Despite difficult business conditions that have forced newspapers nationwide to pare back operations amid dwindling advertising, Baltimore Sun Media has won two Pulitzer Prizes in recent years — one last year for local reporting for the staff’s work uncovering the “Healthy Holly†book-publishing scheme that led to the resignation and conviction of Mayor Catherine Pugh and the other in 2019 when the Capital Gazette received a special citation in the wake of the 2018 shooting that killed five members of its staff. Baltimore Sun Media newsrooms and staff also have been Pulitzer finalists six times since 2015.
“In these times, local journalism is more important than ever. This news is a win for Sun employees and a more transparent, accountable Baltimore,†Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement.
We wish the paper great success as it returns to being locally-owned, and continues to carry out the work of the free press.
In recent years, several newspapers have been acquired from chains and operate as nonprofits, including local ownership efforts in Salt Lake City, Philadelphia and the Berkshires in Massachusetts.
Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst for the Poynter Institute, said he thought local ownership could work. Poynter owns newspapers in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, Florida.
“I think the nonprofit model, and I am biased because Poynter has been pioneers, opens added opportunities by making it much easier for other individuals and donors and foundations to make contributions,†he said. “This can work.â€
But even nonprofit-owned newspapers must contend with the challenging conditions facing all news organizations, Edmonds said.
Bainum, 74, could not be reached Tuesday evening for comment.
He is a Takoma Park resident who made his fortune in hotels and nursing homes. He remains chairman of Choice Hotels International, the Rockville-based hospitality franchiser for such marques as Cambria Hotels, Quality Inn and Econo Lodge.
Bainum’s planned purchase of The Sun is not affiliated directly with an effort by a group of Baltimore philanthropists, businesspeople and the union representing Sun journalists to seek local ownership for the publication, said Ted Venetoulis, a spokesman and adviser for that effort.
“Stewart has stepped up to do this,†Venetoulis said. “He’s just a remarkable person, a civic activist who just wants to help the community. … It’s great to have this coming to fruition, and you couldn’t have a better person for the city and really the whole state to be doing this.â€
Venetoulis said Bainum is making the purchase through his foundation, and no other partners are involved at this point, although he expects more local philanthropists will be looking to support the newspaper.
Bainum’s Sunlight for All Institute was established Jan. 26 as a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation in Delaware.“A free and independent press is a critical pillar of our democracy and today’s announcement is wonderful news for the future of journalism across our region and throughout our state,†Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., a Democrat, said in a statement. “The Baltimore Sun can now continue to brightly shine for years to come.â€
