Union members at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other papers owned by Lee Enterprises Inc. are urging the company to fight hard against a takeover attempt by Alden Global Capital LLC, a hedge fund the unions accuse of “gutting newsrooms.” In a letter Monday to Lee’s board of directors, 12 guilds representing Lee’s unionized newsrooms warned that Alden — which owns papers … [Read more...] about Post-Dispatch and other Lee papers in Midwest brace for possible sell-off to hedge fund
Illinois
With its work set to begin in less than two months, the Local Journalism Task Force in Illinois still recruiting members to fulfill its mandate
A new local journalism task force is gearing up to examine the growing news desert in Illinois under a new mandate that goes into effect the first of the year, but the majority of the people who will do that work have yet to be appointed. The task force, established by law and signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August, will bring together educators and other key figures in … [Read more...] about With its work set to begin in less than two months, the Local Journalism Task Force in Illinois still recruiting members to fulfill its mandate
It’s getting hard and harder to find a newspaper for sale
Late last month, my son and I were photographed outside of Columbia College Chicago for a story about my employer’s new policy limiting children on campus. The Chicago Tribune photographer captured him in a wrap on my back, his blue Vans untied and a floral mask covering his face. It was my baby’s first newspaper photo. I’m just old school enough that after I … [Read more...] about It’s getting hard and harder to find a newspaper for sale
Claire McCaskill: Garland should act, Breyer should retire, the filibuster should stay
Attorney General Merrick Garland should act on the contempt case against Steve Bannon, Justice Stephen Breyer should retire, Democratic senators Diane Feinstein and Patrick Leahy are getting old, the filibuster should be retained but reformed and former Attorney General Eric Holder was too slow to release the report clearing former Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson. Those are … [Read more...] about Claire McCaskill: Garland should act, Breyer should retire, the filibuster should stay
Illinois high school educators lead nation in developing media literacy program required by new state law
Illinois is the first state to require a media literacy unit as part of the annual curriculum for high school students. Educators are spending this year adjusting and developing their lesson plans accordingly, which advocates say will establish a new standard for US public education. Beginning next fall, students will be exposed to the following topics: accessing … [Read more...] about Illinois high school educators lead nation in developing media literacy program required by new state law