Click Here for details.
Save Save Save Save
Published in the Sun-Times on January 23, 2025
BY DAVID ROEDER For the Sun-Times
The nonprofit owner of the Chicago Sun- Times is calling for staff reductions that will fall heavily on the publication's newsroom employees.
The cutbacks could be the deepest Chicago Public Media has ordered since it absorbed the Sun-Times in 2022. The noncash acquisition by the owner of public radio station WBEZ was an innovative attempt to preserve local journalism under a nonprofit umbrella, but the combined operations have been unable to stop financial bleeding.
Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, disclosed the planned cuts Wednesday in announcements to donors and employees. She said staff will be offered incentives to voluntarily exit via buyouts. The offer will be made to Sun-Times staff and to non-newsroom workers at WBEZ.
The move could save the company from $3 million to $5 million in annual expenses, possibly representing the departure of 20 to 30 people.
"Our hope is that this action and other efforts will reduce our costs so that we can avoid more significant cost-cutting measures down the road," Bell said in a letter to donors.
"This is a proactive decision that allows us to align our organization's size with our goals while strengthening our most valuable and impactful initiatives and ensuring our financial sustainability," Bell said. "While we've made strides in adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape, these efforts haven't yet translated into the sustainable revenue we need."
Her letter did not detail expected savings from the buyouts. A company spokeswoman said no specific individuals or reporting functions are being targeted.
Bell said in an interview that the voluntary cuts could start in mid-March. She said, "I came here only four months ago because I was intrigued and excited about the project" to unite the Sun-Times and WBEZ. The cutbacks are "one more step we need to take to set it up for its future success."
Jennifer Kho, executive editor of the Sun- Times, said the reductions follow from plans to combine the Sun-Times and WBEZ newsrooms. She said there is no executive editor role in the reorganization, which is still being finalized, and that her role with the company is to be determined.
Kho said the Sun-Times newsroom will bear the brunt of the reductions because it is the largest unit within the organization.
"I think this is our best chance of continuing to inform our audience. It's about longterm sustainability," she said. "I feel that the strategy overall has worked. Our audience overall is growing."
The Sun-Times has an editorial staff of 104 people, while WBEZ has 64 people working in its newsroom, Chicago Public Media said. The total number of employees, including non-editorial workers at both divisions, is 278.
The Sun-Times' combination with WBEZ in 2022 was a noncash purchase, but it included a $61 million philanthropic infusion from leading foundations. The money is intended to support operations through 2026.
It covers a $12 million annual operating deficit at the Sun-Times, the company said. The approaching end of that grant period has forced Chicago Public Media to look harder at cost cuts while stepping up calls for donations.
The Sun-Times has increased its pitches for support from online readers, who currently enjoy access to online content without hitting a paywall. Other readers who pay for subscriptions to the traditional print paper may be asked to increase their contributions.
Both editorial staffs include unionized members. Most Sun-Times newsroom employees are members of the Chicago News Guild.
A co-chair of its bargaining unit, Sun- Times reporter Nader Issa, said in a statement: "Our union is frustrated that our organization's management did not secure more revenue in the past three years to avoid staffing cuts and secure our sustainability. While we understand this move is meant to cut long-term costs, it's harder to swallow knowing the exorbitant executive salaries and bonuses we've seen CPM shell out in the past few years. We hope everyone at the organization will share in the pain on our path to sustainability."
To achieve goals from buyouts, companies typically offer enhanced terms for severance and continuation of health insurance to induce workers to quit. Bell said terms of the buyout offer will be announced after the company gets feedback via an employee survey.
In recent months, Chicago Public Media workers have criticized pay levels for top executives. They have voiced bitterness about the salary paid to former CEO Matt Moog, who left in 2024. Tax filings show Moog was paid $722,861 for 2023, his last full year of employment. Moog resigned after union complaints that an unidentified executive subjected workers to hostile conditions.
Bell said it has paid salaries in line with recommendations from outside consultants and has no immediate plans to reduce executive pay or ask for furloughs.
Those typically are temporary measures, while the buyouts represent ongoing cost savings, Bell said. She said cuts were not sought from the WBEZ newsroom because it sustained significant layoffs a year ago.
All media organizations have wrestled with declines in traditional revenue sources from advertising and subscriptions. But in Chicago Public Media's case, the situation could be worsened if President Donald Trump cuts back support for public broadcasting, which some supporters have threatened.
Audited financial statements show Chicago Public Media has received around $1.4 million in annual backing from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Asked if a paywall will be reimposed at suntimes.com, Bell said executives "will be having discussions about that" and other ideas for raising revenue.
Stacks of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. The Sun-Times has an editorial staff of 104 people, while WBEZ has 64 people working in its newsroom, Chicago Public Media said, Pat Nabong/Sun-Times File
Member Log-In + Contact Us + Events + PressLines + Job Bank + Advertising Toolbox + Upload Pages
+Regular Member Newspapers
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2025 Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public Relations Specialist cweishaar@studentloan.org (515) 273-7140
Six $1,500 scholarships now open to Midwest high school seniors High school seniors from six Midwest states have a chance to earn the scholarships
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — High school seniors from Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin now have a chance to receive one of six college scholarships worth $1,500. Registration is open now through April 30, 2025. Parents are also able to register their student. High school seniors or their parents may register for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. ISL Education Lending will award $1,500 scholarships to six students whose names are randomly drawn after the registration period. There are no financial need, grade point average or class rank requirements. The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship can be used at any eligible institution in the United States. Registered participants also receive emails highlighting financial literacy tips, such as the importance of early career and college planning and ways to reduce student loan indebtedness. “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is open to legal U.S. citizens who are seniors at a high school in one of the qualifying states during the 2025-2026 school year and who intend to attend college, either virtually or physically, in fall 2025. It is a no-purchase-required program, and full rules and details are available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
# # #
About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2025 Contact Information: Illinois State Medical Society Jann Ingmire janningmire@isms.org (312) 520-9802
Illinois State Medical Society offers free programs for health professionals to address human trafficking awareness
As January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) is offering a free, two-part webinar series aimed at equipping physicians and other health care professionals with the tools to identify and support those individuals exploited by human trafficking. The series, which is available on demand, is designed to challenge stereotypes, clarify the various factors contributing to trafficking, and provide practical approaches for assisting survivors of both sex and labor trafficking. Health care professionals are uniquely positioned to identify and assist trafficking victims due to their frontline access and trusted roles within the community. By offering these programs, ISMS aims to raise awareness and offer resources to professionals who may come across survivors in their care. January 11 is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the month as a whole is dedicated to increasing awareness of trafficking, which affects millions globally. According to a 2017 survey of 127 human trafficking survivors, 69% reported having accessed health care services at some point during their exploitation. Of those, 85% sought treatment for injuries or illnesses related to their trafficking. Despite this, only 6% of health care workers reported having treated someone who was a victim of trafficking. The two no-cost, on-demand programs, available 24/7, offer continuing medical education (CME) credits and are designed to help health care professionals recognize signs of trafficking, improve their response, and ensure proper support for survivors. Human Trafficking: Identification and Response in a Healthcare Setting Presented by Anna Pastor, coordinator, Cook Co. Human Trafficking Task Force Human Trafficking: Practical Approaches and Resources in a Healthcare Setting Presented by Traci Kurtzer, M.D., medical director for trauma informed care and education, Northwestern Medicine The programs are free to all health care professionals and the public.
###
Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!