Merger of St. Louis Public Radio and St. Louis Beacon gains approval by board of curators.
Newsrooms around the country are becoming quieter as layoffs and closures silence once-thriving organizations, but a University of Missouri–St. Louis site in midtown St. Louis will soon be bustling as its population of journalists doubles.
and the will integrate their news staffs, under an agreement that will take effect in December. St. Louis Public Radio is the local affiliate, and is licensed by UMSL. The Beacon is a nonprofit online news service established in 2008 by veteran journalists and overseen by a board of directors. The Board of Curators of the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ approved the consolidation Nov. 22.
The combined news staff will be located at , 3651 Olive Street, which houses university classrooms and St. Louis Public Radio. Grand Center is the region’s largest arts and entertainment district.
The consolidation creates an innovative model for a multiplatform news operation that provides in-depth coverage of urban events and issues. The endeavor will allow longtime journalists to practice their craft, while providing training for student journalists at both UMSL and the University of Missouri-Columbia . Other academic research opportunities are also being considered.
Reviewed 2013-11-25