Sign of the Times is in St. Petersburg

Re “Free the Press From Corporate Profiteers,” column, June 21

Steve Lopez makes a masterful argument for why a locally controlled newspaper is necessary and how it can be successful. I am an alumnus of Nelson Poynter’s St. Petersburg Times and know full well the tenacity it took to keep that jewel of a newspaper out of the hands of corporate raiders.

That Times continues to be an innovative newspaper because it can plow its profits back into new ventures and exciting journalism rather than feeding rapacious stockholders. The Poynter Institute, which holds the stock, uses a portion of the profits to train journalists and expand their vision. Everyone wins. St. Petersburg is a better city today because its newspaper is locally owned, and the newspaper is better too. Los Angeles can profit from Poynter’s example.

CHARLES T. KERCHNER

Claremont