Post-Gazette sold to nonprofit institute
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Post-Gazette is sticking around. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
Pittsburgh just avoided losing a 239-year-old civic institution — but the future makeup of the Post-Gazette is still uncertain.
Why it matters: The region's largest and oldest paper announced earlier this year that it would shut down in May.
Driving the news: The Post-Gazette announced Tuesday it's selling to the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, the nonprofit publisher of the Baltimore Banner.
- Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- The paper's newsroom and local leadership team will continue to operate in Pittsburgh, according to a story published on the Post-Gazette website.
- The sale is effective May 4, the day after the paper was set to shut down.
State of play: Venetoulis Institute plans to maintain the Post-Gazette's two print days, Thursday and Sunday.
- Venetoulis Institute founder Stewart Bainum said the paper's newsroom staff of 100 might shrink.
Catch up quick: In January, the paper's owner, Block Communications Inc., announced the closure and said the Post-Gazette has lost more than $350 million over the past 20 years.
- The realities facing local journalism make "continued cash losses at this scale no longer sustainable," said Block Communications.
- The announced closure followed a newsroom strike that lasted over three years, during which many journalists crossed the picket line.
What they're saying: "We aspire to build a culture that's transparent, collaborative and ambitious and has a sense of urgency and respects everybody," Bainum said in the Post-Gazette announcement. "The test is not whether you're for-profit or nonprofit, but whether you're providing high quality journalism to communities that need it most."
- "The Block family has worked to find the best possible source for responsible local journalism for the Pittsburgh region and we believe we have succeeded," said Karen Johnese, chair of Block Communications, in a release.
Friction point: The Baltimore Banner reported Tuesday that the nonprofit is acquiring only the paper's assets and is not obligated to take on Block Communications' contracts.
- Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh attorney Joseph Pass said Tuesday the union hadn't yet met with new owners and was assessing the deal.
- Post-Gazette education reporter and Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh President Andrew Goldstein said he hopes new owners will work with the union and maintain a "robust staff that has the freedom to pursue the truth under dignified working conditions."
- "The Post-Gazette staying open is a win for Pittsburgh, and we are glad to see that legacy continue into the future," said Goldstein.
Context: The Venetoulis Institute launched the Baltimore Banner after the Baltimore Sun moved its printing operations.
- Venetoulis follows in the footsteps of other nonprofit efforts to preserve local newspapers, like the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- The Baltimore Banner has 79,500 paid subscribers and 4.1 million average monthly page views, and won a Pulitzer in 2025 for local reporting, according to the Post-Gazette article.
- The Banner has not yet broken even, according to the Post-Gazette.
What's next: "We are excited to hand our treasured paper over to such a committed and creative organization," said Johnese.