The end days of local newspapers are approaching ever faster.
On Wednesday, Block Communications, owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a newspaper whose roots date back to 1786, announced it will cease operations for the western-Pennsylvania publication on May 3. In the paper’s own report about its shuttering, it was revealed that Block has lost more than $350 million in cash operating the newspaper over the past two decades. Ownership is laying blame on a recent court ruling requiring the company to honor its 2014 labor contract.
With its closure, the Pittsburgh area will lose several longtime sportswriters, including Gerry Dulac, who has been covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and golf for the paper since 1993. Dulac is one of the most well-respected reporters on the Steelers beat and frequently appears on nationally syndicated programs like The Rich Eisen Show. Ray Fittipaldo, a fellow Steelers beat reporter who joined the paper in 1997, will also be without a publication come May.
Other names in the paper’s sports division include columnist Joe Starkey, Pitt reporter Christopher Carter, editor Rob Joesbury, Penguins and Pirates reporter Jason Mackey, enterprise reporter Noah Hiles, and several others.
Despite clear signs of the paper’s decline, such as ending daily print publication in 2018 and later cutting down to just two print editions per week, the Post-Gazette kept a robust sports division, as seen by the number of prominent names listed above. It makes sense. Pittsburgh is a sports-crazed town, and sports coverage is likely one of the primary topics keeping readership afloat for all these years.
Some Post-Gazette writers have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the news.
“Proud of the work we’ve done. Proud of what this place has meant and the people I/we have gotten to follow to try our best to uphold the tradition. Don’t care about your religion, politics or level of Pirates anger. This sucks,” Mackey wrote on X.
Others were a bit more blunt in their reaction.
Unfortunately, the paper’s shuttering reflects a broader nationwide trend impacting publications in mid-sized cities like Pittsburgh. The declining economics of physical newspapers, and the inability for legacy brands to compete in a digital environment, have left some outlets with no other choice.
Alan Saunders, a beat reporter for Steelers Now, echoed that sentiment.
A lot of very talented Pittsburgh-area sportswriters are about to come on the market, and any publication looking to capture the readership of a rabid fanbase would be wise to hire them.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.