1 month ago
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which has roots that day backmost to 1786, was group to adjacent adjacent month, successful a awesome rustle to nan metropolis and a motion of nan distressed authorities of section news. Not immoderate more.
On Tuesday, nan Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, nan genitor institution of nan Baltimore Banner non-profit news website successful Maryland, announced it had acquired nan Post-Gazette for an undisclosed sum.
“We are committed to moving pinch exceptional journalists, on pinch civic and business leaders crossed nan region, to build a caller early for section publicity successful occidental Pennsylvania,” said Bob Cohn, CEO of nan Venetoulis Institute. “We are clear-eyed astir nan task ahead. We person learned successful Maryland that this activity takes time, subject and investment.”
Block Communications, proprietor of nan Post-Gazette, had abruptly announced successful January that it would cease operations astatine nan paper, citing dense losses complete nan past 2 decades. But nan company, which besides publishes nan Toledo Blade, had chafed astatine a years-long onslaught by Post-Gazette labor complete unfair labour practices. Andrew Goldstein, president of nan Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, had accused nan Block family astatine nan time of choosing to adjacent nan insubstantial alternatively of pursuing labour rule aft an adverse tribunal decision.
In a connection connected Tuesday, nan chairperson of Block Communications, Karen Johnese, claimed that nan family had “worked to find nan champion imaginable root for responsible section publicity for nan Pittsburgh region”.
“We are excited to manus our treasured insubstantial complete to specified a committed and imaginative organization,” Johnese added. “We spot successful their integrity and attraction for our community.”
The New York Times, which first reported nan sale, quoted Cohn arsenic saying that nan publication would prosecute backmost a “large number” of nan labor who were laid disconnected arsenic portion of nan planned closure. The Banner, which was founded successful 2022, has already won a Pulitzer prize and has embarked connected an eager description into different parts of Maryland.
The transaction will spell into effect connected 4 May, a time aft nan Post-Gazette was scheduled to close.
“We are hopeful for a caller guidance astatine nan Post-Gazette that really values journalism,” Jon Schleuss, president of nan NewsGuild, said successful a statement. “There are still a batch of specifications to robust out, including nan respective cardinal dollars nan Blocks beryllium journalists for violating national law.
“We are dedicated to moving pinch ownership that follows nan law, respects workers’ national authorities and invests successful a newsroom delivering high-quality section news. Pittsburgh has made it clear it will judge thing less.”
