Salon, Digital News Trailblazer, Folds After 31 Years

Salon, a left-leaning publication known for its sharp political and cultural commentary that showed what online journalism could look like before most mainstream outlets entered the space, is closing up shop after 31 years.

In an unsigned farewell announcement on Thursday, Salon pointed to the profound changes in the economics of independent digital journalism and said its publishing model is no longer sustainable.

“Salon was never just a website,” the announcement said. “It was an idea about what journalism could be, born at a moment when the internet was still a largely unexplored frontier.”

The shuttering highlights the rapidly-shifting economics of digital media, where even established publications are contending with massive declines in traffic. Search and social media have upended how outlets attract readers. Artificial intelligence search overviews, which allow audiences to bypass clicking links, are now doing the same. In this landscape, longevity and editorial influence no longer guarantee financial survival.

Launched in 1995 by then-San Francisco Examiner editor David Talbot, Salon was an early experiment in digital publishing without a print offering. It went public four years later and went on to cultivate a sizable readership. Prominent journalists who got a foothold in media through the website include CNN anchor Jake Tapper, NBC News’ Steve Kornacki, The Intercept founder Glenn Greenwald, The Nation national affairs correspondent Joan Walsh, who served as editor-in-chief of Salon for five years.

The site also played a starring role in Nora Ephron’s 2009 feature Julie & Julia as the home blog of Amy Adams’ Julie, who pledged to cook all of Julia Child’s cookbook in a year.

Like many other media outlets, the site saw a massive decline in traffic in 2016 after then-Facebook changed the social media platform’s news feed algorithm to prioritize posts from family and friends over publishers. In 2023, Find.co acquired the website from its previous owners, Drew Schoentrup and Chris Richmond. The privately held media company bills itself as a marketing operation revolving around crypto brands. Its portfolio includes CCN, Webopedia and CryptoManiaks.

Salon’s Thursday post didn’t mention what will happen to its immense archive. On Bluesky, Salon chief content officer Erin Keane said it will “stay live for now.”

Read the full announcement below:

Today, after 31 years, we are saddened to announce that Salon is ceasing publication.

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.

When Salon launched in November 1995, the web was a very different place. A small group of journalists set out to create something original: a publication with a strong voice, a curiosity about the world and a belief that the internet could bring journalism and readers together in new ways. They helped pioneer a form of journalism that would come to define an entirely new era of publishing.

Over three decades, Salon has brought together politics, culture, criticism and ideas in a way that was distinctly our own. Our journalism examined power and politics, questioned assumptions, surfaced stories that deserved attention and made room for perspectives that were too often overlooked. Our writers and editors helped shape conversations about the forces changing our lives. The work was never simply about keeping up with the news. It was about making sense of it.

The history of Salon is also the history of the people who made it. We are profoundly grateful to the journalists, editors, photographers, producers, designers, business teams and countless other colleagues who brought this publication to life across its many chapters. To the founders who imagined it, the staff members who built it, the contributors who gave it their voices and the alumni who carried its spirit into the world: Thank you. Salon’s legacy belongs to all of you.

We also want to thank our readers. You came to Salon for the journalism, the dialogue, the essays, the criticism, the unexpected discoveries and the sense that there was a place on the internet where ideas mattered. You read, shared, challenged, subscribed, wrote to us and kept coming back. Your engagement made Salon a publication and a community, and it gave our work meaning. We are so grateful for the time you spent with us.

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.

Thirty-one years is a remarkable run, but what matters most is what happened during those years: the journalism, the ideas, the voices, the conversations and the community that grew around them. Salon helped demonstrate what digital journalism could be and could become. We hope that legacy will continue to matter long after today.

Thank you for being part of our story. It has been an extraordinary privilege.