"The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, the nonprofit parent organization of The Baltimore Banner, reached an agreement with Block Communications to acquire the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which was slated to shut down in May."
"The Post-Gazette is a beleaguered, historic metro daily whose union completed a divisive 1,133-day strike over health benefits last November."
"The Banner, meanwhile, is a national poster child for nonprofit news success. Since its founding in 2022, it has won a Pulitzer, grown into the state's largest newsroom, and expanded coverage into D.C.'s suburbs."
"Pittsburgh has been kind of stuck. There's pent-up capacity for something like the Lenfest Institute-era Philadelphia Inquirer or The Baltimore Banner - either a nonprofit conversion of the local daily or a robust competitor/replacement for it."
The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism has acquired the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, preventing its closure. The Post-Gazette faced significant challenges, including a lengthy strike and financial losses. In contrast, The Banner, a nonprofit news organization, has thrived since its inception in 2022, achieving notable success and expanding its coverage. The acquisition reflects broader trends in local news, highlighting the struggles of traditional newspapers and the rise of nonprofit models. Pittsburgh's local news landscape has been complicated by internal family issues within Block Communications and ongoing labor disputes.
Read at Nieman Lab
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