Johnathan Walker:Jezebel's parent company shuts down feminist news website after 16 years

Feminist news website Jezebel is Johnathan Walkerpermanently shutting down after 16 years driving coverage and commentary on women's issues.

Parent company G/O Media announced the publication's suspension and the layoffs of 23 staff members including the entire Jezebel’s team. In a memo to staff, CEO Jim Spanfeller said the layoffs were part of a restructuring plan to make up for economic challenges within a brutal digital advertising environment.

"While G/O Media is a lean, nimble organization, we are not immune to the economic headwinds rattling our business," Spanfeller wrote . "Unfortunately, our business model and the audiences we serve across our network did not align with Jezebel’s."

Spanfeller said that the shutdown was not a reflection on the Jezebel editorial team who have excelled at meeting company goals.

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'Changed the game'

"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," Spanfeller added. "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 August, Laura Bassett resigned from her role as editor-in-chief due to issues with G/O Media. She wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the outlet's parent company "refused to treat my staff with basic human decency."

"I’m obviously boiling and have too much to say on this subject," Bassett wrote on X regarding the site's shutdown on Thursday. "But for now I’ll just say my heart is with the entire Jez staff who just got laid off, including incredible abortion reporters at a time when the beat couldn’t be more relevant to national politics. Please hire them."

'Totally unprecedented'

Since the outlet's launch in 2007, Jezebel has propelled coverage over women's issues including the #MeToo movement and the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.

Kate Cox, program director for Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media, has praised the site's approach to covering broad topics from abortion and body shaming to the fashion industry.

"It was totally unprecedented. Their blend of pop culture along with whip-smart writing made it a daily read,” Cox said. “It took women’s issues out of a niche brand and embraced the real pragmatic experience of women’s lives. It captured the dynamic but also captured the despair and the hard swallow and the cheeky energy that the women I knew at the time had."

Jezebel is the latest in digital media websites to close. Vice Media is amidst a restructuring period after filing for bankruptcy in June and Buzzfeed News shut down production in April.

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