Feminist publication Jezebel announced on Thursday that it will be shutting down after 16 years of operation. The parent company, G/O Media, also revealed that 23 employees, including the entire staff of Jezebel, would be laid off across its digital platforms. The decision to suspend publication of Jezebel was made after G/O Media failed to find a buyer for the website, despite interest from over 24 potential buyers.

Jim Spanfeller, the CEO of G/O Media, stated in a memo obtained by CBS News that the business model and target audience of Jezebel did not align with the company's overall strategy. Spanfeller expressed his disappointment in not being able to find a new home for the publication but remained hopeful for the future, saying, "I haven't given up on Jezebel. Media is nothing if not resilient. So are its practitioners."

Jezebel, which was launched in 2007 by Gawker Media, gained recognition for its reporting and commentary on various cultural issues affecting women. The publication covered topics ranging from politics, entertainment, beauty, fashion, women's health, and women in the public eye. Jezebel, along with other former Gawker Media publications such as Gizmodo, Deadspin, The Root, and A/V Club, was acquired by Univision in 2016. However, G/O Media was formed in 2019 after Univision sold the former Gawker Media sites to Great Hill Partners.

The closure of Jezebel comes as another blow to publications focused on feminist and gender identity-related topics. Last year, Bitch Magazine also shut down, and The Lily, a publication of The Washington Post, was discontinued with its staff reassigned to other departments within the newsroom.

In addition to the closure of Jezebel, G/O Media announced plans for restructuring its editorial strategy for its remaining publications. Merrill Brown, the company's editorial director, will also be departing. Despite the layoffs and changes, Spanfeller expressed optimism for the company's future growth, hoping that the restructuring would lead to positive outcomes in the coming months.

The decision to shut down Jezebel has not been well-received by its writers, who placed the blame on G/O Media's "strategic and commercial ineptitude." In a statement released by their union, WGA East, the writers expressed devastation and criticized the parent company's inability to run the website. They also highlighted flaws in the ad-supported media model, where concerns about "brand safety" limit the monetization of important news stories.

The closure of Jezebel follows the resignation of its interim Editor-in-Chief, Laura Bassett, two months ago. Bassett accused G/O Media of mistreating staff in a tweet, which further highlighted the tumultuous relationship between the publication and its parent company.

Jezebel's current editor-in-chief, Lauren Tousignant, expressed her anger and sadness about the shutdown in a tweet and promised to share more in the future. Despite the closure, Spanfeller made it clear that the decision was in no way a reflection of the Jezebel editorial team, praising them for their exceptional work, particularly their coverage of reproductive rights in the current political climate.