Salon Shuts Down After 31 Years in Digital Journalism

Longtime progressive news and opinion publication Salon has announced that it is ceasing publication after 31 years in operation.

Digital publication Salon announced its closure after 31 years, citing changing business conditions and an unsustainable publishing model. [Photo: Salon Facebook]

The announcement appeared in an article titled “Goodbye from Salon,” in which the publication said: “Today, after 31 years, we are saddened to announce that Salon is ceasing publication.”

The decision surprised journalists and commentators who had followed the outlet throughout its history.

In its farewell statement, Salon cited changes in the business environment for independent digital journalism, saying its publishing model was no longer sustainable.

The publication said the economics of online journalism had changed profoundly and that, after careful consideration, it had decided to close.

Salon launched in November 1995 and became known for its coverage of politics, culture, criticism and social issues. Its contributors included several journalists who later became prominent figures in American media.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper served as the publication’s White House correspondent from 1999 to 2003. Glenn Greenwald, who later co-founded The Intercept, and Rebecca Traister, who went on to write for New York Magazine, also worked at Salon.

Founders and former editors-in-chief David Talbot and Joan Walsh helped establish the publication’s identity as a progressive voice in digital journalism. The closure marks the end of one of the early publications that helped shape online political and cultural journalism.