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Axios
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Film critic Richard Roeper finds new role after Sun-Times exit
It didn't take long for renowned film critic Richard Roeper to find a new job. The latest: Roeper announced this morning he's joining as a regular contributor. The site is one of the leading spots for film criticism in the country, named after one of the leading film critics of our generation. Catch up quick: Roeper took the voluntary buyout at the Sun-Times in March, leaving the paper after 37 years. What they're saying: " Writing for is particularly meaningful for me because I owe so much of my career to him," Roeper tells Axios. "Going all the way back to the late 1980s, when Roger couldn't review a film or do an interview because of scheduling conflicts, I became the go-to guy off the bench, with Roger's blessing." Zoom out: Roeper replaced the late Gene Siskel as Ebert's co-host on the television show "At the Movies," which was later renamed "Ebert & Roeper." They spent eight years (2000-2008) working together while also writing together at the Sun-Times before Ebert passed away after a long battle with thyroid cancer in 2013. is run by Ebert's wife, Chaz Ebert. "I am thrilled to have Richard join us, and I know that Roger would have been overjoyed," Chaz Ebert said in a statement. The intrigue: Roeper says he's looking forward to writing without a daily deadline. "Since leaving the Sun-Times, I've discovered that I don't really want to return to the grind of cranking out a half-dozen or more reviews every week, but I really miss writing about movies and TV," Roeper says. "I'll be doing reviews for the site, but I'm equally excited about doing the kinds of columns that I really didn't have time for in the past."
Axios
19-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Richard Roeper leaving Chicago Sun-Times
Longtime Chicago film critic Richard Roeper is leaving the Sun-Times after almost 40 years at the paper. The big picture: Roeper, one of the biggest names in Chicago journalism, took a voluntary buyout offered by the paper's parent company, Chicago Public Media. Why it matters: CPM, which owns the Sun-Times and WBEZ-FM, announced they accepted 35 buyouts and hit their goal to save $3-5 million in an effort to stave off expected budget trouble. Zoom in: In an email to members, CPM CEO Melissa Bell said she is "grateful to share with you now that we reached our cost reduction targets through voluntary departures." The latest: The Sun-Times guild confirmed that 15 of its members took the buyout. Yes, but: Other editorial staff outside the guild have departed, including editorial page editor Lorraine Forte. What they're saying:"This is the biggest hit our newsroom has taken in 12 years," a guild spokesperson tells Axios. "We are losing mentors, we're losing friends, and we have serious questions about what the future might hold." Context: Roeper joined forces with Roger Ebert as the co-host of the syndicated television show "At the Movies" from 2000-2008 and later took over for Ebert as the premiere film critic at the Sun-Times. Roeper also hosted radio shows at WLUP-FM and WLS-AM, the latter of which saw him and co-host Roe Conn snag huge ratings. "I have had more than 16,000 bylines in the Sun-Times," Roeper said on X. "Proud of what I accomplished there." Zoom out: Other prominent names leaving the paper include sports columnist Rick Morrissey, advice columnist Ismael Pérez, entertainment editor and writer Darel Jevens and White Sox beat writer Daryl Van Schouwen.
