The Chicago Sun-Times is getting new editorial leadership as it struggles to implement a business model that brings reader contributions alongside traditional revenue sources from circulation and advertising.
Chicago Public Media, which owns the Sun-Times and public radio station WBEZ, said Kimbriell Kelly will become the its editor-in-chief starting Sept. 2. She will succeed Jennifer Kho, who joined the paper in 2022 after its sale to Chicago Public Media.
Kelly will oversee the recently combined news operations of the Sun-Times and WBEZ.
Kelly was an assistant managing editor and bureau chief at the Los Angeles Times and a reporter at The Washington Post, where she was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Chicago Reporter, a publication covering race relations and poverty, and was a reporter at the suburban Daily Herald.
“Kimbriell has the deep Chicago roots, journalistic excellence and forward-looking vision to help shape the future of our integrated newsroom,” Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, said. “She understands both the tradition of great reporting and the need to innovate for our audiences.”
In announcing the change, Bell had high praise for Kho, saying she leaves a “strong foundation.” Bell said after taking some time off, Kho will partner with the company on a project about the future of public media. Kho will leave her post Sept. 12.
In a statement relayed by the company, Kelly said, “I’m honored to return to the city that shaped me and to lead a newsroom with such a vital role in informing and engaging our communities. This is an extraordinary opportunity to build on Chicago Public Media’s strengths and to help reimagine public media for the future.”
Kelly’s prior work included hosting a public affairs program on WFLD-Channel 32 and producing a weekly radio show on WBEZ. She has taught at Howard and Princeton universities.
She will assume her role as the company deals with the cutoff of federal funding for public broadcasting, causing outlets to increase their calls for donations from viewers and listeners.
The situation has not directly affected the Sun-Times, a separate unit of Chicago Public Media, but it has its own issues. A five-year grant commitment for the Sun-Times totaling $61 million is set to run out by the end of 2026. The paper has stepped up calls for reader donations.
Earlier this year, ownership slashed the paper’s staff by about 20% via buyouts. In 2024, it laid off about 15% of staff at WBEZ.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.