The merchandise ads will also appear on the Topix site. And vice-versa, ads placed on Topix will be available on the Tribune site relevant to a geographic area. Both companies will share revenues from the paid ads on the co-branded sites.

Consumers will be able to upload merchandise ads and photos for free, as well as pay for a ‘feature’ ad, which is emphasized at the top of a search category.

Tribune’s new partnership comes in an attempt to counter competition from free listing sites such as Craigslist. Tribune Co. has already started to offer sets of free online merchandise listings in seven of its 12 markets.

Tribune also partners with other specialized online sites for other types of classifieds, such as cars, jobs or house needs.

Along with McClatchy and Gannett, Tribune is one of the three newspaper groups that own a majority stake in Topix.

Topix is also discussing possible projects with other newspaper companies.

Source: Media Post