Dec. 11, 2019 to the Tribune Publishing Board of Directors: We
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Dec. 11, 2019 To the Tribune Publishing Board of Directors: We, the undersigned employees of Tribune Publishing, urge you to take immediate steps to reaffirm your commitment to journalism — the engine that powers this company — and to fair economic investment in newsroom staffing and resources. We ask this in light of the board's expansion to include representatives of a hedge fund with a troubling record of diminishing newspapers’ abilities to cover their communities. Alden Global Capital has been described as a “destroyer of newspapers,” with a well-documented history of extracting short-term profits from already-lean operations by cutting newsroom jobs and denying fair wages and benefits. To follow Alden's path would not only undermine employee morale and foment labor conflict but would violate your fiduciary responsibility to shareholders and your duty to maximize the company's value, to both its customers and to its shareholders, over the long term. That's why we are asking you to take the following specific steps to help preserve our institutions: ● Commit to increased staffing and investments in news and business opportunities; ● Consider in good faith any offers from outside entities that would return Tribune Publishing papers to civic-minded and/or local ownership; ● Continue contract negotiations with your unionized employees in an efficient and respectful manner, and voluntarily recognize any new unions that file for recognition; ● Support a shareholder resolution filed this month on behalf of members of Tribune Publishing’s bargaining units that requests an annual sustainability report on your core product: journalism. Such a report is a routine and established way for companies to report on the economic, environmental and societal impacts of its business decisions. This is crucial information for investors, particularly as the number of seats on the board expands to include two Alden representatives. We urge you to present this shareholder resolution for a vote and to consider what you would like your first sustainability report to say about Tribune Publishing. This first report could note the board's success in growing digital subscription and advertising revenue because of their strategic investments in journalism, user experience and advertising capabilities. Or, it could document the destruction of our storied and vital institutions and the end of our ability to serve our communities, both at the hands of disinterested hedge-fund operators. We urge you to take these steps and to consider your legacy here with Tribune Publishing. Respectfully, Petition to Tribune Publishing’s Board of Directors ● Todd Lighty, Chicago Tribune investigative ● Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune content reporter editor ● Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Jeremy Mikula, Chicago Tribune content ● Elvia Malagón, Chicago Tribune reporter editor ● Peter Nickeas, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Ben Meyerson, Chicago Tribune audience ● Charles Fieldman, Pioneer Press reporter content editor ● Bob Beamesderfer, DPS print production ● David Heinzmann, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist ● Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune visual ● Charles J. Johnson, Chicago Tribune journalist homepage editor ● Kyle Betts, Chicago Tribune audience editor ● Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune ● Dawn Rhodes, Chicago Tribune reporter transportation reporter and editor ● Jemal R. Brinson, Chicago Tribune Visual ● Andy Lefkowitz, DPS print production Journalist specialist ● Jeff Cercone, Chicago Tribune audience ● Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune visual team content editor journalist ● Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune features ● Juliette Beaulieu, DPS print production reporter specialist ● Erin Hegarty, Naperville Sun reporter ● Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune features ● Elise De Los Santos, Chicago Tribune reporter metro desk content editor ● Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune op-ed columnist ● Sara Harvey, DPS print production ● Jeff Coen, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist ● Rex Huppke, Chicago Tribune columnist ● Dan Hinkel, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune ● Hannah Leone, Chicago Tribune reporter sportswriter ● Wendy Fox Weber, suburban entertainment ● Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune architecture editor critic ● Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Alison Bowen, Chicago Tribune features ● Paul Day, suburban digital editor reporter ● Joe Ruppel, Chicago Tribune engagement ● Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune entertainment editor reporter ● Zak Koeske, Daily Southtown reporter ● Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Chicago Tribune ● Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune columnist reporter ● Jose M Osorio, Chicago Tribune Visual ● Teresa Budasi, DPS print production journalist specialist ● Carmél Carrillo, editor ● Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune books editor ● Nate