• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a 340-year-old newspaper, is permanently shutting down, effective May 3, owner Block Communications announced on Wednesday. 

It is not clear if this is the result of business problems—the company says it has lost over $350 million trying to run the paper over the past 20 years—or fulfilment of a threat against the workers who struck for three years before returning in November 2025. 

That month, the 3^rd Circuit Court ordered the Post-Gazette to compensate staff members for workers’ rights violations committed over the last five years, thus upholding a September 2024 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board. But the Gazette announced it would appeal the decision up to the Supreme Court and that it would close the newspaper if it lost.

Well, that has happened. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused a bid by Block to stay the order by the Third Circuit Court. So despite statements about the tough business conditions, this seems aimed at the union workers.

“Today the Block family admitted that they don’t have the skill to run a business and also follow the law,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, in a statement. “The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Blocks spent millions on lawyers to fight union workers, fight journalists and break federal labor law. They lost at every level, including now at the Supreme Court. Pittsburgh deserves better and we will continue to fight to make sure all news companies follow the law and serve our communities.” 

The closure does not affect the Toledo Blade, which is also owned by the Block family.  

There is only one thing to do: follow the example of The Baltimore Banner and other nonprofits attempting to sustain quality journalism. Start a new product. 

Indeed, Post-Gazette journalists published over 4,000 stories and 17,000 photos and other graphics in the strike paper UnionProgress.com, the union reported. They can do it again.