![]() Taking down the paywall and shifting to a membership-based model is the first major step. Nonprofit newsrooms are learning a new way of doing things, and there is a lot of potential for this business model. The Chicago Sun-Times, long a rival of the Chicago Tribune now owned by Alden Global Capital, is fortunate to have found a local benefactor to help the newspaper survive and thrive in an everchanging media landscape. “Invariably, the economically struggling, traditionally underserved communities that need local journalism the most are the very places where it is most difficult to sustain print or digital news organizations.” Insider Take “This is a crisis for our democracy and our society, said Professor Penelope Muse Abernathy, visiting professor at Medill and the principal author of the Medill’s Local News Initiative report. Karter reports that the majority of communities who lose their local media organizations do not have a replacement news outlet, either in print or digital, leaving approximately 70 million Americans with no local news outlet or one with limited reporting. has lost more than one-fourth of its newspapers and is on pace to lose a third by 2025. According to the article, between late 2019 and the end of May 2022, more than 360 newspapers across the country had closed. In a June 2022 report by Northwestern Now, a product of the Medill School of Journalism, Erin Karter explores the growth of news deserts. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for this unique model of nonprofit news and raising the bar for supporting, preserving and strengthening local journalism,” Nykia Wright, CEO of the Sun-times said. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for our collective news community and for the future of the hardest working paper in America, which counts some of the best storytellers in Chicago among its ranks. “Together WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times aim to tell the stories that matter, serve more Chicagoans with our unbiased, fact-based journalism and connect Chicagoans more deeply to each other and to their communities.” A vibrant local news ecosystem is fundamental to a healthy democracy, informed citizens and engaged communities,” said Matt Moog, CEO of Chicago Public Media, prior to the completion of the acquisition. “This is an important step to grow and strengthen local journalism in Chicago. Upon completion, the merger made it one of the largest nonprofit news organizations. The talks originated in the fall of 2021 with the goal of better serving their respective audiences, expanding their coverage, and reaching a more diverse cross-section of audiences across platforms. In January 2022, Chicago Public Media, parent company for public radio station WBEZ, acquired the Chicago Sun-Times through a non-cash transfer. Merger with WBEZ makes Sun-Times a nonprofit newsroom Because The Sun-Times is now a nonprofit newsroom, donations are tax deductible. The Sun-Times says that donations will support local reporting, provide access to members-only events and local discounts, offer 24/7 access to, provide daily delivery of the e-paper, give access to premium editions, and allow members to choose an annual thank you gift. Source: The Chicago Sun-Times membership page Prospective members have four ways to give: monthly, annually as a member, annually as a founding member, or by giving what they can afford. Submit a letter to the editor to tell a story of something about their community they are proud of or to correct the record about something that is either missed or misunderstood in their community. ![]() The Sun-Times asked for the community’s support in two ways: The Chicago Sun-Times website home page on Oct. So we’re taking a leap of faith and putting our trust in you,” Wright, Kho and LeCompte added. We think that’s a good thing, because if we’re not serving you, we’re not doing our jobs. A membership program connects our revenue model more closely to how well we serve our community, holding us accountable to you, our readers. “For the Sun-Times’ next chapter to be successful, it is essential for us to be truly open and inclusive so we can tell the stories that matter to all parts of our community. ” said Nykia Wright, Jennifer Kho and Celest LeCompte in an Octoarticle. ![]() Reporting the news is expensive, and the converging market forces of inflation and an anticipated (or possibly already here) recession could further endanger local newsrooms like ours. The Sun-Times is also launching a donation-based digital membership program, so that readers can contribute to the success of the newspaper, if they choose to do so. To access their online news for free, readers only need to provide an email address. The Chicago Sun-Times, now a nonprofit newsroom under parent company Chicago Public Media, has dropped its paywall for digital content.
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