Jezebel, the feminist-themed news and commentary site, is to close immediately. Founded by Gawker Media in 2007 and surviving that company's sale to Univision, current owner G/O Media has failed to find a buyer. Boss Jim Spanfeller sent out the following memo, posted by Will Sommer on Twitter.
As of this week we are making the very, very difficult decision to suspend publication of Jezebel. Few decisions over the course of my career have been as excruciating, and I want to make clear this is in NO WAY a reflection on the Jezebel editorial team. They have had many successes over the past year or so and continue to do great work in difficult times. To an individual the Jezebel team has worked to meet and exceed their audience's needs and wants in an incredibly important time for the core topics of the site. Their urgent, breakthrough coverage of reproductive rights in this post-Roe era, as well as other key issues core to modern women, affirmed the brand's storied legacy as the website that changed women's media forever.
Unfortunately, our business model and the audiences we serve across our network did not align with Jezebel's. And when that became clear, we undertook an expansive search for a new, perhaps better home that might ensure Jezebel a path forward. It became a personal mission of Lea Goldman, who worked tirelessly on the project, talking with over two dozen potential buyers. It is a testament to Jezebel's heritage and bonafides that so many players engaged us. Still, despite every effort, we could not find Jez a new home.
I haven't given up on Jezebel. Media is nothing if not resilient. So are its practitioners. I will keep you apprised if circumstances change.
With the suspension of Jezebel's operations, we must unfortunately part ways with their incredibly talented editorial staff. I want to thank the site's team, both past and present, for their dedication, fearless voices, and indelible contributions to our culture. You changed the game.
In the last few years G/O Media seems to have been an exercise in how not to run a legacy web publishing enterprise. In that respect it's been a great help, but it's still disturbing just seeing the smoke, hearing the screams, the odor of burning hair, etc.
