DNAinfo

DNAinfo was an online newspaper that focused on neighborhood news in New York City and Chicago. It was closed down by CEO and owner Joe Ricketts in November 2017 after writers in its New York branch voted to unionize, a move to which Ricketts was opposed.[1]

DNAinfo
Editor-in-chiefJohn Ness
FormatDigital
Mobile device
FounderJoe Ricketts
Year foundedNovember 2009
First issueNovember 1, 2009 (2009-11-01)
Final issueNovember 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)
CompanyNew Media News, LLC
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York, New York
Chicago
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.dnainfo.com/new-york/
www.dnainfo.com/chicago/

History

Founded by Joe Ricketts in November 2009 as "Digital Network Associates",[2] DNAinfo.com began by offering online, hyperlocal coverage for New York City and online coverage for Chicago launched in November 2012.[3][4][5] In December 2013, DNAinfo launched a print version coverage by the name, DNAinfo.com.[6] The operational and editorial offices for DNAinfo were in New York and Chicago. DNAinfo is also a registered trademark.[7]

In March 2017, DNAinfo purchased the New York media company Gothamist.[8]

On November 2, 2017, Ricketts posted to both DNAinfo and the "-ist" network sites that both websites would immediately cease operations, a week after Gothamist writers voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East.[9] All content from all DNAinfo sites and all subsidiary sites were taken down.[10] The next day, archives of the sites were returned to functionality.[11] Ricketts's shutdown was criticized as being an act of retaliation after the two companies' workers had joined a union.[12]

After DNAinfo shutdown, three of the Chicago newspaper's former editors decided to launch their own independent hyperlocal news organization. Within a few months, Block Club Chicago had raised more than $183,000 on Kickstarter. By the end of 2018, after 6 months of publishing, Block Club Chicago had more than 6,000 paid subscribers and over 7 million pageviews.[13]

References
  1. Newman, Andy; Leland, John (2 November 2017). "DNAinfo and Gothamist Are Shut Down After Vote to Unionize". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  2. "Digital Network Associates (DNA)". Web.archive.org. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  3. "Billionaire Puts Wager On Really Local Online News," by Matthew Flamm, Crain's New York Business, December 2010
  4. "Three Birds, a Billionaire and the Hyper-Local Future of News," by Felix Gillette, The New York Observer, May 2010; ISSN 1052-2948
  5. "New York Hyperlocal Startup DNAinfo Launches in Chicago," by Joe Pompeo, Politico Media beta, November 26, 2012
  6. Lazare, Lewis (9 December 2013). "DNAinfo reaching out with a very traditional approach". Chicago Business Journal. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  7. "DNAinfo," registered trademark, Registration No. 4570965, USPTO, July 22, 2014
  8. "DNAinfo Is Buying Gothamist". Adweek.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  9. Feder, Robert (2 November 2017). "Ricketts shuts down DNAinfo". Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  10. Newman, Andy; Leland, John (November 2, 2017). "DNAinfo and Gothamist Are Shutting Down". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  11. Yanofsky, David (2017-11-03). "DNAInfo's and Gothamist's archives still exist and are likely to be resurrected". Quartz. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  12. Nolan, Hamilton (2017-11-03). "Opinion | A Billionaire Destroyed His Newsrooms Out of Spite". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  13. Libby, Megan (2018-12-06). "7 Million Pageviews and Counting | How Block Club Chicago Has Built a Thriving Reader Community". Civil. Retrieved 2019-04-27.


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