[pullquote]I came to be editor at a time of enormous peril for the Chicago Tribune.[/pullquote]
Under Gerould Kern's leadership at the Chicago Tribune the newspaper expanded local investigative reporting—exposing political corruption, government mismanagement, and consumer safety issues—an emphasis that helped drive political reform in Illinois.
Kern's other accomplishments include creating a digital-first newsroom, leading the Tribune to a Pulitzer Prize, and steering the company through a four-year Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. He also directed the launch of a redesigned and expanded Tribune, adding 44 full news pages of news to the paper each week, and oversaw the redesign of the newspaper’s website.