Copley Press: Difference between revisions

Copley Press
Company type	private
Founded	c. 1905; 119 years ago
Founder	Ira Clifton Copley
Defunct	2009; 15 years ago
Fate	Dissolved
Products	Newspapers
Owner	Copley family
Subsidiaries	The San Diego Union-Tribune; Copley News Service

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Copley Press was a privately held newspaper business, founded in Illinois but later based in La Jolla, California.^[1] Its flagship paper was The San Diego Union-Tribune.

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 Southern California 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 Journal's Democratic-oriented competitor, the Illinois State Register, promising that the Register could keep its independent editorial voice.^[2] The two papers were merged in 1974 into The State Journal-Register.

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 accused Copley Press of receiving money from public utility companies, but Copley successfully defended his position before the Federal Trade Commission in 1929.^{[citation needed]} The two papers operated separate editions until 1992, when they were merged as The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Copley News Service — a wire service that distributed news, political cartoons, and opinion columns — was founded in 1955.^[3]

Dissolution

Copley Press began selling off properties in the 2000s. Hollinger International bought the Company's Chicago-area publications (The Herald News, The Beacon News, The Courier News, and The News Sun, along with several smaller papers) in 2000. The remaining Illinois papers (The State Journal-Register, the Peoria Journal Star, The Repository, and some smaller papers) were sold to GateHouse Media in 2007.

In 2006, the Daily Breeze 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 Borrego Springs. Copley News Service itself was sold to Creators Syndicate 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.^[4] The announcement did not make clear what, if anything, would be left with the Copley Press name. Platinum Equity agreed in March 2009 to purchase the Union-Tribune for an unspecified sum.^[5] 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.^[4]

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.^[6]^[7]

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. Reporters Joe Trento and Dave Roman claimed that James S. Copley, 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.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Publishers

Ira Clifton Copley — founder, president until 1942
A. W. Shipton — 1942–1947
James S. Copley — 1947–1973
Helen K. Copley — 1973–2001
David C. Copley — 2001 to 2009

Former properties

Alhambra Post-Advocate
Aurora Beacon News (Illinois)
Burbank Daily Review
Copley News Service
Daily Breeze (Torrance, California); sold to Media News Group
Daily Journal (Wheaton, Illinois) (Wheaton, Illinois)
Elgin Courier-News (Illinois)
Glendale News-Press; now owned by Outlook Newspapers
Joliet Herald-News (Illinois)
KCOP-TV (Los Angeles); now owned by Fox Television Stations
Lake County News-Sun (Gurnee, Illinois)
Naperville Sun (Naperville, Illinois)
Peoria Journal Star
San Pedro News-Pilot (Port of Los Angeles area)
The Repository (Stark County, Ohio)
The Sacramento Union
The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Santa Monica Evening Outlook
The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois)
Venice Evening Vanguard

References

^ "The Copley Press, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". investing.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
^ Swanson, Walter S.J. The Thin Gold Watch (2nd ed.) (Copley Press, 1970).
^ Jim Hays (May 29, 2008). "Creators Syndicate buys Copley News Service". The Oregonian. Business News. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Sale of U-T explored by Copley Press," San Diego Union-Tribune, July 25, 2008; by David Hasemyer.
^ Hsu, Tiffany and Tony Perry. "Platinum Equity to Acquire San Diego Union-Tribune." Los Angeles Times, 19 March 2009.
^ "U-T, Copley News win Pulitzer Prize", The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2006-04-18 by Jeff McDonald
^ 2006 Pulitzer Prize National Reporting
^ Trento, Joseph, The Secret History of the CIA, Forum Press, 2001
^ Trento, Joseph, Prelude to Terror—The Rogue CIA and the Legacy of America's Private Intelligence Network, Carroll & Graf, 2005
^ "Neoconservatism: a CIA Front?, The Rothbard-Rockwell Report, 1997". Archived from the original on 2005-04-15. Retrieved 2006-02-11.

[1] "The Copley Press, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". investing.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2012.

[2] Swanson, Walter S.J. The Thin Gold Watch (2nd ed.) (Copley Press, 1970).

