Philly papers, website handed off to nonprofit

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA

The owner of Philadelphia’s two largest newspapers and their joint website, philly.com, has handed them off to a nonprofit created to help them survive the digital age with help from foundation grants, university partnerships and other boosters.

Local philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, who bought the media company 19 months ago, will give the struggling properties to the new Institute for Journalism in New Media and donate $20 million to endow the enterprise.

Lenfest pledged the newsroom would continue to produce “independent public service journalism and investigative reporting that positively impacts the community, while also creating innovative multimedia content.”

Readers won’t see any immediate changes, and the company’s contracts with its labor unions will remain in force, Lenfest said.