via SF Fist | 10/14/14
According to an email sent to employees of the San Francisco Media Company and shared with SFist, the conglomerate that owns the San Francisco Examiner, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the Guardian will be ceasing publication as of tomorrow's issue.
In the email, Glenn G. Zuehls, who joined the struggling media company in June, says "Unfortunately, the economic reality is such that the Bay Guardian is not a viable business and has not been for many years" and that though he tried to make the publication a financial success, "the obstacles for a profitable Bay Guardian are too great to overcome."
According to SF Weekly, Guardian editor Steven T. Jones says that his staff and he are "in shock. We're still trying to stay cool. We're still trying to absorb this."
You can read the full email from Zuehls below:
The Guardian has for decades been a leading voice for progressive San Francisco. As a company, we are proud of its legacy as a community watchdog, a publication with stellar reporting and its passion to push for a better city.Unfortunately, the economic reality is such that the Bay Guardian is not a viable business and has not been for many years. When SFMC took over the publication, the company believed the publication’s finances could rise out of the red and benefit from joining forces with the Examiner and the Weekly. We have tried hard to make that happen over the past few years. I joined SFMC in June and was hopeful that I could make good on that potential. I was excited to see if the Guardian could be a part of the long-term stability and growth of this unique media partnership.
Since then, I have come to realize that this isn’t possible and that the obstacles for a profitable Bay Guardian are too great to overcome. The amount of money that the Bay Guardian loses each week is causing damage to the heart of the company and cannot justify its continued publication. The success of this company, providing the highest quality journalism for our readers along with superior results for our advertisers, is my sole priority.
I am a huge fan of the Bay Guardian and of the talented journalists that work here. This is the hardest decision that I have had to make in my 20 year Newspaper career.
I am saddened to say good-bye to a member of our media family and colleagues here in this office, many of whom I have come to respect and admire. I wish them all well.
Sincerely,
Glenn G. Zuehls
