Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Finds Nonprofit Buyer, Avoiding Shutdown

The 237-year-old newspaper will continue publishing under new ownership focused on local journalism.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 7:21am

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a stack of vintage newspapers, a quill pen, and an old-fashioned desk lamp arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background, symbolizing the enduring legacy and evolving role of local journalism.The acquisition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by a nonprofit journalism institute signals a hopeful future for local news in an era of industry disruption.Today in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of the oldest newspapers in the United States, has found a last-minute buyer just weeks before it was set to shut down. The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a successful nonprofit journalism operation, has agreed to acquire the Post-Gazette's assets and keep the paper open, with plans to continue printing a Thursday and Sunday edition and operating a website on other days.

Why it matters

The closure of the Post-Gazette would have left Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in Pennsylvania, without a city-based newspaper, a significant loss for the region's civic life and democratic discourse. The sale to a nonprofit committed to local journalism represents an opportunity to strengthen independent reporting and ensure residents have access to essential community information.

The details

The Post-Gazette, which dates its ancestry to 1786, had been slated to close on May 3 after its owners, Block Communications, announced in January that they would shut down the struggling newspaper. However, the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, which publishes the digital Baltimore Banner, has now agreed to acquire the Post-Gazette's assets, though financial terms were not disclosed. The new owners plan to continue printing the newspaper twice a week and operate a website on the other days.

  • The Post-Gazette was due to shut down on May 3, 2026.
  • The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism announced the acquisition on April 15, 2026.

The players

Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism

A successful nonprofit journalism operation that publishes the digital Baltimore Banner and has now agreed to acquire the assets of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to keep the 237-year-old newspaper open.

Block Communications

The previous owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who had announced in January 2026 that they would be shutting down the newspaper.

Jay Costa

The top-ranking Democrat in the Pennsylvania state Senate, whose district encompasses about half of Pittsburgh.

Bob Cohn

The CEO of the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism.

David Shribman

The former executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from 2003 to 2019, who has been appointed to the board of directors of the Venetoulis Institute.

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What they’re saying

“For us to be a vibrant, strong city, as we are, it's imperative that we have a newspaper that demonstrates that.”

— Jay Costa, Top-ranking Democrat in the Pennsylvania state Senate

“We are committed to working with exceptional journalists, along with civic and business leaders across the region, to build a new future for local journalism in Western Pennsylvania.”

— Bob Cohn, CEO of the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism

“I'm more hopeful now for the future of the Post-Gazette than I was yesterday.”

— Steve Mellon, Longtime photographer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

What’s next

The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism plans to continue publishing the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette twice a week in print and maintain a daily online presence, with a focus on strengthening local journalism and community engagement in the region.

The takeaway

The sale of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to a nonprofit journalism organization represents a hopeful model for sustaining local news in an era of industry upheaval, preserving a vital civic institution and demonstrating the value that communities place on independent, community-centered reporting.