Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to Cease Operations

One of the leading newspapers in a crucial battleground state, previously supportive of President Donald Trump, is set to shut down later this year. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made the announcement on Wednesday, confirming it will stop its operations on May 3.

In a note shared on its website, the newspaper’s parent company, Block Communications, revealed that they “lost more than $350 million in cash operating the newspaper.” They also noted that the downturn in revenue affecting local journalism has become “no longer sustainable.”

The Bullock family, which owns the paper, expressed their sadness over this decision, stating, “We are proud of the service the Post-Gazette has provided Pittsburgh for nearly a century.”

Established in 1927, the Post-Gazette emerged from the merger of the Pittsburgh Post and the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times. It began to reduce its print publication frequency in 2018, eventually dropping to just twice a week.

Historically, the Post-Gazette endorsed President Barack Obama during both the 2008 and 2012 elections. However, it shifted its stance and supported Trump in 2020. There was an interesting take during the endorsement where they mentioned Trump was “certainly no Churchill, but he gets things done.” In fact, in October 2020, the editorial board even pointed out, “This paper has not endorsed a Republican for president since 1972. But for all his flaws, we believe Trump is the better choice this year.”

Interestingly, though they have a legacy of political commentaries, the Post-Gazette did not declare any presidential endorsement for the 2024 election.

As the media landscape shifts, especially with more people turning to digital platforms for news, many local newspapers, particularly in print, have struggled with declining revenues across the country.