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  1. The Wire
April 28, 2022

G/O Media buys Quartz

The owner of satire news site The Onion, feminist site Jezebel and pop culture site AV Club has bought business news brand Quartz.

By Press Gazette

The owner of satire news site The Onion, feminist site Jezebel and pop culture site AV Club has bought business news brand Quartz.

G/O Media chief executive Jim Spanfeller said Quartz was an attractive brand because its high-quality global business journalism has a good prospect of attracting both subscribers and valuable advertisers, according to the New York Times. Spanefeller was also reported as saying no Quartz employees would be laid off because of the deal.

Quartz co-founder and chief executive Zach Seward will stay with the company as general manager and editor-in-chief of Quartz. Quartz’s current editor Katherine Bell is stepping down but will remain in an advisory role.

Seward and Bell bought Quartz from its former Japanese owner Uzabase in a management buyout in November 2020. It was not expected to break even this year, according to the NYT.

Quartz ditched its paywall earlier this month less than three years after it put up a metered paywall on its site. It will keep some paid products, such as its Quartz Africa offering.

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Source: New York Times

Deal size: Undisclosed

Country: US

Status: Official

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly dose of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

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