Salon, internet pioneer, closes after 31 years

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 22:27 · Archive

Salon, one of the internet's oldest general interest publications, is closing after more than three decades.

Salon, one of the early internet's pioneering publications, announced its closure on Thursday after more than three decades. Founded in San Francisco in 1995, the outlet was described as the oldest general interest publication on the internet and built its reputation from politics, arts and culture coverage.

In a statement, Salon said the 'business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years' and that it had 'reached the difficult decision that our publishing model is no longer sustainable'. The announcement came just weeks before the site's anniversary on 20 November. The publication won numerous awards through the 1990s, including Time magazine's website of the year in 1996 and BusinessWeek's best website in 1997.

Salon moved most of its editorial staff to New York City in the 2000s. The outlet is currently owned by Find.co, which acquired it in 2023. According to Salon's chief content officer Erin Keane, the editorial archive will remain online for now.

How it is being reported

• Lefty digital news site Salon closes after 31 yearsSalon.com, the digital news site known for its political and cultural commentary, said Thursday it is closing up after 31 years.New York Post · 5 Nov, 22:27
• Salon is shutting down after 31 yearsSalon launched 31 years ago as one of the first online-only news magazine outlets, and it announced today in an unsigned post that it's ceasing publication. The company said that the "business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years," and it decided that its publishing model is "no longer sustainable." It […]The Verge · 5 Nov, 22:08
• Salon, internet’s oldest general interest publication, shuts down after 31 yearsWebsite known for politics, arts and culture coverage announces closure just weeks before anniversary Salon, one of the early internet’s pioneering publications, is closing after more than three decades, the outlet announced on Thursday. “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.” Continue reading...The Guardian · 5 Nov, 21:27

In this story: Salon · San Francisco · New York City · Find.co · Time magazine

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