New Management

The Chicago Reader is under new ownership as of Tuesday. Along with Washington City Paper, it has been absorbed by Creative Loafing of Tampa, which runs alternative papers in Atlanta; Tampa; Charlotte, NC; and Sarasota, FL. Reader media critic Michael Miner passes on his understanding that the new owner "doesn't meddle particularly in the local operations of its papers, which publish the kind of serious journalism the Reader is known for." Crain's Chicago Business, on the other hand, reports that Ben Eason, CEO of Creative Loafing, is weighing the possibility of staff cuts. "I think what we are talking about is spending a couple weeks trying to get an idea of what everybody does." That sounds a bit ominous, doesn't it?

I'm curious to see how this all balances out. Craigslist has taken a big bite out of classified advertising in all newspapers, but it hits particularly close to home for free alternative weeklies, which pretty much derive all their income from local advertising. Will Creative Loafing be able to turn a profit with the Reader? On the other hand, they're the one who's expanding, so maybe they know something we don't. In a Creative Loafing press release announcing the buy, Eason is quoted. "Our expansion into Chicago and Washington reflects our confidence in the future of alternative publishing – in print, on the web and in other media as they emerge. While others may be looking at publishing companies through the lens of old print media, we are pioneering the opportunities offered by convergent print, web, and new media applications."

I'm also eager to see whether there will be any sort of culture shock in a Southern company breaking into this Northern industrial town. Will they try to treat Chicago as if it were Atlanta, or are they savvy enough to know where the differences are? We may already be able to get a sense of the feeling inside the Reader. In the comments to Miner's post, Reader staffers (a few of whom are posting while on vacation) seem to be wishing each other farewell.