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Published in the Sun-Times on January 23, 2025
BY DAVID ROEDER For the Sun-Times
The nonprofit owner of the Chicago Sun- Times is calling for staff reductions that will fall heavily on the publication's newsroom employees.
The cutbacks could be the deepest Chicago Public Media has ordered since it absorbed the Sun-Times in 2022. The noncash acquisition by the owner of public radio station WBEZ was an innovative attempt to preserve local journalism under a nonprofit umbrella, but the combined operations have been unable to stop financial bleeding.
Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, disclosed the planned cuts Wednesday in announcements to donors and employees. She said staff will be offered incentives to voluntarily exit via buyouts. The offer will be made to Sun-Times staff and to non-newsroom workers at WBEZ.
The move could save the company from $3 million to $5 million in annual expenses, possibly representing the departure of 20 to 30 people.
"Our hope is that this action and other efforts will reduce our costs so that we can avoid more significant cost-cutting measures down the road," Bell said in a letter to donors.
"This is a proactive decision that allows us to align our organization's size with our goals while strengthening our most valuable and impactful initiatives and ensuring our financial sustainability," Bell said. "While we've made strides in adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape, these efforts haven't yet translated into the sustainable revenue we need."
Her letter did not detail expected savings from the buyouts. A company spokeswoman said no specific individuals or reporting functions are being targeted.
Bell said in an interview that the voluntary cuts could start in mid-March. She said, "I came here only four months ago because I was intrigued and excited about the project" to unite the Sun-Times and WBEZ. The cutbacks are "one more step we need to take to set it up for its future success."
Jennifer Kho, executive editor of the Sun- Times, said the reductions follow from plans to combine the Sun-Times and WBEZ newsrooms. She said there is no executive editor role in the reorganization, which is still being finalized, and that her role with the company is to be determined.
Kho said the Sun-Times newsroom will bear the brunt of the reductions because it is the largest unit within the organization.
"I think this is our best chance of continuing to inform our audience. It's about longterm sustainability," she said. "I feel that the strategy overall has worked. Our audience overall is growing."
The Sun-Times has an editorial staff of 104 people, while WBEZ has 64 people working in its newsroom, Chicago Public Media said. The total number of employees, including non-editorial workers at both divisions, is 278.
The Sun-Times' combination with WBEZ in 2022 was a noncash purchase, but it included a $61 million philanthropic infusion from leading foundations. The money is intended to support operations through 2026.
It covers a $12 million annual operating deficit at the Sun-Times, the company said. The approaching end of that grant period has forced Chicago Public Media to look harder at cost cuts while stepping up calls for donations.
The Sun-Times has increased its pitches for support from online readers, who currently enjoy access to online content without hitting a paywall. Other readers who pay for subscriptions to the traditional print paper may be asked to increase their contributions.
Both editorial staffs include unionized members. Most Sun-Times newsroom employees are members of the Chicago News Guild.
A co-chair of its bargaining unit, Sun- Times reporter Nader Issa, said in a statement: "Our union is frustrated that our organization's management did not secure more revenue in the past three years to avoid staffing cuts and secure our sustainability. While we understand this move is meant to cut long-term costs, it's harder to swallow knowing the exorbitant executive salaries and bonuses we've seen CPM shell out in the past few years. We hope everyone at the organization will share in the pain on our path to sustainability."
To achieve goals from buyouts, companies typically offer enhanced terms for severance and continuation of health insurance to induce workers to quit. Bell said terms of the buyout offer will be announced after the company gets feedback via an employee survey.
In recent months, Chicago Public Media workers have criticized pay levels for top executives. They have voiced bitterness about the salary paid to former CEO Matt Moog, who left in 2024. Tax filings show Moog was paid $722,861 for 2023, his last full year of employment. Moog resigned after union complaints that an unidentified executive subjected workers to hostile conditions.
Bell said it has paid salaries in line with recommendations from outside consultants and has no immediate plans to reduce executive pay or ask for furloughs.
Those typically are temporary measures, while the buyouts represent ongoing cost savings, Bell said. She said cuts were not sought from the WBEZ newsroom because it sustained significant layoffs a year ago.
All media organizations have wrestled with declines in traditional revenue sources from advertising and subscriptions. But in Chicago Public Media's case, the situation could be worsened if President Donald Trump cuts back support for public broadcasting, which some supporters have threatened.
Audited financial statements show Chicago Public Media has received around $1.4 million in annual backing from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Asked if a paywall will be reimposed at suntimes.com, Bell said executives "will be having discussions about that" and other ideas for raising revenue.
Stacks of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. The Sun-Times has an editorial staff of 104 people, while WBEZ has 64 people working in its newsroom, Chicago Public Media said, Pat Nabong/Sun-Times File
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2026 Media Contact Information: Bob Hubberts (847) 508-4995 bhubberts@firstillinoisrobotics.org
Chicago, Illinois – Creativity and science will come together this Saturday at the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Illinois State Championship at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, Illinois, where 56 teams of 9- to 14-year-old students and coaches will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship, and sense of community. The tournament is open to the public. The robot table competition portion of the event starts at Noon on Saturday, February 14th. More than 650,000 students in over 75 countries will participate in the FIRST® UNEARTHED season. Teams will have to program robots, using LEGO Education technology, to solve a set of missions on an obstacle course set on a thematic playing surface. For the UNEARTHED challenge students will unearth hidden treasures and piece together the past as they embark on this thrilling journey of discovery. Students will identify and research a problem related to the season theme and then design and create a possible solution. They will also identify a mission strategy and design, create, and code a robot to complete missions during a 2.5-minute Robot Game. The competition is judged in three areas: innovation project; robot design, and core values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored. FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9- to 14-year-olds (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get students excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Using LEGO® Education technologies and materials, students work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their research project. After several intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. Like any other organized “sport,” teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips. The tournament is being run by FIRST Illinois Robotics, a 501 c3 organization focused on delivering FIRST programs in Illinois. Contact us for a list of the area schools and youth organizations with teams participating in the competition. About FIRST® FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school, in structured after-school programs or by other organizations or groups of parents. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges. An international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.
### To learn more about FIRST programs in Illinois, go to www.firstillinoisrobotics.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2026 Media Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public relations Specialist (515) 273-7140 cweishaar@studentloan.org
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (January 7, 2026) — Six high school seniors will each earn a scholarship valued at $1,500 through the 2026 ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship program. This program is sponsored by ISL Education Lending and is designed to make higher education more accessible while equipping students with essential financial literacy skills. Who Can Apply? All high school seniors attending school in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin are eligible to enter. No essay is required—making it simple and stress-free to apply. Parents Can Register Their Student Parents now have the option to register their student for the scholarship program, ensuring every eligible senior has the opportunity to participate. What Makes This Program Unique? Every participant will learn valuable financial literacy tips during the process, helping them prepare for life after high school. How to Apply Applications open on January 5, 2026, and close on April 30, 2026. Students and parents can apply online at www.iowastudentloan.org/Midwest. Winners will be announced in June 2026. Scholarship Details
Why It Matters “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
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About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
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