SFist and Entire Gothamist Network have Shut Down
Oh wow. This is a really sad day for the world of local journalism. I just heard the news that SFist and the entire Gothamist network have shut down.
Started in 2009, the Gothamist network was a collection of websites that break news about the cities they were in. There was SFist, LAist, Shanghaiist, and a ton of other cities. They were great places to learn about how a city ticked and what kind of dirt got underneath its fingernails. It was also a great way to stay up on everything happening in a city’s arts, culture, food, and nightlife scenes.
Like the shuttering of The SF Bay Guardian a few years back this is bad news for all of us. The more news outlets we have, the better. That way we have more eyes and ears keeping tabs on what’s happening in our cities. What’s even worse is that the billionaire who owns the network didn’t even have the decency to leave the archives up so that the journalists could at least download their work. It’s also being reported that he shut them down because the journalists were trying to unionize. What a scum-sucking piece of shit.
I’ve seen a lot of really great media outlets die in the past decade and it’s really gutted me each time. I love media. That’s the business that I’m in. But the cause of death is always: The publishing business is broken.
Which brings me to a very important point. BrokeAssStuart.com is still here! And I intended to always be here. But I’m gonna need your help to do so.
The only way Broke-Ass Stuart can survive is if you take an active part in helping it do so. I need you to become a patron and help BAS be sustainable. We just launched this Patreon Page last week where you can kick in a little bit each month to help keep BAS afloat. And in return you get some really great rewards. Check them out.
What the top of my Patreon Page looks like
The Gothamist network had full time employees whose job it was to sell advertising space and even that wasn’t enough. This only proves that the only way a media company can exist is if it is supported by its readers.
So thank you for being here. Thank you for taking part. And thank you for making sure that BrokeAssStuart.com will always be here to stir shit up.
RIP SFist and the rest of the Gothamist network.
