Many prominent sports figures at The Chicago Sun-Times are leaving, part of a wave of resignations by 30 employees (nearly one in five) accepting buyout offers. Departures include columnists Rick Telander and Rick Morrissey, women’s sports reporter and columnist Annie Costabile, Chicago Bears beat reporter Mark Potash, and Chicago White Sox beat reporter Daryl Van Schouwen. Several of these figures announced their departures on social media:
I’m taking a buyout at the Sun-Times. After 38 years at the paper, my last day will be Friday. Thanks to everyone — colleagues, competitors, editors … especially Sun-Times readers — who made it such a great ride. I leave w/ gratitude, great memories & a lot of gas in the tank.
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) March 18, 2025
-30- pic.twitter.com/Q8J10S9TfN
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 17, 2025
GLENDALE, Ariz. — This, my 15th spring training covering the White Sox and 37th year with the Sun-Times, shall be the last. Three kids, seven grandchildren and one buyout later, it’s the perfect time to call it a career. The Sox’ last day of camp will be mine as well.
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) March 11, 2025
In a remarkably transparent piece for the paper, David Roeder delves into the wider challenges faced by parent organization Chicago Public Media, which also oversees local PBS station WBEZ that had massive layoffs last year. There’s an anticipated expiration of certain grant support by the end of 2026:
Thirty employees of the Chicago Sun-Times — around 1 in 5 on its payroll — have agreed to resign under buyout terms offered by the paper’s nonprofit ownership to address ongoing financial deficits.
The departing staff largely includes seasoned writers and editors, making these cuts the most significant the frequently ailing Sun-Times has experienced in years. It will inevitably alter the paper’s content, though top leaders assure that no layoffs are imminent.
…Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, noted in an interview that the Sun-Times — dependent on memberships, print subscriptions, and ad revenue — has not received sufficient funds from everyday donors to counterbalance the losses. In 2022, the paper removed its online paywall to boost audience engagement and encourage contributions to maintain free coverage for all readers.
Bell, a co-founder of Vox.com, became CEO last September and, after a few months, initiated discussions regarding potential cutbacks.
…While she confirmed the number of exits, she did not disclose specific names. These departures are projected to save the company $4.2 million annually, a target satisfactory to its board, and she reiterated that no layoffs are planned.
Bell’s name is familiar to Awful Announcing readers. She played a significant role at Vox Media during their multiple rounds of cuts to the sports site SB Nation in particular, and now she is overseeing cuts with significant effects on sports coverage.
The loss of figures like Telander, who had a storied career at Sports Illustrated before joining the Sun-Times in 1995, authored the renowned book-turned-movie Heaven Is A Playground, and was a major voice in the Chicago sports landscape, alongside Morrissey (another long-time Chicago columnist, who announced his retirement earlier this month) and Costabile (a national leader in WNBA coverage) is substantial. Additionally, the departure of seasoned beat reporters Van Schouwen and Potash amounts to a significant loss of in-depth knowledge.
Interestingly, the Sun-Times has pursued a distinct strategy compared to many newspapers in recent years. In 2022, preceding Bell’s tenure, the paper abolished its online paywall to provide news free for all readers, contrasting sharply with industry norms. However, according to paper leadership, the resulting traffic and ad revenue have not sufficed to sustain the outlet as it was. The union’s inquiries regarding management spending versus the writers and editors taking buyouts raise essential points.
In conclusion, there are numerous well-experienced sports journalists now available, particularly regarding Chicago. It remains to be seen how many of them will choose to stay in the industry and where they will ultimately land.
