A number of developments this week could help fill news voids created by budget cuts and general hard times at several leading news organizations:
The national news website known as NOTUS plans to rebrand as The Star in June and expand its focus to cover local news in the Washington, D.C. market. The decision comes after cuts earlier this year at The Washington Post that included a dramatic reduction in local news and sports.
NPR has announced it has received more than $100 million in charitable gifts from two deep pocketed donors that may help it recover after Congress eliminated all funding for public broadcasting.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will live on. The paper was scheduled to close in two weeks, but it was announced this week that the publisher of The Banner – a non-profit news site in Baltimore – has agreed to buy the assets of the Post-Gazette and keep it open. The paper currently publishes a print edition twice a week and the new owners say that schedule will continue.
