City Pulse, Lansing’s alternative weekly newspaper, is looking for a new owner for the first time since it was founded in 2001.
The paper’s longtime publisher and editor, 78-year-old Berl Schwartz, said the sale — which has quietly been in the works for several years — is becoming more of a priority as he grows older.
“The odds increase at my age that something bad may happen to me, and I care too much about City Pulse to allow that to happen,” Schwartz said.
Despite the decline of many print publications nationwide, Schwartz said City Pulse has endured thanks to its in-depth local coverage and editorial independence. But to keep up with the evolving media landscape, he believes new ownership could help the paper grow.
“There’s a brighter future for City Pulse without it having to rob it of its fundamentals,” Schwartz said. “It needs to reach audiences better digitally.”
Schwartz said he is in no rush to sell and is committed to finding a buyer who will keep the paper both financially stable and editorially independent.
This fall, City Pulse will mark 25 years in print.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.