Pittsburgh City Paper returning to publication under new ownership

The Pittsburgh City Paper is returning to publication under new ownership.

The City Paper has been acquired by LocalMatters, a new nonprofit that says it's focused on helping local news organizations become self-sustaining. The longtime alt-weekly previously owned by Block Communications, Inc., which ceased operations of the free paper in January after 34 years, will return to Pittsburgh's media landscape with online and print editions. The print editions will be issued monthly. 

"The relaunch represents more than the return of a publication -- it signals a renewed commitment to the kind of local news that only a free, independent paper can deliver," a news release said.   

Pittsburgh City Paper says it will resume its signature beats of news, politics, art, counterculture, events, food, and more.

Ali Trachta will return to her previous role as the City Paper's editor-in-chief, and nearly all of the paper's editorial staff will be returning, the news release said.

To help sustain long-term success, the paper says it will launch a membership program and call on readers to pledge their support.

"A City Paper membership is not a passive donation. It is a meaningful investment that will enable us to provide not just the reporting our readers expect, but to grow our readers' ability to connect with and experience everything that makes Pittsburgh such a fascinating place to live," said Trachta.

A spokesperson for the City Paper said that online stories will return as soon as next month, and officials are targeting a late April or early May return of the paper's first print edition.

"City Paper has a really unique voice," said Andy Conte, director of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. "It demonstrates how when people get behind something and really want to support it, they're able to do something incredible, and I think this is a key moment where we look at local news and say it belongs to all of us now."

The return of the City Paper and journalism in Pittsburgh

While the Pittsburgh City Paper is returning to publication under new ownership, the future of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remains unclear as the city's oldest newspaper is poised to be shuttered in early May after 240 years.

Block Communications owns the Post-Gazette and announced plans to shut down earlier this year, citing unsustainable operating costs and a recent court ruling in favor of the union that represents newsroom staff. 

In the weeks and months since plans to shutter were announced, there's been a level of cautious optimism that the paper will continue operating, hopefully uninterrupted, under new ownership.

Shortly after the Post-Gazette announced its plans to close, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said it would be expanding production and printing a new weekend edition to help fill a news void. 

In the meantime, Conte said the relaunch of the Pittsburgh City Paper is a victory for local and alt news nationwide.

"Across the country, we've seen declines in local news operations, closing, withdrawing, getting smaller, and here in Pittsburgh, we're making a stand," Conte said.