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…