Robservations: Sue Ontiveros signs off as Sun-Times columnist

Sue Ontiveros

Robservations on the media beat:

Sue Ontiveros, a singular voice on the editorial pages of the Sun-Times for 21 years, posted her farewell column Tuesday. “The Sun-Times was and is one of the great loves of my life,” she told Facebook friends. “I loved being a part of it. I hope the current owners are able to continue to make it thrive.” Said Tom McNamee, Sun-Times editorial page editor: “We have to make changes in columnists, just to change things up, keep fresh, even apart from any question of money. That said, I'm going to miss working with Sue. She's a pro, she writes about real people, and she's been a friend and colleague for a long time. I respect her so much.” McNamee declined to comment on other possible changes.

Jane Pauley

Veteran broadcaster Jane Pauley, host of “CBS Sunday Morning,” will receive a distinguished journalist award this spring from DePaul University’s Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence. Pauley was a news anchor at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 before she rose to stardom as co-host of “The Today Show.” Also honored will be DePaul alum Ann Pistone, longtime investigative producer for ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 and Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32. “DePaul is committed to the highest standards of journalism through the Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence,” Salma Ghanem, dean of the College of Communication, said in a statement. “Journalists like Jane Pauley and Ann Pistone exemplify these standards and are wonderful role models for all journalists.” Carol Marin and Don Moseley, co-directors of the center, will present the awards at a luncheon April 19.

Daily Herald

Paddock Publications, parent company of the Daily Herald, announced plans Tuesday to acquire Pana News, central Illinois publisher of three weekly newspapers — the Pana News-Palladium, the Golden Prairie News in Assumption and the Free Press-Progress in Nokomis. The deal will be finalized January 4. Terms were not disclosed. “This acquisition, along with others in the past two years, are in keeping with our strategic plan to broaden Paddock’s income streams,” Doug Ray, chairman, publisher and CEO of the Daily Herald Media Group, told staffers in an email. (This blog operates under an agreement with the Daily Herald.)

Tuesday’s best comment: Dave Nickrud: It's getting to the point where it would be easier to identify men who HAVEN'T sexually harassed or assaulted anyone.