Wrapports LLC was the American-based privately owned publisher of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' and the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...

''. It was headquartered in the ''Sun-Times'' building in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

History

The company was launched in late 2011 by Michael W. Ferro Jr., chairman and CEO of the private equity firm Merrick Ventures, and Timothy P. Knight, who was former publisher of ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

'' on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, during the time when it was owned by the Tribune Company. Ferro and Knight negotiated to purchase Sun-Times Media Holding Company from the estate of James C. Tyree, who died in 2011 after having led the ''Sun-Times'' out of a 2009 bankruptcy. Ferro and Knight said the name "Wrapports" is meant to signify the "rapport" of new technology and the "wrapping" of a traditional print newspaper. They promised to transform the ''Sun Times'' print products into "a true multi-media experience for our users — how they want it, where they want it, when they want it." Wrapports reached an agreement to purchase the Sun-Times company in December 2011, debt-free, for a reported $20 million. Tyree had paid $5 million cash, and assumed $20 million in liabilities, two years earlier. ''Sun-Times'' CEO Jeremy Halbreich, who managed the company under Tyree's ownership, stepped down after Wrapports took control of the company. He said he had not felt pressured to sell the newspaper, but found Wrapports to be a good match: "Since Jim passed away, one of my principal concerns was ensuring that the company passed into the right set of hands. I came in on an assignment to try to save the newspaper, and it evolved into something more. This just makes perfect sense for everybody." The company's assets included the multiple

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

-winning '' Sun-Times'', seven suburban daily newspapers surrounding Chicago in Illinois and Indiana, and the Pioneer Press chain of weekly newspapers north and west of Chicago. Wrapports expanded in 2012, buying the ''

'' and its associated properties. No purchase price was disclosed, though published reports estimated it at $3 million. The ''Reader'', an award-winning alternative weekly newspaper, had been owned by Creative Loafing of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, which went bankrupt in 2009. Wrapports' online holdings include websites for each of its newspapers as well as standalone sites for classified advertising, local high school sports, and trivia expert Cecil Adams ("

The Straight Dope ''The Straight Dope'' was a question-and-answer newspaper column written under the pseudonym Cecil Adams. Contributions were made by multiple authors, and it was illustrated (also pseudonymously) by Slug Signorino. It was first published in 197 ...

") of the ''Reader''. In December 2012, it was announced that Wrapports will be closing all of its suburban offices and moving remaining employees downtown. In October 2014, Wrapports sold its suburban Chicago newspapers to the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

Media Group. On July 13, 2017, it was reported that a consortium, consisting of private investors & the Chicago Federation of Labor, led by businessman & former Chicago alderman Edwin Eisendrath, through Eisendrath's company, ST Acquisition Holdings, had acquired the ''

'' and the ''

'' from Wrapports, beating out Chicago-based publishing company Tronc for ownership.

References

External links

* {{dead link, date=July 2017 Companies based in Chicago Publishing companies established in 2011 Mass media in Chicago Publishing companies disestablished in 2017 2017 disestablishments in Illinois 2011 establishments in Illinois 2017 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 2011 American companies disestablished in 2017