Bloomquist, DPS print production ● Jimmy Greenfield, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist ● Kim Geiger, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Daniel Johnson, DPS print production ● Steve Schering, Pioneer Press reporter specialist ● Michelle Rowan, Chicago Tribune metro ● Jason Armstrong, DPS print production editor specialist ● Chris Sosa, Chicago Tribune content editor Petition to Tribune Publishing’s Board of Directors ● Dahleen Glanton, Chicago Tribune ● Christopher Luchene, DPS print production columnist specialist ● Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune ● Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon News reporter reporter ● Matt O’Connor, Chicago Tribune deputy ● Denise Crosby, Aurora Beacon News senior content editor columnist ● Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune ● Daniel Riordan, DPS print production reporter specialist ● Sylvia Masuda, DPS print production ● Tony Puricelli, Chicago Tribune audience specialist content editor ● Joel Boyd, Chicago Tribune deputy senior ● Lolly Bowean, Chicago Tribune staff writer content editor ● Lisa Burns, DPS ● Paige Wagenknecht, DPS print production ● Abdel Jimenez, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist ● Dave Roknic, DPS ● Kayla Byler, DPS print production specialist ● Travis Marmon, DPS print production ● Gary Marx, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist ● Calvin Scott, DPS print production specialist ● Char Searl, DPS print production specialist ● Nausheen Husain, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Genevieve Bookwalter, suburban/Pioneer ● Ray Long, Chicago Tribune reporter Press reporter ● Rodolfo Jiménez, DPS print production ● Chad Yoder, Chicago Tribune visual specialist journalist ● Dariush Azmoudeh, DPS print production ● Howard Reich, arts critic specialist ● Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Kris Powers, DPS print production specialist ● Chris Boghossian, Chicago Tribune content ● Fernando Deida, DPS print production editor specialist ● Mitchell May, DPS print production ● Patrick O’Connell, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist ● Garrett Evans, DPS ● Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune ● Tony Briscoe, Chicago Tribune reporter journalist ● Eric Krol, Chicago Tribune senior content ● Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune reporter editor ● Grace Wong, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Raquel Zaldívar, Chicago Tribune visual ● Andy Neumann, DPS print production journalist specialist ● Chris Borrelli, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Dan Haar, Chicago Tribune editor ● Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune ● Saleema Syed, Chicago Tribune features ● Annie Sweeney, Chicago Tribune content editor ● Cecilia Reyes, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Susan Moskop, Chicago Tribune features ● Douglas George, Chicago Tribune content editor ● Trevor Jensen, Chicago Tribune ● Kris Karnopp, DPS print production ● Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune specialist ● Jamie Munks, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Stephanie Sokol, DPS print production ● Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune reporter specialist Petition to Tribune Publishing’s Board of Directors ● Stephanie Reynolds, Chicago Tribune ● Liam T.A. Ford, Chicago Tribune quick senior content editor response editor ● Ian Mitchell, Chicago Tribune content editor ● Tom Palmer, Chicago Tribune homepage ● Paige Fry, Chicago Tribune reporter editor ● Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Scott L. Powers, entertainment editor ● Kasondra Van Treeck, Chicago Tribune ● Kaarin Tisue, senior content editor Visual Editor ● Cindy Dampier, writer/editor ● Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune ● Ally Marotti, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Erin Hooley, Chicago Tribune ● Grace Miserocchi, DPS print production photojournalist specialist ● Morgan Greene, Chicago Tribune reporter ● Emily Rosenbaum, Tribune Content Agency ● Margaret Curry, DPS editorial assistant associate editor ● Sandra V. Rodriguez, DPS print production ● Ted Slowik, Daily Southtown columnist specialist ● Mike Sansone, Chicago Tribune content ● Cameron Love, DPS print production editor specialist ● Christen A. Johnson, Chicago Tribune ● Tonia Howerton, DPS print production features reporter specialist ● Kathleen O’Malley, Chicago Tribune senior ● Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune reporter content editor ● Javonte Anderson, Chicago Tribune ● Angela Rozas O’Toole, Chicago Tribune ● Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune deputy metro editor photojournalist ● Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune features ● Andrew Johnston, Chicago Tribune photo reporter editor ● Tracy Van Moorlehem, Chicago Tribune ● Heather Stone, DPS Print Production deputy metro editor Specialist ● Lori Rackl, Tribune travel editor ● Kurt Ludke, DPS print production specialist ● Tim Bannon. Chicago Tribune editor ● Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune overnight ● Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune reporter reporter ● Alexa Matthews, Print