# Chicago Sun Times to be acquired by WBEZ, Chicago's NPR radio station **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 30, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700 "2021-09-30T23:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/41 "2022-01-21T18:05:42Z")
The thing is, none of our overlords have ever disclosed either operating costs or gross revenue regarding the board. We can **guess** that we’re profitable or not, costing a lot or a little, but we have no way of knowing. I would hope that, of all possible entities, an NPR affiliate would be willing to be a little more transparent and a little more willing to explore crowdsourcing and direct donations towards concrete goals. I suspect (maybe with foolhardy naivete) that we posters could pretty easily cover yearly costs given the means and motive. Look at how much we raised for TubaDiva and Colibri. I’m personally much more likely to kick in if I know exactly what we’re reaching for. If we had a donation drive with a goal of $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and if I knew that reaching that goal meant all costs covered for a year and an ad-free experience for all users, I’d chip in for sure. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/42 "2022-01-21T18:14:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I’m personally much more likely to kick in if I know exactly what we’re reaching for. If we had a donation drive with a goal of $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and if I knew that reaching that goal meant all costs covered for a year and an ad-free experience for all users, I’d chip in for sure. I agree with this and maybe if we do come to their attention, they’ll structure a pledge drive like this. But I wouldn’t count on it happening in 2022. But I also don’t think we’ll be disappeared in 2022. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/43 "2022-01-21T21:09:19Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Or we may continue to survive through benign neglect, meaning they ignore us. I’d be happy with that. No attention needed as far as I’m concerned. > [@chappachula](#): > > Let’s all hope that I and Dallas\_Jones are wrong. Just in case we need to know, where do you and @Dallas_Jones live, exactly? After all, we will need someone to blame if things go south. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Also there is actually still some hope of bringing back the column. What kind of hope? Like bigshots talking about it? > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I would hope that, of all possible entities, an NPR affiliate would be willing to be a little more transparent and a little more willing to explore crowdsourcing and direct donations towards **concrete goals**. (bolding mine) This would be a big plus. As you say, nobody has ever given us a real life number to shoot for. The last I understood, we had surpassed Discourse’s $1000 month for views so we were in the call us and we’ll talk about it zone. No idea how much more than $1000 or if we are still at that rate. > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I’m personally much more likely to kick in if I know exactly what we’re reaching for. If we had a donation drive with a goal of $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and if I knew that reaching that goal meant all costs covered for a year and an ad-free experience for all users, I’d chip in for sure. Yes, although I don’t think we will or should lose the ads. They are some revenue and people that want to avoid them can do so easily. Sucks a bit for some people who read from work computers, but I just don’t see them going away. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > I agree with this and maybe if we do come to their attention, they’ll structure a pledge drive like this. But I wouldn’t count on it happening in 2022. But I also don’t think we’ll be disappeared in 2022. I’m not really worried about short term either. There will be a lot of other stuff until someone notices us. It doesn’t hurt to keep in mind that even at our worst, the pay to post era, the board was still worth keeping around. I think we are way better off now. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/44 "2022-01-22T01:36:37Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Isn’t the Tampa Bay Times also a non-profit newspaper, since 1977? I know it’s owned by a non-profit, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. The _Tampa Bay Times_ has only had that name since 2012. It was previously called the _St. Petersburg Times_ since 1898. The majority of the SPT stock was willed to a non-profit owner in 1978 when they then-owner died, but I see no indication the paper itself became a non-profit. I was also interested to learn that the newspaper founded [PolitiFact.com](http://PolitiFact.com). ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/45 "2022-01-22T08:57:37Z")
