The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Is Shutting Down

Jan 19, 2026

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The End of an Era: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to Shut Down by May 2026

At its earliest iteration, the #Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has been around since 1786 — making it one of the country’s oldest newspapers. Yesterday, the paper announced it will cease operations by May 2026, a shocking development coming from Block Communications Inc., which cited more than $350 million in losses over the past 20 years.I worked at the PG for six years and learned HOW to be a journalist through the mentorship and support of so many incredible people who worked there. I am vacillating between rage and deep sadness right now at the thought of losing our daily news outlet.What does this mean for Pittsburgh’s journalism landscape? What do news deserts mean as they spread across the nation and how does this impact our ability to have a functioning democracy?To break it down, I spoke with Steve Mellon, longtime photojournalist and writer, to discuss the fallout, the history, and what this closure signals for local news across the country.What do you think of this situation and is there hope for a people-first publication in the future?FOLLOW NATALIEsubstack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnataliebinstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/#tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivengathreads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivengapodcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YFpodcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950FACTS OVER FEARLet's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts.ABOUT NATALIENatalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.