The Post-Gazette — descended from the Pittsburgh Gazette, which was founded in 1786 — will remain in operation under the nonprofit that launched The Baltimore Banner.

BALTIMORE and PITTSBURGH — The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism and Block Communications Inc. announced today that they have reached an agreement for Venetoulis to acquire the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of the nation’s oldest regional newspapers.

The transaction, approved by the boards of both organizations, is expected to take effect on May 4. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to sustaining local journalism in Pittsburgh.

“For nearly a century, the Block family has been dedicated to public service in Pittsburgh,” said Stewart Bainum Jr., founder of the Venetoulis Institute. “We are honored that they trust us to continue this work.”

Block Communications has operated the publication since 1927.

“The Block family has worked to find the best possible source for responsible local journalism for the Pittsburgh region and we believe we have succeeded,” said Karen Johnese, chairperson of Block Communications Inc. “We are excited to hand our treasured paper over to such a committed and creative organization. We trust in their integrity and care for our community.”

The Post-Gazette will be the second news organization operated by Venetoulis, which founded The Baltimore Banner in 2022.

“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,” said Bob Cohn, CEO of the Venetoulis Institute. “We are clear-eyed about the task ahead. We have learned in Maryland that this work takes time, discipline and investment.”

Under the agreement, the Post-Gazette will remain a publication serving Western Pennsylvania, with the newsroom and local business leadership based in Pittsburgh. Other functions, including technology and business operations, will be combined with Venetoulis Institute teams to support long-term sustainability across both organizations. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Local journalism is essential to a strong community, but across the country the business model has been under severe strain,” Bainum said. “We believe there is a path forward — one that combines great journalism with a diversified business model built on scale and exceptional talent.”

Following the acquisition, David Shribman, the former executive editor of the Post-Gazette from 2003 to 2019, will join the Venetoulis board of directors. Shribman, a distinguished journalist who previously served as assistant managing editor of the Boston Globe and a politics correspondent at The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, brings strong ties to the Pittsburgh community and deep connections to the Post-Gazette newsroom.

Founded in 1786, the Post-Gazette has earned national recognition for its reporting, including a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Block Communications will work closely with the Venetoulis Institute to support a smooth transition while it continues operating its other media properties, including The Blade, its daily newspaper based in Toledo, Ohio.

About the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism

The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and sustaining high-quality local journalism. Named for Ted Venetoulis, a Maryland civic leader and publisher who believed local journalism is necessary to protect democracy, it was founded in response to the nationwide erosion of local news.

In June 2022, it launched The Baltimore Banner. Since then, The Banner has built a growing subscriber base, serving communities across Maryland with the state’s largest newsroom. In 2025, The Banner was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Baltimore’s opioid crisis, a series produced in partnership with The New York Times. For more information, visit venetoulisinstitute.org.

About Block Communications Inc.

Block Communications is a 124-year-old privately held diversified media company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, with operations in cable television/broadband internet, commercial telecommunications, newspaper publishing and television broadcasting. The company owns and operates Buckeye Broadband; Telesystem; two daily metropolitan newspapers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Blade; and multiple television broadcast stations, among other businesses. For more information, visit blockcommunications.com.

About the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has served the Pittsburgh community, its readers and advertisers as the region’s indispensable source of news, advertising and information for more than two centuries.