Salon announced on November 5, 2026 that it is ceasing publication. “Today, after 31 years, we are saddened to announce that Salon is ceasing publication,” the unsigned notice on its site says. The notice was published at 2:28 p.m. EST, and its Hacker News submission reached 587 points.
What the notice says
- Reason: “The business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years,” and “our publishing model is no longer sustainable.” No financial details are given.
- History: Salon launched in November 1995, founded by a small group of journalists who wanted original work with a strong voice, and covered politics, culture, criticism and ideas.
- Staff: the notice thanks journalists, editors, photographers, producers, designers and business teams without giving headcounts.
- Not stated: a sale or buyer, a specific shutdown date beyond “today,” or what will happen to Salon’s archive. The page footer still links to an “Archive.”
The notice closes with the line “It has been an extraordinary privilege.”
Sources and notes
This post is based on Salon’s own notice, bylined “By Salon,” as read on November 6, 2026, and on Hacker News counts (587 points and 57 comments). Lens did not review other statements from Salon’s owner or staff and did not verify the reasons given. Lens did not contact Salon.
Image: close-up of the keys of an old manual typewriter, by Shixart1985 via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0; cropped. Stand-in photo; it is not related to Salon and does not show the events described.
