Sun-Times owner says it’s imitating BuzzFeed, Deadspin with national network of news sites

Chicago Sun-Times | Robert Feder

Are you ready for dc.suntimes.com? tampa.suntimes.com? newyork.suntimes.com? The Chicago paper’s owner, Wrapports LLC, announced a “mobile-first app network” Tuesday with local editions rolling out in 70 U.S. cities and, eventually, international editions.

The sites will offer aggregated content from local news sources as well as from some Sun-Times writers (the Chicago edition includes links to content from the rival Chicago Tribune). It’s part of an effort to “offer content in a manner similar to websites such as Deadspin and Buzzfeed,” Wrapports’ release says.

The sites are in beta and will officially launch on Friday. The Sun-Times Network takes the place of Aggrego, the local-content initiative Wrapports launched last year, Sun-Times spokesperson Dennis Culloton tells Poynter. Tim Landon, who cofounded Classified Ventures and led Aggrego, will run the Sun-Times Network.

Wrapports chair Michael Ferro will be board chair. The launch coincides with plans “for the company to sell all of its suburban publications — including six dailies and 32 Pioneer Press weeklies — to Tribune Publishing, parent company of the Chicago Tribune,” Robert Feder writes. “That will leave the much smaller Wrapports with only the daily Sun-Times and the free weekly [Chicago] Reader.”