We have big news today. TheWrap, which struck a partnership with Reuters last year, becomes the global news agency's main entertainment news provider as of July 1.
This new partnership replaces a long-time alliance between Reuters and The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard.
TheWrap will be an integral part of the Reuters entertainment report, providing a full complement of entertainment and media news to its clients around the world. We will be working closely with the Reuters staff to make this partnership a success.
I'm even more thrilled personally, since my very first real job in journalism was with Reuters - as a correspondent in their Jerusalem bureau. Reuters remains the most respected brand in global news, and we are very proud to be so closely associated with it.
But under its 
dynamic president of media Chris Ahearn, the company is also moving fast to mold a 21st century strategy that maps to the digital age and the fundamental changes going on in media. Reuters is not only a top-flight news-gathering agency, increasingly it will serve as a platform to deliver content from top-flight partners. I think that's incredibly smart. And the AP ought to be paying close attention.
The agreement is a sign of how much TheWrap has achieved in scope and credibility since our launch two and a half years ago. Here's my official comment about it:
"We are incredibly excited to extend TheWrap's growing brand through a prestigious, global news partner like Reuters," said Sharon Waxman, CEO and founder of The Wrap News Inc. "We feel strongly that our expertise within the entertainment industry, our ability to break news and transmit it immediately through the news service, offers a huge benefit to Reuters customers as well as an important benefit to the industry we cover."
"The Wrap allows us to provide broad coverage of Hollywood that is unmatched by our -250x375.jpg)
competitors," said Bob Tourtellotte, editor in charge of Reuters entertainment news.
As part of meeting the needs of this new partnership, we are launching a Reviews section, and have brought on board two terrific new critics - Alonso Duralde (right), a veteran of Salon, Movieline and MSN, and Chris Willman (above), the former chief music critic at Entertainment Weekly.
We look forward to growing this prestigious partnership, and getting your input as we do!
Here is the news release we have just published:
THEWRAP.COM REPLACES HOLLYWOOD REPORTER AS
PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT NEWS SOURCE FOR REUTERS
(Los Angeles, CA) - July 1, 2011 - The Wrap News, Inc., the leading news organization covering the business of entertainment and media, is pleased to announce that as of July 1 it will become the premier entertainment news source of Reuters, the global news organization.
