WGBH has acquired Boston-based digital world news website GlobalPost.
The Brighton educational nonprofit will merge the news site's operations into those of Public Radio International (PRI), the producer of the world-news radio show The World.
“The need for trusted, thoughtful and expansive journalism has never been greater, and this is another manifestation of WGBH’s commitment to broadening and deepening public media’s international reporting resources,” said WGBH CEO Jon Abbott in a statement. "We are excited to invest in PRI’s leadership and strength in global news and innovation to expand our service to the public.”
GlobalPost was founded by Charles Sennott, now executive director of The GroundTruth Project, also based at WGBH, and Phil Balboni in 2009. The news site employed a network of international freelancers to make up for a decline in world news coverage.
“As a leader in international journalism, GlobalPost’s values and mission are perfectly aligned with WGBH and PRI," Balboni, who will become an adviser to PRI, said in a statement. "We are united in the belief that America needs more, better and deeper international reporting, something to which PRI has been devoted for over 30 years. We look forward to reaching new heights of international reporting excellence and digital innovation.”
Financial terms of the deal, which WGBH said will be complete in November, were not disclosed.