[3] Jim Hays (May 29, 2008). "Creators Syndicate buys Copley News Service". The Oregonian. Business News. Retrieved August 18, 2012.

[utarticle-4] "Sale of U-T explored by Copley Press," San Diego Union-Tribune, July 25, 2008; by David Hasemyer.

[utpe-5] Hsu, Tiffany and Tony Perry. "Platinum Equity to Acquire San Diego Union-Tribune." Los Angeles Times, 19 March 2009.

[6] "U-T, Copley News win Pulitzer Prize", The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2006-04-18 by Jeff McDonald

[7] 2006 Pulitzer Prize National Reporting

[8] Trento, Joseph, The Secret History of the CIA, Forum Press, 2001

[9] Trento, Joseph, Prelude to Terror—The Rogue CIA and the Legacy of America's Private Intelligence Network, Carroll & Graf, 2005

[10] "Neoconservatism: a CIA Front?, The Rothbard-Rockwell Report, 1997". Archived from the original on 2005-04-15. Retrieved 2006-02-11.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American newspaper publisher}}
-[[Image:Copleyhead.gif|right|thumb|Copley Press logo]]
+{{Infobox company
+| name     = Copley Press
+| image    =
+| logo     = Copleyhead.gif
+| type     = [[Privately held company|private]]
+| founder  = [[Ira Clifton Copley]]
+| founded  = c. {{start date and age|1905}}
+| defunct  = {{end date and age|2009}}
+| products = [[Newspapers]]
+| subsid   = ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''<br />Copley News Service
+| fate     = Dissolved
+| owner    = Copley family
+}}
+'''Copley Press''' was a privately held [[newspaper]] business, founded in [[Illinois]] but later based in [[La Jolla, California]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=639676 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130604015234/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=639676 |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 4, 2013 |title=The Copley Press, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek|work=investing.businessweek.com|access-date=22 May 2012}}</ref> Its flagship paper was ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''.
+== History ==
-'''Copley Press''' was a privately held [[newspaper]] business, founded in [[Illinois]], but later based in [[La Jolla, California]].  Its flagship paper was ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''.
+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 [[Southern California]] 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, Illinois|Springfield's]] ''Illinois State Journal'' in 1927. In 1942, Copley bought the ''Journal'''s Democratic-oriented competitor, the ''Illinois State Register'', promising that the ''Register'' could keep its independent editorial voice.<ref>Swanson, Walter S.J. ''The Thin Gold Watch'' (2nd ed.) (Copley Press, 1970).</ref> The two papers were merged in 1974 into ''[[The State Journal-Register]]''.
-==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.<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060418-9999-1n18pulitzer.html "U-T, Copley News win Pulitzer Prize", The San Diego ''Union-Tribune'', 2006-04-18 by Jeff McDonald]</ref><ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2006/national-reporting/ 2006 Pulitzer Prize National Reporting]</ref>
+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]] accused Copley Press of receiving money from public utility companies, but Copley successfully defended his position before the [[Federal Trade Commission]] in 1929.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}  The two papers operated separate editions until 1992, when they were merged as ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''.
-Additionally, the San Diego ''Evening Tribune'', predecessor of the ''Union-Tribune'', won Pulitzer Prizes in 1987 and 1979.
+'''Copley News Service''' — a wire service that distributed news, political cartoons, and opinion columns —  was founded in 1955.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |date=May 29, 2008 |at=Business News |title=Creators Syndicate buys Copley News Service |author=Jim Hays |access-date=August 18, 2012|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2008/05/creators_syndicate_buys_copley.html}}</ref>
-==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]]. Reporters Joe Trento and Dave Roman claimed that [[James S. Copley]], 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 [[The San Diego Union-Tribune|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]].<ref>Trento, Joseph, ''The Secret History of the CIA'', Forum Press, 2001</ref><ref>Trento, Joseph, ''Prelude to Terror—The Rogue CIA and the Legacy of America's Private Intelligence Network'', Carroll & Graf, 2005</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.namebase.org/news17.html |title=Journalism and the CIA: The Mighty Wurlitzer |first=Daniel |last=Brandt |date=1997-04&ndash;06 |work=[[NameBase]] NewsLine |publisher= |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64k7OcH9Z |archivedate=2012-01-16 |accessdate=2012-01-20}}</ref><ref>[http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3700.htm ''Neoconservatism: a CIA Front?'', The Rothbard-Rockwell Report, 1997]</ref>
