Metro Philly is re-staffing under new ownership

Commuter paper Metro Philly is hiring for its editorial department under new family owners. Josh Schneps, vice president said, “We’re really excited about Philly. We feel Philadelphia is a great city, and we want to be a part of it.”

Metro Philly never stopped production after its former owners sold it. It still has a print circulation of 65,000 and it is distributed for free at subway and rail stations. The Philly also boasts an audience of 525,000 people including online readership.

Melissa Mitman, former Northeast Times managing editor said, “We want to be a vital source of information for Philadelphia. We cover features, sports, and would like to beef up coverage of social justice issues, as well as crime.”

Mitman was hired by Schneps last month to lead the Philly newsroom.

As per Billy Penn, “Metro Philly’s editorial expansion runs contrary to both local and national trends. Across the country, more than 1,800 papers have folded, and the industry has shed 47% of newsroom staff over the past 15 years. Over that time, Philadelphia has also seen a downturn, with alt-weekly City Paper ceasing to exist and other papers like Philly Weekly slimming down.”