Just an anecdote to follow up on the nonprofit posts. The _Deseret News_ apparently went 501(c) in 2019. In the last few months it’s been showing up in my Google news feed a few times a month, which it never had before. I don’t know if that’s because of increased Google ratings by them or if I just see more now because I’ve clicked on a few. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/46 "2022-01-23T20:08:50Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Just in case we need to know, where do you and @Dallas_Jones live, exactly? After all, we will need someone to blame if things go south. NW Oregon, beautiful place, you should visit it sometime. Far, far from Chicago which I still regard as the arm pit of the mid west. I will say that my post in the earlier thread was not timely. The SDMB will see another spring, I do not know how many more springs it will see, but none of us know when our last spring will come. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/47 "2022-01-23T22:04:25Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > NW Oregon, beautiful place, you should visit it sometime. I’ll make it there someday. Been to western Montana and I could probably just skip Idaho. > [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The SDMB will see another spring, I do not know how many more springs it will see, but none of us know when our last spring will come. How true. Just as soon put it off for a few years tho. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/48 "2022-01-25T05:04:14Z")
WaPo has an article about non-profit news agencies. They mention the Sun Times, but it’s mainly about a guy in Texas who made them work. This is a gift link: > **[Perspective | If local journalism manages to survive, give Evan Smith some...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/01/23/media-sullivan-evan-smith-texas-tribune/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjMxMTQ0NDA1IiwicmVhc29uIjoiZ2lmdCIsIm5iZiI6MTY0MzA4Njg5MiwiaXNzIjoic3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ucyIsImV4cCI6MTY0NDI5NjQ5MiwiaWF0IjoxNjQzMDg2ODkyLCJqdGkiOiJlMTNiM2I2Ny0yOTM1LTQzNDAtYThlNy02MzU1OGYyY2E2NWEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vbWVkaWEvMjAyMi8wMS8yMy9tZWRpYS1zdWxsaXZhbi1ldmFuLXNtaXRoLXRleGFzLXRyaWJ1bmUvIn0.ryKjdq7_L1zCa2-oVD_eOmSFm_JRxjmkG-qO4ilYETI&itid=gfta)** > > The Texas Tribune founder has been a “true pioneer” in finding ways to cover local communities as a nonprofit. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/49 "2022-01-25T10:35:40Z")
Progress: > **[Chicago Public Media will acquire the Chicago Sun-Times](https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-public-media-will-acquire-the-chicago-sun-times/a31e489a-edad-4c83-9663-a69bf03f5322)** > > The deal was approved by the non-profit board of directors and is expected to close Jan. 31. It will create a new journalistic powerhouse in Chicago and a potential national model. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/50 "2022-01-25T17:50:09Z")
The article really makes it sound good, if it’s true that this is about growth, not contraction and they are looking to hire 50 people rather than firing staff. While I wasn’t really worried about the SDMB being shut down any time soon, this article gives cause for optimism. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/51 "2022-02-01T00:16:43Z")
The deal is complete. > **[With $61 million raised for the deal, Chicago Public Media acquires the...](https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-public-media-acquires-chicago-sun-times/d52316e6-d5b6-4d6c-a93e-02daf7ba068b)** > > The deal creates one of the largest non-profit news organizations in the country, and comes with multi-year pledges from nearly a dozen major philanthropies ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/52 "2022-02-01T00:27:59Z")
We can all rest easy knowing that the SDMB was the cherry on top of this acquisition. We did it, team! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/53 "2022-02-02T22:16:49Z")
Did anyone hear Chicago Public Media’s Matt Moog and his very moving speech? > “We are now the proud owners of a highly respected purveyor of news and opinion… The Straight Dope Message Boards! And… oh, I’m being told… there’s a newspaper involved, too, so… good for us, I guess!” ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/54 "2022-02-03T18:19:12Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Did anyone hear Chicago Public Media’s Matt Moog and his very moving speech? Cite? I believe you, I just want the pleasure of reading it myself. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/55 "2022-02-03T18:35:44Z")
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Matt Moog is a Doper. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/56 "2022-02-03T18:38:57Z")
I’ll take that bet. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/57 "2022-02-03T19:08:09Z")
…I think there might be a lot of whooshing in the last few posts. But I’m not sure if some of that might be counter-whooshing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/58 "2022-02-03T23:18:01Z")
Here is Matt Moog’s Twitter “speech” about this, no mention of SDMB. > Clearly digs was posting an Onion-style piece. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/59 "2022-02-04T05:13:09Z")
And I swallowed that onion, hook line and sinker. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700/60 "2022-02-04T07:21:14Z")
Prince mordecaiB Lagos, Nigeria My Dear Sir @TreacherousCretin , We have $30 million US dolars which got from overlyinflated contact with Nigerian National Oil Co. We are meaning to beg your assistance in deposit this monies in your account. You’re commission will be 10% of all monies. Pleese keep secret, use only fax number below to contact. Many government men involved. Contacy me immediately. 1-234-567-8910 Your’s faithfully, Prince mordecaiB [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-sun-times-to-be-acquired-by-wbez-chicagos-npr-radio-station/951700.md?page=4)