Sinclair CEO Acquires The Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore Sun, the largest newspaper in Maryland, has been acquired in a private deal by David D. Smith, executive chairman of Hunt Valley-based television station owner Sinclair Inc.

Smith said Monday that he acquired Baltimore Sun Media on Friday from hedge fund Alden Global Capital, marking the first time in nearly four decades that The Sun will be in the hands of a local owner.

Smith decided to personally buy the newspaper, along with the Capital Gazette papers in Annapolis, Carroll County Times, Towson Times and several other Baltimore-area weeklies and magazines, because of the publications’ focus on local news in the Baltimore area.

“I’m in the news business because I believe … we have an absolute responsibility to serve the public interest,” Smith said in an interview. “I think the paper can be hugely profitable and successful and serve a greater public interest over time.

The deal was confirmed in a statement from Alden’s Media News Group. Alden bought The Sun as part of its $633 million acquisition of the Chicago-based Tribune Publishing newspaper chain in May 2021, becoming the second-largest newspaper owner in the U.S.

David D Smith

“We are always open to discussions about local ownership and pleased that our preeminent newspaper operating and technology platform will continue to provide services for The Baltimore Sun,” said Guy Gilmore, Media News Group’s chief operating officer, in an email.

While the newspaper’s ownership has changed, nothing will change for its customers. Local news will be gathered, ads can be placed and papers will be delivered. Over time, Smith said, customers can expect more content focused on their communities.

Smith would not disclose how much he paid for Baltimore Sun Media. He purchased the newspaper group independently of Sinclair, which is known for its ownership of television stations and local news programming across the U.S. and a recent failed foray into regional sports network ownership. The Sinclair empire started with Baltimore’s WBFF Fox 45 television station.

Through his purchase of the Baltimore Sun, Smith said he aims to help turn around a struggling newspaper industry, a decline he blamed on the industry’s inability to adapt to a changing market and to the internet, which has upended consumption and delivery of news and advertising.

He said he believes he can grow subscriptions and advertising for The Sun and its other publications by focusing more heavily on local and community news and investigations, boosting the use of video and social media, and integrating technology in ways other print media companies have been unable to do.

Smith criticized “mainstream media” in general for focusing on issues he said affect only a few people as opposed to those affecting greater numbers, adding he finds it “curious that the mainstream media in this town often chooses not to cover things that affect everybody,” in particular concerning problems and corruption in government.

He said his first step will be to meet with staff and management of Baltimore Sun and its affiliates Tuesday to begin to understand the publications’ mission and operations and start discussions around future vision.