Chicago Reader acquired by Seattle-based media company
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Chicago Reader writer Leor Galil in 2022 at a "Save the Reader" rally. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
The Chicago Reader, one of the longest-running alt-weeklies in the U.S., has been acquired by Seattle-based media company Noisy Creek.
The big picture: The city's beloved free paper has been at the forefront of some of the biggest Chicago stories over the last 50 years, such as police misconduct, while championing local artists and venues and highlighting major cultural figures and moments.
Why it matters: The acquisition could provide some stability to the Reader at a critical time. The paper's publisher warned this year that it faced "imminent risk of closure" and laid off several staff members.
Flashback: A group of college buddies published the first issue of the Chicago Reader in 1971, taking no salary and working other jobs to make ends meet, Mark Jacob wrote in 2021 about the paper's history.
- By 1974, revenue had quadrupled and eventually became so influential "that if it printed the wrong screening times for a movie, the theater would change the times," Jacob wrote.
- Beginning in the mid-2000s, a series of new owners, firings of key editorial members and then the COVID-19 pandemic led the paper to publish bi-weekly starting in 2020 and transition into a nonprofit.
State of play: Noisy Creek's business model relies on revenue from its ticketing agency, Bold Type Tickets, which partners with over 300 venues nationwide, according to a news release.
- Noisy Creek plans to launch the ticketing platform in Chicago in early 2026.
- The company launched in 2024 and also owns The Stranger in Seattle and the Portland Mercury.
What they're saying: "We spent six months trying to figure out how to work with Noisy Creek because it's an obvious fit with so much upside. The last two months of really getting into the details and meeting everyone has made it clear, this is a family reunion," said Ellen Kaulig, Reader chief of staff.
What's next: Noisy Creek is launching a national search for a new editor in chief for the Reader.