• The Atlantic et al., Tuesday, October 13, 2009 1:56 PM

Next month, The Atlantic Monthly is printing its first annual list of Brave Thinkers, and many of the nominations are destined (designed?) to cause plenty of controversy.

First off, there's New York Times publisher Authur Sulzberger, who's demonstrated bravery, according to The Atlantic, by resisting broad layoffs in the face of the company's collapsing stock price. He's also credited with providing the paper's online extensions with the resources to meet its traditionally high journalistic standards. In particular, The Times employs 11 people to moderate online comments -- more than twice the number of reporters on the masthead at The Huffington Post, according to The Atlantic. Not mentioned is Sulzberger's decision to take a $250 million loan from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú to help the company support what critics have called operational excesses.

An even more startling nomination is NBC Universal president Jeff Zucker, who's being called brave for his decision to retain Jay Leno, and thus move late-night TV to prime time. Admitting that the show could still fail big time -- which would be par for the course for NBC under Zucker's reign -- The Atlantic insists that this ballsy Hail Mary could restore his and NBC's reputation in full. "If cheap and easily produced fare like Leno's works in prime time, it could completely change the dynamics of network television," it writes. If that change is for better or for worse, The Atlantic doesn't say.

Next up is a guy who's surely on Rupert Murdoch's bravery list: Walter Hussman, publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, who has refused to give content away for free, and his newspaper is thriving. To be exact, Hussman began charging for online access to his newspaper back in 2002 -- and the paper remains profitable, with circulation higher than a decade ago. Murdoch, who's not on The Atlantic's list, just recently swore to charge for every piece of content he controls, earning the praise of Sir Martin.

Also on the list, decidedly less controversial figures from the worlds of media and technology include Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg -- who's unquestionably brave for holding onto his company as valuations have fluctuated wildly in recent years -- and, no stranger to such lists, Steve Jobs, who's credited with keeping a pure creative vision in the face of corporate pressure. Not mentioned is that fact that he's done so while staring death in the face, as well.

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