Chicago Public Media, the owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ-FM, announced Wednesday morning it is seeking voluntary buyouts from staff. Why it matters: Last year, the public media company faced budget shortfalls,

Struggling with declining revenue in its groundbreaking nonprofit radio/newspaper model, Chicago Public Media is offering voluntary buyouts for Chicago Sun-Times journalists and business employees at WBEZ.

The reductions shape up as the most severe since the publication joined with WBEZ in 2022, a pioneering move aimed at sustaining local journalism.

The buyouts are the latest cost-cutting measures since Chicago Public Media brought the Sun-Times newspaper under its nonprofit umbrella with public radio station WBEZ three years ago.