Salon, one of the early internet's pioneering publications, is closing after more than three decades, the outlet announced on Thursday, saying the business realities of independent digital journalism had changed profoundly and its publishing model was no longer sustainable.
Founded in San Francisco in 1995, Salon built its reputation on politics, arts and culture coverage and was described in a 2011 Columbia Journalism Review piece as the oldest general interest publication on the internet. The outlet, which moved most of its editorial staff to New York City in the 2000s, announced its closure just weeks before its anniversary on 20 November.
In announcing the decision, Salon reflected on its place in internet history: "It's difficult to find the right words for the end of something that has meant so much to so many people. Salon was never just a website. It was an idea about what journalism could be, born at a moment when the internet was still a largely unexplored frontier."
"The business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years. After careful consideration, we have reached the difficult decision that our publishing model is no longer sustainable. We know this news will be deeply disappointing to many of you, and we share that sadness," the statement said.
Salon said its output "helped pioneer a form of journalism that would come to define an entirely new era of publishing," and thanked the journalists, editors, photographers, producers, designers, business teams and other colleagues who brought the publication to life. The outlet won a string of early awards, including Time magazine's website of the year in 1996 and BusinessWeek's best website in 1997.
"Thirty-one years is a remarkable run," Salon said. "What matters most is what happened during those years: the journalism, the ideas, the voices, the conversations and the community that grew around them."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Salon was one of the first publications to treat the internet as a serious home for journalism, and its closure removes a longstanding voice in politics, arts and culture.
- The outlet's own explanation points to the economics facing independent digital publishers, a strain that has reshaped the online media industry.
- The shutdown ends a 31-year run that spans the web's early frontier era through the modern platform-dominated media economy.
Background
Salon was founded in San Francisco in 1995, when the web was still largely unexplored territory for general interest publishing. It earned early acclaim, including Time magazine's website of the year award in 1996, and maintained a wide-ranging editorial focus before concentrating most of its staff in New York City in the 2000s. The closure was announced weeks before the publication's 20 November anniversary.
What to Watch
- Whether Salon sets a final shutdown date or announces arrangements for its archive of articles as the site winds down ahead of its 20 November anniversary.
- Whether the closure draws responses from other independent digital publishers confronting similar business pressures.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedSalon, an early internet publishing pioneer, is closing after 31 years.World news | The Guardian: “Salon, one of the early internet’s pioneering publications, is closing after more than three decades”
- SupportedSalon announced its closure on Thursday.World news | The Guardian: “the outlet announced on Thursday”
- SupportedSalon said changed business realities made its publishing model unsustainable.World news | The Guardian: “The business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years. After careful consideration, we have reached the difficult decision that our publishing model is no longer sustainable.”
- SupportedSalon said, “It's difficult to find the right words for the end of something that has meant so much to so many people. Salon was never just a website. It was an idea about what journalism could be, born at a moment when the internet was still a largely unexplored frontier.”World news | The Guardian: ““It’s difficult to find the right words for the end of something that has meant so much to so many people. Salon was never just a website,” Salon said in a statement . “It was an idea about what journalism could be, born at a moment when the internet was still a largely unexplored frontier.””
- SupportedSalon said, “The business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years. After careful consideration, we have reached the difficult decision that our publishing model is no longer sustainable. We know this news will be deeply disappointing to many of you, and we share that sadness.”World news | The Guardian: ““The business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years. After careful consideration, we have reached the difficult decision that our publishing model is no longer sustainable. We know this news will be deeply disappointing to many of you, and we share that sadness,” the statement said.”
- SupportedSalon was founded in San Francisco in 1995.World news | The Guardian: “Founded in San Francisco in 1995”
- SupportedA 2011 Columbia Journalism Review piece described Salon as the oldest general interest publication on the internet.World news | The Guardian: “was described as the oldest general interest publication on the internet, according to a piece by the Columbia Journalism Review in 2011.”
- SupportedSalon moved most of its editorial staff to New York City in the 2000s.World news | The Guardian: “Salon, which moved most editorial staff to New York City in the 2000s”
- SupportedSalon announced its closure just weeks before its anniversary on 20 November.World news | The Guardian: “announced its closure just weeks before its anniversary on 20 November.”
- SupportedSalon said its output “helped pioneer a form of journalism that would come to define an entirely new era of publishing.”World news | The Guardian: “Salon said its output “helped pioneer a form of journalism that would come to define an entirely new era of publishing.””
- SupportedSalon won early awards including Time magazine’s website of the year in 1996 and BusinessWeek’s best website in 1997.World news | The Guardian: “The publication won a plethora of awards for its work through the 1990s, including 1996’s website of the year from Time magazine and 1997’s best website from BusinessWeek.”
- SupportedSalon said, “Thirty-one years is a remarkable run. What matters most is what happened during those years: the journalism, the ideas, the voices, the conversations and the community that grew around them.”World news | The Guardian: ““Thirty-one years is a remarkable run,” Salon said. “What matters most is what happened during those years: the journalism, the ideas, the voices, the conversations and the community that grew around them.””
