The Bay Citizen in merger talks

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Bay Citizen, the two-year-old nonprofit news organization, is in merger talks with the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting. The Journal attributed its report to Bay Citizen staffers and others familiar with the discussions. Those sources said the talks are in the early stages and could fall apart. CIR executive director Robert Rosenthal is quoted as saying that it is unclear where the conversations will lead. In the past few months, Bay Citizen has lost its editor (Jonathan Weber), CEO (Lisa Frazier) and interim editor (Steve Fainaru) to other jobs or projects. And its founder, Warren Helman, died. CIR is headed by Rosenthal, former Chron managing editor, and has as its board chairman ex-Chron editor Phil Bronstein.