Salon Closure Draws Polarized Reactions
Salon's closure after 31 years draws mourning from alumni and cheers from right-wing critics.
November 6, 2026 · Updated Nov 6, 1:46pm ET
HuffPostTrailblazing Digital News Site Salon Shuts Down After 31 Years
NBC NewsSalon, an early staple of internet discourse, announces it will shut down
The BlazeSalon is dead, leaving behind a legacy of fake news and leftist slop. Here's the worst in show.
SlateI Helped Launch Salon.com 31 Years Ago. Now It’s Dead. It’s the End of an Era.
TownhallRIP, Salon: Left-Wing Rag Is Shutting Down
Raw StoryRight-wing frenzy as legendary progressive outlet folds: ‘Another one bites the dust’
PJ MediaThe Left-Wing Rag You Didn't Think Was Still Around Is Actually Shutting Down Now
Daily KosSalon shuttered its doors. Daily Kos isn’t immune.
Breitbart NewsOnline magazine Salon, an early staple of internet discourse, announces it will shut down
PBS NewsHourOnline magazine Salon announces it is shutting down
Los Angeles TimesOnline magazine Salon, an early staple of internet discourse, shuts down
55%
Left · 6
9%
Center · 1
36%
Right · 4
Pano rates the coverage Balanced.
What happened
- SalonSalon.comAmerican progressive news and opinion website’s closure after 31 years drew tributes from journalists and readers, alongside celebration and mockery from conservative critics.
- Podcaster Casey Newton
Casey NewtonAmerican technology journalist called Salon “once among the best things on the web,” while columnist Michael HiltzikMichael HiltzikPulitzer Prize-winning journalist said part of his past felt like it was disappearing. - Conservative commentators mocked the closure and criticized Salon’s past headlines and liberal politics.
- A Daily Kos writer called the closure a “gut-punch” and said the site’s financial reserves were shrinking after years without a profit.
- The writer said Daily Kos was not in imminent danger of closing but warned that its future depended on readers’ financial support.
How the left told it
Left-leaning outlets largely framed Salon’s closure as the loss of a digital journalism pioneer. HuffPost called it “trailblazing,” while Slate’s founding staffer described “the end of an era.” Daily Kos paired mourning with a warning about its own finances, and Raw Story highlighted both tributes and conservative celebration.
How the right told it
Right-leaning outlets mostly greeted the closure with mockery and criticism of Salon’s liberal coverage. Townhall declared “Another one bites the dust,” The Blaze attacked its legacy as “fake news and leftist slop,” and PJ Media questioned its continued relevance. Breitbart instead carried a straightforward Associated Press account.
Salon Closure
Part of the storyline · Storyline →- Nov 6Salon Closure Draws Polarized Reactions (this story)Balanced
- Nov 5Salon Shuts DownBalanced