Light for Some

Today a light is going out and henceforth there will be a little more darkness in the world.

This is the cover of the last issue of the Baltimore City Paper.

The Baltimore Sun bought it, then killed it. Way to go, silencing independent views, Baltimore Sun. It seems odd that they decided to shut down what was a profitable enterprise. Perhaps not so odd when you realize that the City Paper newsroom employees had just voted to unionize.

Hmm.

You can read the Sun’s write-up here but there’s absolutely no mention of the unionizing issue. It seems that the Sun wasn’t interested in covering all sides of this story. That doesn’t feel very journalistic of them.

Losing an independent voice is local journalism is a loss for Baltimore. The City Paper has been the source of some important reporting and an outspoken editorial voice through the years. Every time one of these small papers ceases production a light goes out. The Washington Post reminds us that democracy dies in darkness. The Baltimore Sun claims to have light for all. Now the world is a little darker.

And don’t forget that the Baltimore Sun owns the Columbia Flier/Howard County Times. Food for thought.

If you want a taste of what the City Paper was all about, here is a link to some stories by Brandon Soderberg, the former editor in chief of the City Paper.