The Messenger To Shut Down Less Than A Year After Debut

Media news site The Messenger is shutting down, less than a year after it launched with high ambitions of being a force in the digital landscape.

Founder Jimmy Finkelstein said in a memo to staffers that “over the past few weeks, literally until earlier today, we exhausted every option available and have endeavored to raise sufficient capital to reach profitability. Unfortunately, we have been unable to do so, which is why we haven’t share the news with you until now. This is truly the last thing I wanted, and I am deeply sorry.”

He cited economic headwinds that “have left many media companies fighting for survival.”

“Unfortunately, as a new company, we encountered even more significant challenges than others and could not survive those headwinds.”

The startup launched last May, featuring an interview with former President Donald Trump. Some 175 journalists were hired, including many lured from other publications, and Finkelstein planned to have as many as 550 in the newsroom, according to Poynter.org. The site pitched itself as a general interest publication offering impartial and objective news, but it ran into the downturn in the ad business.

More to come.