Stewart Bainum's guest appearances

Stewart Bainum

Reliable Sources

Midday

On The Record

"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder

Shep Smith

Bob Woodward

David Simon

Carl Bernstein

Donald Trump

George Takei

Margaret Sullivan

Gavin Newsom

Brian Stelter

Jemele Hill

Tim Alberta

Farai Chideya

Michael Bloomberg

James Poniewozik

Elon Musk

OwlTail

The Baltimore Banner website proudly displays a mission: to be the leading provider of news and lifestyle content in the Baltimore metro area,  which Nielsen ranks as the 26th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the United States. Currently, the city has 11 newspapers, four broadcast TV news operations and a full-time news/talk radio outlet. But when the well-known CEO of Choice Hotels International and philanthropist Stewart Bainum’s battle with Alden Capitol to acquire the Baltimore Sun from Tribune media failed, he turned to an already strategized "Plan B." He pledged $50 million of his own money to enter the market as a standalone, digital-only, nonprofit news platform: The Baltimore Banner. E&amp;P’s May 2022 cover story features an extensive piece from Contributing Editor Gretchen A. Peck, focusing on the formation of The Banner’s team that has assembled in their new waterfront offices downtown, the newsroom structure and the entire culture of the people behind this new news start-up.  But in this 136th episode of "E&amp;P Reports," Publisher Mike Blinder interviews The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism's, Founder &amp; Chairman Stewart Bainum, Jr. and CEO Imtiaz Patel, about their 18-month journey together, first to try to acquire the 184-year-old Baltimore Sun and then their "pivot" to launch a nonprofit news start-up The Baltimore Banner, to accomplish their mission to become Baltimore’s “leading provider of news and lifestyle content.”

The Baltimore Banner website proudly displays a mission: to be the leading provider of news and lifestyle content in the Baltimore metro area,  which Nielsen ranks as the 26th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the United States. Currently, the city has 11 newspapers, four broadcast TV news operations and a full-time news/talk radio outlet. But when the well-known CEO of Choice Hotels International and philanthropist Stewart Bainum’s battle with Alden Capitol to acquire the Baltimore Sun from Tribune media failed, he turned to an already strategized "Plan B." He pledged $50 million of his own money to enter the market as a standalone, digital-only, nonprofit news platform: <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baltimore Banner</a>. E&amp;P’s May 2022 cover story features an extensive piece from Contributing Editor Gretchen A. Peck, focusing on the formation of The Banner’s team that has assembled in their new waterfront offices downtown, the newsroom structure and the entire culture of the people behind this new news start-up.  But in this 136th episode of "E&amp;P Reports," Publisher Mike Blinder interviews The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism's, Founder &amp; Chairman Stewart Bainum, Jr. and CEO Imtiaz Patel, about their 18-month journey together, first to try to acquire the 184-year-old Baltimore Sun and then their "pivot" to launch a nonprofit news start-up The Baltimore Banner, to accomplish their mission to become Baltimore’s “leading provider of news and lifestyle content.”

136 Stewart Bainum’s journey to launch the Baltimore Banner

Tom's next guest is Stewart Bainum. He is a successful businessman (as board chair of the worldwide Choice Hotels chain), philanthropist, and former Maryland delegate and senator. Last year, he tried to buy the Baltimore Sun with the intention of turning it into a non-profit news organization focusing on local news. That effort was rebuffed by the Sun’s owners, a hedge fund called Alden Global Capital. Working with former Baltimore County Executive Ted Venetoulis, Bainum began planning a new local news operation, an on-line, multi-pronged platform that will be overseen by the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a not-for-profit foundation named in honor of Mr. Venetoulis, who passed away last month from pancreatic cancer. The new digital news journal will be called The Baltimore Banner, and plans now call for it to launch by the summer of 2022, with a staff of roughly 50 journalists.   (Journalists and others interested in working for The Banner can apply on the Venetoulis Institute Website.) Stewart Bainum joins us on Zoom from his office in Rockville, Maryland, to tell us more about the Banner enterprise, and what it could mean for local journalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom's next guest is <a href="http://investor.choicehotels.com/stewart-bainum-jr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stewart Bainum</a>. He is a successful businessman (as board chair of the worldwide <a href="https://twitter.com/choicehotels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Choice Hotels</a> chain), philanthropist, and former Maryland delegate and senator. Last year, he tried to buy the <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baltimore Sun </a>with the intention of turning it into a non-profit news organization focusing on local news. That effort was rebuffed by the Sun’s owners, a hedge fund called Alden Global Capital. Working with former Baltimore County Executive <a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/10/07/former-baltimore-county-exec-ted-venetoulis-dies-at-87/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ted Venetoulis</a>, Bainum began planning a new local news operation, an on-line, multi-pronged platform that will be overseen by the <a href="https://venetoulisinstitute.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism</a>, a not-for-profit foundation named in honor of Mr. Venetoulis, who passed away last month from pancreatic cancer. The new digital news journal will be called The Baltimore Banner, and plans now call for it to launch by the summer of 2022, with a staff of roughly 50 journalists. (Journalists and others interested in working for The Banner can apply on the <a href="https://venetoulisinstitute.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Venetoulis Institute</a> Website.) <a href="https://twitter.com/stewbainum" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stewart Bainum</a> joins us on Zoom from his office in Rockville, Maryland, to tell us more about the Banner enterprise, and what it could mean for local journalism.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Stewart Bainum on plans for the news journal 'Baltimore Banner'

Stewart Bainum wanted to take over the Baltimore Sun but a hedge fund blocked him. So now he is launching a nonprofit news outlet in Baltimore instead. Bainum tells Brian Stelter about his interest in local news; his approach to gaining subscriptions and support; and his recruitment of Kimi Yoshino from the Los Angeles Times to run the Banner's newsroom. Bainum says his investment comes with significant risk, but the potential reward "is tremendous because it can be replicated across the country." He also reveals that he is "surveying the media landscape of Maryland" for possible partnerships and joint ventures.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Stewart Bainum wanted to take over the Baltimore Sun but a hedge fund blocked him. So now he is launching a nonprofit news outlet in Baltimore instead. Bainum tells Brian Stelter about his interest in local news; his approach to gaining subscriptions and support; and his recruitment of Kimi Yoshino from the Los Angeles Times to run the Banner's newsroom. Bainum says his investment comes with significant risk, but the potential reward "is tremendous because it can be replicated across the country." He also reveals that he is "surveying the media landscape of Maryland" for possible partnerships and joint ventures.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit <a href="https://cnn.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cnn.com/privacy</a>

Entrepreneur Stewart Bainum explains his Baltimore Banner startup and why local news is critical to 'strengthening democracy'