Salon.com, the digital news site known for its political and cultural commentary, said Thursday it is closing up after 31 years.
The left-leaning outlet shared in an open letter titled “Goodbye from Salon” that it could no longer operate in today’s volatile media climate.
“It’s difficult to find the right words for the end of something that has meant so much to so many people,” the letter said. “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.”
Launched on Nov. 20, 1995 by a small group of journalists led by David Talbot, Salon was a place with a strong voice that helped pioneer a new kind of online journalism.
“Over three decades, Salon has brought together politics, culture, criticism and ideas in a way that was distinctly our own,” the letter said.
“Our journalism examined power and politics, questioned assumptions, surfaced stories that deserved attention and made room for perspectives that were too often overlooked.”
Journalists like Jake Tapper, Glenn Greenwald, Rebecca Traister and Alex Pareene wrote for the outlet over the years. The publication saw a string of top editors including Talbot, Joan Walsh and outgoing editor Joseph Neese.
The outlet’s closure followed years of downsizing in Salon’s newsroom. It also came amid widespread cuts in the media industry driven by tech-related changes and a volatile advertising market, among other factors.
“The business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years,” Salon said. “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.”