-==Dissolution==
+===Dissolution===
 Copley Press began selling off properties in the 2000s. Hollinger International bought the Company's Chicago-area publications (''[[The Herald News (Joliet)|The Herald News]]'', ''[[The Beacon News]]'', ''[[The Courier News]]'', and ''[[Lake County News-Sun|The News Sun]]'', along with several smaller papers) in 2000. The remaining Illinois papers (''[[The State Journal-Register]]'', the ''[[Peoria Journal Star]]'', ''[[The Repository]]'', and some smaller papers) were sold to [[GateHouse Media]] in 2007.
@@ Line 21: / Line 32: @@
 Declining advertising revenue was cited as the reason for the company's [[Dissolution (law)|dissolution]].<ref name=utarticle/>
+==Pulitzer Prizes==
+Copley News Service and The San Diego ''Union-Tribune'', with notable work by [[Marcus Stern (journalist)|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.<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060418-9999-1n18pulitzer.html "U-T, Copley News win Pulitzer Prize", The San Diego ''Union-Tribune'', 2006-04-18 by Jeff McDonald]</ref><ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2006/national-reporting/ 2006 Pulitzer Prize National Reporting]</ref>
+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]]. Reporters Joe Trento and Dave Roman claimed that [[James S. Copley]], 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 [[The San Diego Union-Tribune|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]].<ref>Trento, Joseph, ''The Secret History of the CIA'', Forum Press, 2001</ref><ref>Trento, Joseph, ''Prelude to Terror—The Rogue CIA and the Legacy of America's Private Intelligence Network'', Carroll & Graf, 2005</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3700.htm |title=''Neoconservatism: a CIA Front?'', The Rothbard-Rockwell Report, 1997 |access-date=2006-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050415224335/http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3700.htm |archive-date=2005-04-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 == Publishers ==
-* [[Ira Clifton Copley]] — founder
+* [[Ira Clifton Copley]] — founder, president until 1942
+* A. W. Shipton — 1942–1947
 * [[James S. Copley]] — 1947–1973
 * [[Helen K. Copley]] — 1973–2001
 * [[David C. Copley]] — 2001 to 2009
-==Former Properties==
+==Former properties==
-* ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''
+* ''[[Alhambra Post-Advocate]]''
+* ''[[Aurora Beacon News]]'' (Illinois)
+* ''[[Burbank Daily Review]]''
+* Copley News Service
+* ''[[Daily Breeze]]'' (Torrance, California); sold to [[Media News Group]]
+* ''[[Daily Journal (Wheaton, Illinois)]]'' (Wheaton, Illinois)
+* ''[[Elgin Courier-News]]'' (Illinois)
+* ''[[Glendale News-Press]]''; now owned by Outlook Newspapers
+* ''[[Joliet Herald-News]]'' (Illinois)
+* ''[[KCOP-TV]]'' (Los Angeles); now owned by [[Fox Television Stations]]
+* ''[[Lake County News-Sun]]'' (Gurnee, Illinois)
+* ''[[Naperville Sun]]'' (Naperville, Illinois)
+* ''[[Peoria Journal Star]]''
+* ''[[San Pedro News-Pilot]]'' ([[Port of Los Angeles]] area)
+* ''[[The Repository]]'' (Stark County, Ohio)
 * ''[[The Sacramento Union]]''
+* ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''
 * ''[[The Santa Monica Evening Outlook]]''
+* ''[[The State Journal-Register]]'' (Springfield, Illinois)
-* ''[[Daily Breeze]]''
-* ''[[The State Journal-Register]]''
+* ''[[Venice Evening Vanguard]]''
-* ''[[Peoria Journal Star]]''
-* ''[[The Repository]]''
-* ''[[Naperville Sun]]''
-* ''[[Lake County News-Sun]]''
-* ''[[KCOP-TV]]'' Los Angeles
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
+{{PulitzerPrize National Reporting}}
+{{Authority control}}
+[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1905]]
-==References==
+[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1905]]
-<references />
+[[Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2009]]
-[[Category:Copley Press publications|Copley Press]]
+[[Category:Publishing companies disestablished in 2009]]
+[[Category:1905 establishments in Illinois]]
+[[Category:2009 disestablishments in California]]
+[[Category:Defunct companies based in California]]
+[[Category:Copley Press publications]]
 [[Category:Newspaper companies of the United States]]
+[[Category:Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting winners]]

