Salon Announces Closure After Three Decades

The long-running online publication said its publishing model is no longer sustainable.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single cast-iron printing press base standing alone on a concrete floor with a loose cable beside it. — Salon announced its closure Thursday, ending more than 30 years of operation after saying its publishing model is no longer sustainable. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Salon announced its closure in a statement on Thursday, ending an operation of more than 30 years. The company said the decision followed careful consideration of business realities.

Why it matters

Salon's statement said the business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly and that its publishing model is no longer sustainable. The closure reflects broader pressures facing independent digital publishers in the United States.

Salon operated for 31 years, dating from its 1995 founding in San Francisco. The statement did not disclose revenue, audience figures, or the number of staff affected by the closure.

The players

Salon

An online publication founded in San Francisco in 1995 that became one of the earliest general-interest news sites on the internet.

The details

Salon was founded in San Francisco in 1995 and moved most of its editorial staff to New York City during the 2000s. The publication previously won Time magazine's website of the year in 1996 and BusinessWeek's best website in 1997.

1995: Salon is founded in San Francisco.
1996: Salon wins Time magazine's website of the year.
1997: Salon wins BusinessWeek's best website.
Thursday: Salon announces its closure.
20 November: Salon's anniversary falls weeks after the closure announcement.

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Market Landscape

Salon's closure follows its 2011 recognition by Columbia Journalism Review as the oldest general-interest publication on the web. Its end marks a loss of one of the earliest independent digital outlets in the United States.

Readers who used Salon for news and commentary will need to find other sources once the publication stops operating. The stub does not indicate whether existing articles will remain accessible after the closure.

The takeaway

Independent digital publications face sustainability pressures that can end even long-established outlets. Readers who rely on niche online news sources may want to diversify where they get their coverage.