Copley Press was a privately held

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport ...

business, founded in

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, but later based in

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. Its flagship paper was ''

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''.

History

Founder Ira Clifton Copley launched Copley Press c. 1905, eventually amassing over two dozen papers. After selling the Western Utility Corporation, Copley purchased twenty-four newspapers in

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for $7.5 million. He managed these publishing holdings as Copley Press, Inc. and was its first president, serving until 1942. Copley Press purchased Springfield's ''Illinois State Journal'' in 1927. In 1942, Copley bought the ''Journals Democratic-oriented competitor, the ''Illinois State Register'', promising that the ''Register'' could keep its independent editorial voice. The two papers were merged in 1974 into ''

The State Journal-Register ''The State Journal-Register'' is the only local daily newspaper for Springfield, Illinois, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1831 as the ''Sangamo Journal'' by William Bailhache and Edward Baker, and describes itself as "the oldest new ...

''. In 1928, Copley bought the ''San Diego Union'' and ''San Diego Tribune'', which eventually became the company's flagship publications. Later that year, Senator

George W. Norris George William Norris (July 11, 1861September 2, 1944) was an American politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. He served five terms in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican, from 1903 until 1913 ...

accused Copley Press of receiving money from public utility companies, but Copley successfully defended his position before the Federal Trade Commission in 1929. The two papers operated separate editions until 1992, when they were merged as ''

''. Copley News Service — a wire service that distributed news, political cartoons, and opinion columns — was founded in 1955.

Dissolution

Copley Press began selling off properties in the 2000s. Hollinger International bought the Company's Chicago-area publications (''

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'', ''

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'', '' The Courier News'', and ''

The News Sun ''The News Sun'' is an American daily newspaper published in Kendallville, Indiana. It is the flagship newspaper of KPC Media Group. It covers the city of Kendallville and several nearby communities in LaGrange and Noble counties. History Th ...

'', along with several smaller papers) in 2000. The remaining Illinois papers (''

'', the ''

Peoria Journal Star The ''Journal Star'' is the major daily newspaper for Peoria, Illinois, and surrounding area. First owned locally, then employee-owned, it became a Copley Press entity in 1996. In 2007, the paper was sold to Fairport, New York-based GateHouse ...

'', ''

The Repository ''The Repository'' is an American daily local newspaper serving the Canton, Ohio area. It is currently owned by Gannett. History Historically, the newspaper had strong Republican connections, most notably with President William McKinley, who was ...

'', and some smaller papers) were sold to GateHouse Media in 2007. In 2006, the ''

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'' was sold to Hearst. In December 2007, the ''Union-Tribune'' reported that Copley Press was selling La Casa del Zorro, a resort it owned in

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. Copley News Service itself was sold to

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for an undisclosed price and renamed Creators News Service, on 1 July 2008. In late July 2008, the company began seeking buyers for the ''Union-Tribune'', as well as several other businesses like ''Enlace'', a free Spanish-language tabloid, and SignOnSanDiego.com, the online arm of the U-T."Sale of U-T explored by Copley Press," San Diego Union-Tribune, July 25, 2008; by David Hasemyer
The announcement did not make clear what, if anything, would be left with the Copley Press name.

Platinum Equity Platinum Equity, LLC is an American private equity investment firm founded by Tom Gores in 1995. The firm focuses on leveraged buyout investments of established companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia. History Platinum Equity was founded in 1 ...

agreed in March 2009 to purchase the ''Union-Tribune'' for an unspecified sum.Hsu, Tiffany and Tony Perry.
Platinum Equity to Acquire San Diego Union-Tribune
" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'', 19 March 2009. Copley Press currently is working with Evercore Partners, the same company that helped sell off other business units, to determine a price for the remaining assets. Declining advertising revenue was cited as the reason for the company's dissolution.

Pulitzer Prizes

Copley News Service and The San Diego ''Union-Tribune'', with notable work by Marcus Stern and Jerry Kammer, won the 2006 National Reporting prize for their disclosure that former Congressman Randy Cunningham received bribes, which ultimately led to his criminal conviction and imprisonment. Additionally, the San Diego ''Evening Tribune'', predecessor of the ''Union-Tribune'', won Pulitzer Prizes in 1987 and 1979.

Allegations of collaboration with CIA and FBI

In the late 1970s, the American media reported that the Copley Press was used as a front by the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

. Reporters Joe Trento and Dave Roman claimed that

James S. Copley James Strohn Copley (August 12, 1916 – October 6, 1973) was an American journalist and newspaper publisher. He published the ''San Diego Union'' and the ''San Diego Evening Tribune'', both later merged into ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' ...

, who served as publisher until 1973, had cooperated with the CIA since its founding in 1947. They also reported that a subsidiary division, Copley News Service, was used in Latin America by the CIA as a front. Trento and Roman also said that reporters at the Copley-owned San Diego ''Union and Evening News'' spied on antiwar protesters for the FBI. They alleged that, at the height of these operations, at least two dozen Copley employees were simultaneously working for the CIA. James S. Copley was also accused of involvement in the CIA-funded Inter-American Press Association.

Publishers

* Ira Clifton Copley — founder, president until 1942 * A. W. Shipton — 1942–1947 *

— 1947–1973 *

Helen K. Copley Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen ...

— 1973–2001 *

David C. Copley David C. Copley (January 31, 1952 – November 20, 2012) was an American publishing heir, on the board of the Copley Press for over thirty years, becoming president and owner, as well as publisher of the '' San Diego Union-Tribune''. He wa ...

— 2001 to 2009

Former properties

* '' Alhambra Post-Advocate'' * '' Aurora Beacon News'' (Illinois) * ''

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'' * Copley News Service * ''

'' (Torrance, California) * ''

Daily Journal (Wheaton, Illinois) The ''Daily Journal'' was a daily newspaper in Wheaton, Illinois that published for almost 60 years, from 1933 until 1992. In its final two decades, it was published by Copley Newspapers and had a final circulation of 7,650. Its origins were in ...

'' (Wheaton, Illinois) * ''

Elgin Courier-News Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Chatham-Kent, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario ...

'' (Illinois) * '' Glendale News-Press'' * '' Joliet Herald-News'' (Illinois) * ''

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'' (Los Angeles) * '' Lake County News-Sun'' (Gurnee, Illinois) * ''

Naperville Sun The ''Naperville Sun'' is a newspaper based in Naperville, Illinois, USA. It is published three days a week, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It is owned by Tribune Publishing's Chicago Tribune Media Group, a group that also includes the ''Aurora ...

'' (Naperville, Illinois) * ''

'' * '' San Pedro News-Pilot'' (

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area) * ''

'' (Stark County, Ohio) * ''

The Sacramento Union ''The Sacramento Union'' was a daily newspaper founded in 1851 in Sacramento, California. It was the oldest daily newspaper west of the Mississippi River before it closed its doors after 143 years in January 1994, no longer able to compete with ' ...

'' * ''

'' * '' The Santa Monica Evening Outlook'' * ''

'' (Springfield, Illinois) * '' Venice Evening Vanguard''

References

{{Authority control Copley Press publications Newspaper companies of the United States Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting winners