WNYC, Two Other Public Radio Stations Acquire Gothamist and Sister Sites

In a deal largely funded by two anonymous donors, WNYC is acquiring the news site Gothamist, including its archives, domain name and social media assets. The move comes as part of a larger deal involving two other public radio stations and Gothamist's network of local news sites. KPCC in Pasadena, Calif., will take over LAist, while WAMU in Washington will acquire DCist.

"For more than a decade, Gothamist served as a source of trusted local news," New York Public Radio president and CEO Laura Walker said in a press release. "That resonates with us at WNYC, where we are committed to telling stories rooted in New York and that matter to New Yorkers. As we’ve seen a decline in local journalism in even the largest metropolitan areas across the country, even at a time when it’s so vital, we remain committed to strong, independent reporting that fills the void."

In acquiring the sites, the public media organizations say they hope to expand their digital footprints and further their missions to serve local audiences.

The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

While Gothamist will become a part of New York Public Radio, its voice won't change. Co-founder Jen Chung tells WNYC News that the revived site will still have the irreverent voice that made it popular with its readers.

"[We] take a slightly more whimsical, or slightly different approach than more mainstream outlets," Chung said.

Gothamist and the companion news site DNAinfo were previously owned by Joe Ricketts, the billionaire businessman who founded the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade. Ricketts shut down the sites in November, a week after reporters and editors at the sites voted to join a union. WNYC Vice President for News Jim Schachter said he doesn't know if future Gothamist employees will be unionized.

According to WNYC, Gothamist will relaunch this spring as a separate site under New York Public Radio's umbrella. However, there are no plans to bring back DNAinfo outside of preserving its archives online. Schachter told WNYC News that operating the hyperlocal news site would have cost too much.

"Our intention is to build a sustainable, local news, local journalism platform that can thrive and grow," Schachter said.

WNYC says relaunching Gothamist will help fill out New York City's local news coverage. CUNY Graduate School of Journalism News Director Jere Hester thinks some gaps will remain, because both WNYC and Gothamist provide a similar look at the bigger picture while DNAinfo's reporters had a deep relationship with the neighborhoods they covered.

"The bread and butter was really that person, that reporter in your neighborhood looking out for you," Hester said.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story gave incorrect information regarding the union status of  employees that WNYC hires to work on Gothamist.