'Chicago Sun-Times' Editor/Publisher Jim Kirk Exits, Joins Rival Company

Jim Kirk, editor and publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, is leaving to join TroncX, the digital division of what was formerly Tribune Publishing. Tronc is the parent company of Sun-Times' rival, the Chicago Tribune.

Kirk’s official title will be SVP, strategic initiatives. He will work on digital growth and monetization strategies across Tronc’s nine newspaper websites, which includes the Los Angeles Times. It is a newly created role.

“We are focused on the launch of our new content management solution, which will allow us to grow and engage our audiences across the country. Jim will be instrumental in helping us achieve this goal," stated Tim Knight, president of TroncX.

Kirk will report to Knight; he worked with Knight when he was CEO of Sun-Times parent company Wrapports LLC. Kirk also once reported to Tronc chairman Michael Ferro when the Chicago businessman owned Wrapports. Ferro sold his shares last year to acquire a controlling stake in Tronc.

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The Sun-Times was bought in July by an investment group led by former Chicago alderman Edwin Eisendrath and a group of labor unions under the Chicago Federation of Labor.

Tronc lost a bid to acquire the Sun-Times when The Justice Department's antitrust division, which is responsible for investigating newspaper mergers, intervened in the sale. The Justice Department saw Tronc’s potential ownership of the top two newspapers in Chicago as a threat to competition in the city, which is one of the few remaining two-newspaper towns.

Kirk has served as editor-in-chief of the Sun-Times since April 2012 and was named publisher in 2013, marking the first time the two roles were held by one person.

Kirk had previously worked at Adweek, the Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg News, the Chicago News Cooperative and Crain’s Chicago Business.

At the Sun-Times, managing editor Chris Fusco will serve as interim editor.

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