A nonprofit journalism organization stepped in this week to rescue the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from closing its doors, marking another instance of struggling news outlets seeking salvation through nonprofit partnerships as traditional revenue streams dry up.
Several major newspapers across the country have pursued similar strategies to survive the industry’s financial crisis.
In 2019, The Salt Lake Tribune became the nation’s first established newspaper to transform directly from for-profit status to nonprofit operations. The publication required Internal Revenue Service authorization for this groundbreaking conversion, which differed from other newspapers that were acquired by existing nonprofit entities.
The transformation included establishing a board of directors and shifting to donation-based funding. The newspaper implemented strict barriers between journalists and contributors to maintain editorial independence, and discontinued political candidate endorsements through its editorial board.
Since launching in 1871 as “The Tribune & Utah Mining Gazette,” The Salt Lake Tribune changed hands multiple times. The rise of internet usage during the mid-1900s created severe financial challenges for the publication and the broader newspaper industry, as readers migrated to digital sources and advertisers followed suit.
New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital, known for aggressive cost-cutting measures, acquired The Salt Lake Tribune in 2010, loading the company with $278 million in acquisition debt. The resulting reorganization triggered staff reductions and attracted a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.
Utah entrepreneur Paul Huntsman purchased the newspaper in 2016 and facilitated its transition to nonprofit status.
Chicago Public Media finalized its acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times in 2022, forming one of America’s most significant local nonprofit news operations.
Department store magnate Marshall Field III established the Chicago Sun-Times in 1948. Field had launched the Chicago Sun newspaper several years prior and acquired the local Daily Times to obtain printing equipment. The publications combined to form the Chicago Sun-Times.
The newspaper changed ownership repeatedly over subsequent decades before Chicago Public Media’s purchase.
The public media company already operated WBEZ, the area’s NPR station. The radio outlet and newspaper now collaborate on content distribution, broadening both organizations’ audiences.
The Tampa Bay Times originated as the West Hillsborough Times, a weekly publication produced on manual printing equipment beginning in 1884.
Former Indiana newspaper owner Paul Poynter acquired controlling interest in 1912, according to the St. Petersburg Museum of History. The Poynter family maintained ownership for decades until Nelson Poynter’s death in 1978. He bequeathed the newspaper to a local journalism institution — the nonprofit Modern Media Institute — converting the publication to nonprofit operations.
The Modern Media Institute later adopted the Poynter name.
Media industry challenges extend beyond American borders. News organizations worldwide — including Caribbean outlets — have implemented staff cuts, ceased operations entirely, or pursued new funding through donations and website subscription models.
The Associated Press, among the globe’s oldest news services, began in the mid-1800s when newspapers sought to share reporting costs beyond their local markets. Though AP has operated as a nonprofit for decades, this status hasn’t shielded the organization from industry-wide financial pressures.
AP announced last week it would offer voluntary buyouts to an undetermined number of domestic journalists as part of its strategic shift away from traditional newspaper and print journalism that supported the company since the 1800s. The News Media Guild union, representing AP staff members, reported that over 120 of its members received buyout proposals.
