Jim Naughton, president of the Poynter Institute and Hodding Carter III, president of the Knight Foundation, leaders of two of the nation's largest journalism think tanks, also actively supported Giles's candidacy.

Also weighing in with Mass. Hall on Giles's behalf were a group of top officials from the American Society of Newspaper Editors, of which he is a past president; a number of his Nieman classmates from the mid-'60s; and his three children, who wrote to describe the agonies the family went through during the Detroit strike.

Some of this support was the result of a deliberate campaign by the Giles family to get prominent figures in the media industry to lobby Mass. Hall.

Giles's son, David, who is a first amendment attorney in Denver, said that he phoned a number of colleagues in media law and journalists including the editor of a major East Coast paper to urge them to pressure Mass. Hall on his father's behalf.

Giles's supporters said yesterday that they were pleased by the appointment.

"I think that a good decision about a fine man has been reaffirmed," said the media industry executive who described the details of the meetings with Rudenstine. "The controversy was probably worthwhile in that it surfaced some external concerns. I think they were dealt with and everybody had a chance to weigh in that has a point of view."