Chicago Public Media buyouts: Key Sun-Times staffers exit amid budget crisis
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Chicago Public Media's buyout deadline has passed and several Sun-Times staffers have announced their departures.
Why it matters: CPM, which owns the Sun-Times and WBEZ-FM, is in the midst of a $3-5 million expected budget shortfall and is asking journalists to leave their jobs.
The latest: The Sun-Times guild confirmed to Axios that seven guild members have taken a buyout and will leave the company, while several others who have applied could learn their fate later this week.
- Prominent names include sports columnist Rick Morrissey, advice columnist Ismael Pérez, entertainment editor and writer Darel Jevens and White Sox beat writer Daryl Van Schouwen.
- Morrissey has been with the Sun-Times since 2009, when the paper stole him away from the rival Chicago Tribune.
- Editorial page editor Lorraine Forte also announced she is leaving, although she is not in the guild.
What they're saying: "This opportunity came along just as it was feeling like time for a pause," Jevens, who has been with the paper since 1989, tells Axios.
- "It's been thrilling to be in a city with such a vibrant variety of culture and to show Chicagoans that the people pushing artistic boundaries and shaping entertainment nationwide often are their neighbors."
Flashback: CPM announced in January they were asking staff to take voluntary buyouts to address a staggering $3-5 million budget shortfall.
Yes, but: CEO Melissa Bell told staff in an email that the savings needed to be closer to $5 million due to a rough financial start to 2025. The late February email, obtained by Axios, also said 16 employees had taken the buyout while imploring others to consider leaving.
- WBEZ's newsroom is not eligible for the buyouts since it took on layoffs last year.
- Bell has signaled these recent cuts are about balancing the budget at the public media company and reimagining the newspaper.
Between the lines: The CPM email suggests the company may not be done cutting. If enough staff members don't accept buyouts, they will resort to layoffs.
- CPM would not comment but said it would share budget details later this week.
The intrigue: Other high-profile writers, like columnist Neil Steinberg, chose to stay but could be targeted for layoffs if CPM doesn't save enough money from this round of buyouts.
- Some journalists haven't made public comments yet, including gossip columnist Michael Sneed. Her columns only appear on weekends, but she hasn't written one in 2025.
Reality check: The union is hoping CPM will find extra cost-cutting somewhere besides the newsroom.
- "We've done our part," a Sun-Times guild spokesperson tells Axios. "We still need to be able to serve Chicago."