v t e Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Previously the Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting – National from 1942–1947
1942–1950	Louis Stark (1942) Dewey L. Fleming (1944) James Reston (1945) Edward A. Harris (1946) Edward T. Folliard (1947) Bert Andrews & Nat S. Finney (1948) C. P. Trussell (1949)
1950–1975	Edwin O. Guthman (1950) Anthony Leviero (1952) Don Whitehead (1953) Richard Wilson (1954) Anthony Lewis (1955) Charles L. Bartlett (1956) James Reston (1957) Clark Mollenhoff & Relman Morin (1958) Howard Van Smith (1959) Vance Trimble (1960) Edward R. Cony (1961) Nathan G. Caldwell & Gene S. Graham (1962) Anthony Lewis (1963) Merriman Smith (1964) Louis M. Kohlmeier Jr. (1965) Haynes Johnson (1966) Stanley Penn & Monroe Karmin (1967) Nathan K. (Nick) Kotz & Howard James (1968) Robert Cahn (1969) William J. Eaton (1970) Lucinda Franks (1971) Jack Anderson (1972) Robert Boyd & Clark Hoyt (1973) Jack White & James R. Polk (1974) Donald L. Barlett & James B. Steele (1975)
1976–2000	James V. Risser (1976) Walter Mears (1977) Gaylord D. Shaw (1978) James V. Risser (1979) Bette Swenson Orsini & Charles Stafford (1980) John M. Crewdson (1981) Rick Atkinson (1982) The Boston Globe (1983) John Noble Wilford (1984) Thomas J. Knudson (1985) Craig Flournoy, George Rodrigues & Arthur Howe (1986) Staff of The Miami Herald & Staff of The New York Times (1987) Tim Weiner (1988) Donald L. Barlett & James B. Steele (1989) Ross Anderson, Bill Dietrich, Mary Ann Gwinn & Eric Nalder (1990) Marjie Lundstrom, Rochelle Sharpe & Gannett News Service (1991) Jeff Taylor, Mike McGraw & The Kansas City Star (1992) David Maraniss (1993) Eileen Welsome (1994) Tony Horwitz (1995) Alix M. Freedman (1996) Staff of The Wall Street Journal (1997) Russell Carollo & Jeff Nesmith (1998) Staff of The New York Times (1999) Jeff Gerth (1999)
2000–2009	Staff of The Wall Street Journal (2000) Staff of The New York Times (2001) Staff of The Washington Post (2002) Alan Miller & Kevin Sack (2003) Staff of Los Angeles Times (2004) Walt Bogdanich (2005) James Risen & Eric Lichtblau (2006) Staff of The San Diego Union-Tribune & Staff of Copley News Service including Marcus Stern & Jerry Kammer (2006) Charlie Savage (2007) Jo Becker & Barton Gellman (2008) Staff of St. Petersburg Times (2009) Matt Richtel & Staff of The New York Times (2010) Jesse Eisinger & Jake Bernstein (2011) David Wood (2012) Lisa Song, Elizabeth McGowan & David Hasemyer (2013) David Philipps (2014) Carol D. Leonnig (2015) Staff of The Washington Post (2016) David Fahrenthold (2017) Staff of The New York Times & Staff of The Washington Post (2018) Staff of The Wall Street Journal (2019) Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker & Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times (2020) T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose & Robert Faurtechi of ProPublica (2020) Staff of The New York Times (2022) [Caroline Kitchener]] (2023)

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States