Key facts
- The Blade newspaper is for sale.
- If a buyer is not found, the newspaper will cease publication by the end of the year.
- Owners cited years of unsustainable financial losses as the reason for the potential closure.
- The Block Family's continued investment is no longer feasible.
- The Blade was founded in 1835 and is Toledo's oldest continually operating business.
The owners of The Blade newspaper in Toledo have announced they are seeking a buyer for the publication, with a stated deadline of the end of the year. If a sale is unsuccessful, both the print and digital operations will cease. Block Communications cited years of unsustainable financial losses as the reason for this decision, a situation similar to its previous announcement regarding the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which was ultimately purchased by the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism.
In an email to staff, Block Communications president and chief operating officer Jodi Miehls described the situation as an "extremely difficult decision," emphasizing that the Block Family's continued investment to sustain the paper is no longer viable. The Blade, founded in 1835, holds the distinction of being Toledo's oldest continuously operating business.
The newspaper has a history of journalistic achievement, including a Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting in 2004 and finalist nominations in 2000 and 2006. Notable alumni include Mildred Wirt Benson, the original author of the Nancy Drew mystery series under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.