Baltimore Sun Is Back Under Local Ownership. But There's A Catch

We all know the danger of hedge funds taking over local media, so we should be thrilled the Baltimore Sun is back in the hands of a local owner. But here's the catch: He's the CEO of Sinclair Inc., the notorious right-wing media group.

Yes, David E. Smith has purchased The Baltimore Sun, the city’s oldest newspaper, from Alden Global Capital, putting an institution that has been reporting on the state for more than a century back into the hands of local owners for the first time since 1986. Via the Baltimore Banner:

Smith, the executive chairman of media company Sinclair Inc., personally purchased The Baltimore Sun Media Group, which includes The Sun and its affiliated newspapers, including The Capital and Maryland Gazette newspapers in Annapolis, the Carroll County Times, the Howard County Times and the Towson Times, from Alden, an investment firm and former hedge fund known for draconian cost-cutting measures. Sinclair, based in Hunt Valley, owns more than 200 television stations, including Fox 45.

The Sun said Smith intends to invest in the paper, increasing coverage of local communities and investing in investigative work.

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