Having spent my entire career in business journalism, I’ve lost count of the number of people, including family and friends, whose eyes have glazed over while I explained what exactly a business reporter does. And when other reporters and editors learn I’ve always wanted to cover business, it often draws a look of surprise.
Business news often has the stigma of being too complex, boring or disconnected from the daily struggles of the average consumer. But I’ve always found it fascinating because businesses impact so much of our daily lives, whether it’s the inconvenience of not finding a store employee to help you or the excitement of your company giving you that hard-earned raise.
So that’s why I’m excited to announce the Sun-Times is launching its new Money section Monday, New Year’s Day, with me as its editor. Chances are you’ve seen the new section online or in Monday’s print edition.
To be fair, we’ve had business stories and investigations on our website — and occasionally in print — from Sun-Times reporters, including David Roeder, the now-retired business reporter behind the popular Chicago Enterprise column. (He will continue to report for us as a contributor-at-large.)
But this section is something different. I don’t want people to have that glazed look when they read the Money section. We want readers to be engaged.
Under the helm of Sun-Times Executive Editor Jennifer Kho, the newsroom has added staff and expanded our coverage to better serve readers. After hearing from many community members who wanted more information about consumer issues, personal finance and local economies, the Sun-Times committed to creating a Money section focused on everyday consumers in the Chicago area. We took steps to create a Money team and bolster our online and print presence through this launch.
Honestly, it’s a wild promise. It’s no secret the news business is hurting. Employment firm Challenger Gray and Christmas reported last month the news industry announced 2,681 job cuts for the 11 months that ended in November, higher than the 1,808 cuts in all of 2022 and the 1,511 in all of 2021.
The nonprofit Poynter Institute for Media Studies described 2023 as “the worst year for the news business since the pandemic.” While last year’s job cuts aren’t a record-breaking number, any time a paper trims staff it means a less informed community. A November report from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism found more than 130 newspapers closed or merged in 2023. And by the end of this year, the country is expected to have lost one-third of its newspapers since 2005.
So it’s significant the Sun-Times has taken steps to be community first and invest in its newsroom. That’s why I joined the paper as its Money editor in May — without ever having visited Chicago or Illinois. After 11 years of business reporting and editing in Southern California and Nevada, I saw this as an opportunity to help reimagine business coverage at a newsroom that cares deeply about Chicago and has a long history of holding those in power accountable.
This means going beyond the traditional view of business news to explore the way money intersects with the issues our audiences care most about: housing, crime, politics, equity and more. We want to help readers understand why business should matter to them and give them the tools needed to make better decisions about their money.
Readers should feel empowered when they read our stories, with a better understanding of how they can help their community thrive. Our future coverage will look at ways Chicagoans can better manage their money, stories that explore how neighborhoods are changing and the economic engine of every city — small businesses.
Please support us by reading this section and checking us out in print, Sunday to Friday. Let us know what you think by emailing money@suntimes.com.
You can also support the Sun-Times by donating or becoming a member at suntimes.com/become-a-member or subscribing to the paper at suntimes.deal.com.
