Former DNAinfo Staff To Launch New Outlet Called Block Club Chicago
Three former DNAinfo editors along with several other alumni of the site are starting up a new outlet called Block Club Chicago to be funded by reader subscriptions, a Kickstarter, and a blockchain-based hyperlocal news platform funded by a software technology company. DNAinfo was abruptly shut down in November by billionaire Joe Ricketts, along with Chicagoist, a news outlet he purchased in March 2017, after staff in New York City unionized. “When DNAinfo Chicago closed, the outpouring of love and support from Chicago overwhelmed us,” said Shamus Toomey, former managing editor of DNAinfo, Block Club’s editor-in-chief. “We knew people trusted us and counted on us, and we were so honored when readers told us we were a part of their lives. That’s when we knew we had to keep it going.” (Robert Feder)