After facing the death of its dominant newspaper, Pittsburgh’s media has a surprising turnaround
AP: In the space of a couple of weeks this spring, Pittsburgh media has lived through a near-death experience and a resurrection.
Owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week announced the newspaper’s sale to a nonprofit foundation that said it was committed to keeping it open. A news outlet that predates the U.S. Constitution was due to close on May 3, which would have made the Steel City the nation’s largest community without a city-based paper.
Weeks earlier, the alternative Pittsburgh City Paper, whose staff learned on New Year’s Day that it was closing after 34 years, roared back to life under new ownership.
They were rare positive developments for a local news industry that has seen its share of the opposite over the past two decades — newsrooms shuttered or thinned out, journalists thrown out of work, consumers drifting away. No one is pretending that a true turnaround will be easy in Pittsburgh. One thing that may help is that the city faced a news abyss and was forced to prepare for it. -- nordy
\the Dan Van Hecke (sorry for the misspelling) is presented annually sonce 2009 to someone who exemplifies leadership and service to the disability community. I feel that this year's award is more to the parade than to me personally, since my service has been almost entirely to the parade.I could go into more detail about my work with the parade if people are interested.
I have been associated with the parade from the beginning. I marched in the first parade as part of the contingent for Congressional candidate Christine Cegalis. I had originally intended to march with the contingent for Senate candidate Barak Obama but he cancelled out. Probably thought he didn't have enough volunteers to make a showing but the Cegalis campaign went with just me, Christine, and two of her staffers. Christine ran again the next year and by then we had 20 people. I was the liason between the campaign and the parade and as a result was invited to join the parade planning committee, which I did. Been a member ever since. Became Treasurer as soon as we incorporated and had our own bank account, serving until this past October.
My December fall followed by rehab, plus my blocked email accounts prevented my participation until now. I got back into the Zoom meetings tonight.
Working with the bipap machine can be tricky. Sometimes it just supplies gentle pressure to support my breathig. On other occasions it will intermittantly provide a blast of air, sometimes powerful enough to force its way out of the mask. I am assuming this reflects some detail of the mask fitting on a given occasion but don't know how. May have something to do with how I am breathing.
Refilling the water compartment can also be a challenge for an old, weak person. Jason showed my how to remove the water compatment by leaning full force on the white buttom but I still don't know where to exert full force to open the compartment.
So there’s viral buzz on the internets saying that on Saturday 4/18 at a meeting regarding Iran, DT tried to invoke the nuclear codes, but General Dan Caine, Chair of the Joint Chiefs, refused. This hasn’t been corroborated. Waiting for Heather Cox Richardson to speak about this at 7:00pm on her substack ( can be heard on Youtubr and Fave Oom too).
Notes on the last thread!
ReplyDeleteAfter facing the death of its dominant newspaper, Pittsburgh’s media has a surprising turnaround
ReplyDeleteAP: In the space of a couple of weeks this spring, Pittsburgh media has lived through a near-death experience and a resurrection.
Owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week announced the newspaper’s sale to a nonprofit foundation that said it was committed to keeping it open. A news outlet that predates the U.S. Constitution was due to close on May 3, which would have made the Steel City the nation’s largest community without a city-based paper.
Weeks earlier, the alternative Pittsburgh City Paper, whose staff learned on New Year’s Day that it was closing after 34 years, roared back to life under new ownership.
They were rare positive developments for a local news industry that has seen its share of the opposite over the past two decades — newsrooms shuttered or thinned out, journalists thrown out of work, consumers drifting away. No one is pretending that a true turnaround will be easy in Pittsburgh. One thing that may help is that the city faced a news abyss and was forced to prepare for it. -- nordy
Very good news.
Delete\the Dan Van Hecke (sorry for the misspelling) is presented annually sonce 2009 to someone who exemplifies leadership and service to the disability community. I feel that this year's award is more to the parade than to me personally, since my service has been almost entirely to the parade.I could go into more detail about my work with the parade if people are interested.
ReplyDeletePlease do!
DeleteCongratulations on your award, W A. I know you've put a lot of time into this issue. Susan
DeleteWell deserved. Congratulations!
DeleteI have been associated with the parade from the beginning. I marched in the first parade as part of the contingent for Congressional candidate Christine Cegalis. I had originally intended to march with the contingent for Senate candidate Barak Obama but he cancelled out. Probably thought he didn't have enough volunteers to make a showing but the Cegalis campaign went with just me, Christine, and two of her staffers. Christine ran again the next year and by then we had 20 people. I was the liason between the campaign and the parade and as a result was invited to join the parade planning committee, which I did. Been a member ever since. Became Treasurer as soon as we incorporated and had our own bank account, serving until this past October.
DeleteMy December fall followed by rehab, plus my blocked email accounts prevented my participation until now. I got back into the Zoom meetings tonight.
That's such a great story! So cool that it was supporting a great candidate that initiated it all...!! Sure seems well deserved.
DeleteWorking with the bipap machine can be tricky. Sometimes it just supplies gentle pressure to support my breathig. On other occasions it will intermittantly provide a blast of air, sometimes powerful enough to force its way out of the mask. I am assuming this reflects some detail of the mask fitting on a given occasion but don't know how. May have something to do with how I am breathing.
ReplyDeleteRefilling the water compartment can also be a challenge for an old, weak person. Jason showed my how to remove the water compatment by leaning full force on the white buttom but I still don't know where to exert full force to open the compartment.
Ah, that does sound tricky. It would be good if someone were to invent an easier to use setup!
DeleteSo there’s viral buzz on the internets saying that on Saturday 4/18 at a meeting regarding Iran, DT tried to invoke the nuclear codes, but General Dan Caine, Chair of the Joint Chiefs, refused. This hasn’t been corroborated.
ReplyDeleteWaiting for Heather Cox Richardson to speak about this at 7:00pm on her substack ( can be heard on Youtubr and Fave Oom too).
HCR says not proven, but wouldn’t be surprising.
DeleteIn a video earlier today, Jack Cocchiarella referred to and showed an article in Newsweek.
DeleteDemocratic congresswoman resigns after campaign finance charges - Click
ReplyDeleteFigures she's from Florida.
DeleteDo we have a sense of who is likely to get her seat? Is that appointed or done by special election?
The Virginia referendum passed by about four points.
ReplyDeleteWhoo hoo! That's fabulous news!!
Delete