The Baltimore Sun bought by Sinclair media executive

BALTIMORE– The Baltimore Sun newspaper has been purchased by David D. Smith, the executive chairman of media conglomerate Sinclair Inc.

Smith told the newspaper that he acquired Baltimore Sun Media from hedge fund Alden Global Capital in a private deal reached on Friday. He did not disclose how much he paid in the agreement.

Smith bought the newspaper with his own assets, independently of Sinclair, which is known for its ownership of local television news stations in the US. However, he said there could be partnerships between the two brands in the future. He remains executive chairman of Sinclair.

“I’m in the news business because I believe we have an absolute responsibility to serve the public interest,” Smith told The Sun in an interview. “I think the newspaper can be extremely profitable and successful and serve a greater public interest in the long term.”

Smith told the newspaper that he will focus on local news and research, and that he plans to use video and social media to attract new subscribers. He will begin Tuesday by meeting with staffers and managers from the Sun and its sister stores.

Smith said he only started reading the Sun regularly a few months ago, but had been interested in buying the media group about two years ago.

“The passage of time has made me focus more on it, and it just seemed like the right time, so I closed the deal,” Smith told the newspaper.

The sale to Smith comes after Alden bought the newspaper in 2021 as part of a $633 million purchase of Chicago-based newspaper company Tribune Publishing.

Baltimore Sun Media, winner of 16 Pulitzer Prizes, employs more than 150 people and publishes seven other publications in addition to The Sun, totaling more than 230,000 paid subscribers. The Sun was founded in 1837 and has since become the largest newspaper in Maryland.