Where the Former Projo Stars Are Today
Sunday, October 25, 2015
When the Providence Journal company sold in 1997 to A.H. Belo in Dallas, Texas, it may have been the high water mark for the paper.
The paper sold for $1.5 billion and was a breeding ground for young talent that went on to bigger - and national - platforms. Their careers have taken them to the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal to name a few. Combined, the group has won multiple Pulitzers and scored multiple finalists for their journalism.
SLIDES: See Where They Are Now BELOW
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn 1994, the Providence Journal won its last Pulitzer Prize for “thorough reporting that disclosed pervasive corruption within the Rhode Island court system" -- specifically for their unveiling the deeds and misdeeds of Chief Justice Tom Fay and Court Clerk Matty Smith.
At the time of the sale of the Providence Journal to Belo, the newsroom was packed with talent, energy and ambition. In retrospect, the lineup read like Murderers' Row - Barry, Starkman, Stanton, Mingis, Frank and on and on. All gone from the Journal.
The paper dominated news, opinion and captured the lion's share of local advertising - at the time nearly 50% of local advertising dollars went to the Journal. Today, the Journal’s advertising revenue has dropped to an estimated 5% of the total market spend, according to data from Belo and market analysis from the research firm BIA/Kelsey.
The New York Times wrote about the sale of the Journal at the time, “With a fine reputation in American journalism, few people question the newspaper's honesty, honor or integrity today. But its independence vanished late last month when, after a series of moves aimed at strengthening the Providence Journal Company, it was absorbed in a friendly $1.5 billion takeover by the A. H. Belo Corporation of Dallas, owner of The Dallas Morning News and a number of television stations.”
Sold, Cuts and Shrinkage
Since the sale of the Providence Journal to Belo (and then a 2014 sale to GateHouse Media), the newsroom has been reduced by 75%, regional news offices have been closed and the newspaper’s circulation has decreased by more than 60%.
As a result, many of the top old guard talent like columnist Bob Kerr, photographer Connie Grosch and Editorial writer David Brussat were among the nearly 100 laid off in the past few years.
Many of the younger staffers — the aggressive hard news and investigative reporters are now working at some of the best news organizations in America. Two have even had stints with GoLocal.
Related Slideshow: Where the Former Projo Stars Are Today
Take a look at where the top Providence Journal writers and reporters from the 1990s and 2000s are now reporting. UPDATED April, 2017
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