Pittsburgh City Paper returns with new owners
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Photo: Mars Johnson / Pittsburgh City Paper
Pittsburgh City Paper is relaunching under new ownership less than three months after the alt-weekly's abrupt shutdown.
Why it matters: Pittsburgh's media ecosystem is in flux after Block Communications moved to shed two of the city's most recognizable news brands in rapid succession.
- City Paper's revival comes as the region seeks a stable path for local newsrooms amid industry turmoil.
Driving the news: LocalMatters, a new nonprofit focused on sustaining local journalism, will revive City Paper online and in print, starting with free monthly print editions, per a news release.
- Most of the newsroom's editorial staff will return to cover news, politics, arts, culture and more, Editor Ali Trachta said in a statement.
Inside the room: The paper plans to restart online publishing in April and printing in May.
Catch up quick: Block Communications acquired City Paper in 2023 from the Butler Eagle's owners.
- The company shuttered it in January after more than three decades, saying it "had not reached a level of financial performance that allows Block Communications to continue operating it responsibly."
- The paper cut its print schedule from weekly to quarterly months prior.
- Block Communications also plans to close the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in May unless a buyer can strike a deal to save it.
What they're saying: Trachta said Block Communications "took many steps along the way to vet the buyers' long-term plans and resources" during the sale.
- "I'm grateful for that because I'm confident the paper landed in good hands," she said.
Context: City Paper was founded in 1991 as an alt-weekly covering the region's arts, music, politics and news scenes. Like other alt-weeklies across the country, it faced revenue challenges as ads migrated from print to online.
Zoom in: Shortly after City Paper's closure, Pittsburgh entrepreneur Chris Maury assembled a group of private and philanthropic backers to support its return in partnership with LocalMatters and the Philadelphia-based Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
- The nonprofit will be led by board chair Tracy Certo, founder of NEXTpittsburgh, who is active across multiple area organizations, including The Pittsburgh Foundation board. She'll serve alongside a team of seasoned voices from Pittsburgh's nonprofit space.
"Local journalism isn't short on ambition, relevance or audience. What it lacks is a sustainable business model," said Certo. "LocalMatters will focus on expanding resources and practical tools and sharing them across newsrooms so journalists can focus on the work communities rely on."
The bottom line: City Paper will remain a for-profit publication, per the release, launching a membership program "critical to the publication's future."