PITTSBURGH \u2014 A group of journalists, labor leaders and community members is looking for a path forward as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette prepares to shut down.<\/p>\n
RELATED COVERAGE >>>Closure of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will end two-century tradition in local journalism<\/a><\/p>\n On Thursday, Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members and supporters announced plans for the Pittsburgh Alliance for People-Empowered Reporting, also known as PAPER. <\/p>\n Not a publication itself, PAPER is an initiative to research and pursue a daily news alternative to the Post-Gazette, which will publish its final edition<\/a> later this year.<\/p>\n Money raised for PAPER will help organize events to gather more community input, a release from the Newspaper Guild says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe there\u2019s a way to tap into that deep well of strength and resilience, to recognize it in our communities, to reach out and engage everyday people in solving looming problems, like this city\u2019s loss of a major source of news and information,\u201d Post-Gazette multimedia journalist Steve Mellon said. \u201cThat\u2019s the spirit in which PAPER was born.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>>Community leaders respond to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette\u2019s announcement that it will cease operations<\/a><\/p>\n Post-Gazette workers had begun returning to work<\/a> in November after a three-year-long strike<\/a> over contract issues. But on Jan. 7, the Post-Gazette\u2019s owner, Block Communications Inc., announced the 240-year-old newspaper would cease operations on May 3. <\/p>\n The closure announcement came shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected BCI\u2019s attempt to change health insurance coverage for union workers.<\/p>\n In the announcement\u2019s wake, some Post-Gazette workers have called for new leadership<\/a> at the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, claiming the union had misrepresented the majority of members\u2019 opinions.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n