By Islam El-Sakka
Salon, one of the internet's pioneering general interest publications, announced its closure on Thursday after 31 years of operation. The San Francisco-founded outlet, known for its politics, arts and culture coverage, said its publishing model was no longer sustainable.
History and recognition
Founded in 1995, Salon moved most of its editorial staff to New York City in the 2000s. The Columbia Journalism Review described it in 2011 as the oldest general interest publication on the internet. The site won numerous awards in the 1990s, including Time magazine's website of the year in 1996 and BusinessWeek's best website in 1997.
Final statement
“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,” the outlet 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.” The closure comes weeks before its anniversary on November 20.
