While I support the efforts to preserve community journalism, and I certainly hope that the Journal Star is purchased by a buyer who believes in local control of the press, I think this site could be more forthcoming about recent past ownership of the newspaper.
While I haven't read all of the coverage, and perhaps this has been mentioned elsewhere, isn't it important to provide on this site and in interviews given by those advocating for the preservation of the Journal Star information about who owned the newspaper before it was sold to Copley? Some of the information is on the Peoria Journal Star's Web site and could be easily linked: http://www.pjstar.com/services/journalstar/history.shtml. It essentially indicates that the employees of the Journal Star owned the paper and sold it, giving up local control, in 1996, much to the chagrin of many, including myself. Many employees received substantial payout packages.
While the link provides the official newspaper account, and cites only "cash-flow" pressures caused by retirements, as I recall (dimly, as time has eaten away here), that in order to continue with local ownership, newer employees would not have been able to enjoy the same ownership and compensation options as older employees was one of several reasons not mentioned on this site and or online on www.pjstar.com why the newspaper was sold.
I'm sure more accurate information than my memory is available, and I would welcome it. Shouldn't ethical journalists concerned about the quality of the news and the accuracy of reporting include that information on the Save the Journal Star Web site? I believe it would be beneficial to the push to save the newspaper by demonstrating openess and trust. As Journal Star employees, you have full access to the morgue of stories about this, as well as access to those with inside information about the sale not contained in the news accounts.
Again, here's hoping that the Journal Star, a fine newspaper with outstanding employees, maintains local control, and is not sold to a corporation with an interest solely in the bottom line. I know first-hand that horrible things can happen to cities when community coverage is sacrificed for profit margins three to five times that of say, Caterpillar Inc., profit margins that have been an industry standard at 20 to 30 percent for many years.