institute
.
Rinearson co-wrote The Road Ahead
with Bill Gates
and Nathan Myhrvold
. It was Gates' first book and spent seven weeks at the top of The New York Times
best-seller list.
Previously in the 1980s, Rinearson had written how-to books on using Microsoft Word
in MS-DOS
for Microsoft Press. Of one of these, New York Times reviewer Erik Sandberg-Diment wrote: "Word owners should not be without Rinearson's book, even if they read no more than a tenth of it." According to Rinearson's official bio at his company, he "created the first software disk to accompany a Microsoft Press book, which presented a system of styles and style sheets that Microsoft later commissioned him to revise for Word for Windows. This work laid the foundation for the formatting styles built into Word today."
version 5.1 for the Macintosh
, and for more than a decade sold the Foreign Proofing Tool kits that allowed people to work with Word in multiple languages.
In 1995, Rinearson co-founded a nine-person digital design company, Raster Ranch, that focused on 3D modeling for television, games, and the Web.
Two years later, Rinearson spun off from Alki a subsidiary, Intype, which created Babynamer.com, which had 300,000 monthly visitors. But the primary initiative of Intype was to build and market a Web-publishing platform that would enable a site to offer a blend of professional and community created content. Rinearson believed that the economic principle called network effects would catapult to dominance publishers who owned the primary places where people congregated online to create and consume their own content. Intype was an attempt to get the newspaper industry, where Rinearson had started his career, to embrace community content before Web startups gained a strong foothold. The Newspaper Association of America used Intype's technology, but when no newspapers followed suit Rinearson sold Intype to Oxygen Media in 1999.
He then became a senior vice-president at the Oxygen television network, followed by a stint as a corporate vice-president at Microsoft
, where he was on the five-person senior leadership team of the Information Worker business unit that published Microsoft Office and other productivity software.
In 2005, Rinearson returned to his entrepreneurial roots, where he undertook projects that converged into Intersect.com, a service he founded which launched in December, 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning and New York Times best-selling journalist, author and businessman.
Journalism career
Rinearson attended the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in communications—although not until 2004, when he returned to finish his last two credits. During his time in college, Rinearson was managing editor of the University of Washington Daily
The Daily of the University of Washington
The Daily of the University of Washington, usually referred to in Seattle simply as The Daily, is the student newspaper of the University of Washington in Seattle, USA.-History:...
, editor of the Sammamish Valley News (the now-defunct weekly newspaper in Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
), and winner of the National Championship of the William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
Journalism Awards program.
Rinearson originally wrote for the Seattle Times, for which he covered politics, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, and Asia. In 1984, Rinearson won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing has been awarded since 1979 for a distinguished example of feature writing giving prime consideration to high literary quality and originality. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.-List of winners and their...
for a series he wrote on Boeing's development of the 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
. Two years after winning the Pulitzer, he left the Times to write books.
The Pulitzer Prize Board announced a new category of "Explanatory Reporting" in November 1984, citing Rinearson's series of explanatory articles that seven months earlier had won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. The series, "Making It Fly," was a 29,000-word account of the development of the Boeing 757 jetliner. It had been entered in the National Reporting category, but judges moved it to Feature Writing to award it a prize. In the aftermath, the Pulitzer Prize Board said it was creating the new category in part because of the ambiguity about where explanatory accounts such as "Making It Fly" should be recognized.
Rinearson was subsequently a national semifinalist for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Journalists in Space project, cancelled in the wake of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
tragedy.
From 1995 to 1999, Rinearson assisted Bill Gates in writing a newspaper column carried by the New York Times Syndicate.
Awards and honors
In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize, Rinearson's "Making It Fly" won the ASNE Distinguished Writing Award for business writing, from the American Society of News EditorsAmerican Society of News Editors
The American Society of News Editors is a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of media-related foundations and training organizations...
. Excerpts have been included in several books on journalism, including America's Best Newspaper Writing.
Rinearson was also the recipient of the Lowell Thomas Prize from the American Society of Travel Writers for his consumer affairs journalism regarding air travel and the John Hancock
John Hancock
John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
Award for Business Writing for his Japan coverage.
He has served as a member of the national advisory board of the Poynter Institute
Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a non-profit school for journalism located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school's mission statement says that "The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of...
.
Books authored
The Road Ahead
The Road Ahead, a book written by Bill Gates, Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson and published in November 1995, summarized the implications of the personal computing revolution and described a future profoundly changed by the arrival of a global information superhighway.Gates received a $2.5...
with Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
and Nathan Myhrvold
Nathan Myhrvold
Nathan Paul Myhrvold , formerly Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, is co-founder of Intellectual Ventures. Myhrvold, usually with coinventors, holds 17 U.S. patents assigned to Microsoft and has applied for more than 500 patents. In addition, Myhrvold and coinventors hold 115 U.S...
. It was Gates' first book and spent seven weeks at the top of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
best-seller list.
Previously in the 1980s, Rinearson had written how-to books on using Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
in MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
for Microsoft Press. Of one of these, New York Times reviewer Erik Sandberg-Diment wrote: "Word owners should not be without Rinearson's book, even if they read no more than a tenth of it." According to Rinearson's official bio at his company, he "created the first software disk to accompany a Microsoft Press book, which presented a system of styles and style sheets that Microsoft later commissioned him to revise for Word for Windows. This work laid the foundation for the formatting styles built into Word today."
Business
In 1988, Rinearson founded Alki Software, which created third-party products for Microsoft Word. Alki licensed to Microsoft the toolbar and several other features of Microsoft WordMicrosoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
version 5.1 for the Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
, and for more than a decade sold the Foreign Proofing Tool kits that allowed people to work with Word in multiple languages.
In 1995, Rinearson co-founded a nine-person digital design company, Raster Ranch, that focused on 3D modeling for television, games, and the Web.
Two years later, Rinearson spun off from Alki a subsidiary, Intype, which created Babynamer.com, which had 300,000 monthly visitors. But the primary initiative of Intype was to build and market a Web-publishing platform that would enable a site to offer a blend of professional and community created content. Rinearson believed that the economic principle called network effects would catapult to dominance publishers who owned the primary places where people congregated online to create and consume their own content. Intype was an attempt to get the newspaper industry, where Rinearson had started his career, to embrace community content before Web startups gained a strong foothold. The Newspaper Association of America used Intype's technology, but when no newspapers followed suit Rinearson sold Intype to Oxygen Media in 1999.
He then became a senior vice-president at the Oxygen television network, followed by a stint as a corporate vice-president at Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, where he was on the five-person senior leadership team of the Information Worker business unit that published Microsoft Office and other productivity software.
In 2005, Rinearson returned to his entrepreneurial roots, where he undertook projects that converged into Intersect.com, a service he founded which launched in December, 2010.