The Awl

The Awl
Name	The Awl
Type	Online magazine
Founded	2009
Founder	David Cho, John Shankman, Choire Sicha
Ceased	2018
Headquarters	New York City
Language	English

The Awl was an American online publication founded in 2009 that published commentary, criticism, reportage, and cultural miscellany. Launched from New York City by a cohort of editors and writers associated with digital media and print magazines, it became known for long-form essays, sharp cultural criticism, and a diverse stable of contributors. Over its lifespan it intersected with publications, institutions, and cultural debates across the United States and internationally.

History

The site's origins trace to editorial figures active at Gawker, New York Magazine, The New York Times, and The Village Voice who sought an independent outlet outside of conglomerate ownership. Early investor and editorial ties connected to figures from BuzzFeed, Vulture (website), and The New Yorker networks, while operational roots involved freelancers previously published in Slate, Salon (website), and The Atlantic. Throughout the 2010s the publication navigated shifts in digital advertising, platform distribution on Twitter, Facebook, and later Instagram, and editorial experimentation echoing trends seen at Medium (website) and HuffPost. The site's timeline includes expansions, editorial turnovers, and partnerships similar to collaborations between The New Republic and technology platforms, concluding with an announced cessation of regular publication in 2018 amid broader digital media contractions that affected outlets like Vox (website), BuzzFeed News, and Vice Media.

Editorial and Contributors

Founding editors included journalists and editors who had bylines or staff experience at The New York Observer, New York Times Magazine, NME (magazine), and The Onion. Contributors ranged from established critics and essayists with credits at The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post to emerging voices publishing alongside work in The Paris Review, Harper's Magazine, The Believer, and McSweeney's. Columnists and guest writers often had cross-publication profiles in literary and cultural institutions like Columbia University, New York University, Barnard College, and arts organizations including MoMA, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Lincoln Center. The editorial roster included those who previously edited at Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and cultural blogs covering music, television, and literature tied to festivals like SXSW and Tribeca Film Festival.

Content and Features

The site combined long-form journalism, criticism, personal essays, and short-form links roundups. Regular series and features showcased criticism of television and film alongside media criticism addressing entities such as Netflix, HBO, Amazon Studios, and legacy broadcasters like NBC, CBS, and ABC. Music and cultural coverage engaged with artists and institutions including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, and Coachella, while literary and book criticism intersected with publishers such as Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and awards like the Pulitzer Prize and Man Booker Prize. Technology and internet culture pieces referenced companies and events such as Apple Inc., Google, Facebook, YouTube, and controversies that involved platforms like Reddit. The site's tone frequently aligned with independent literary journals while adopting the immediacy associated with digital-native outlets like Jezebel and Deadspin.

Reception and Influence

Critics and peers cited the outlet for its editorial voice and willingness to run idiosyncratic pieces alongside rigorous reporting. Coverage of cultural flashpoints drew attention from mainstream newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, and was discussed on broadcast programs like NPR and cable outlets such as MSNBC and CNN. The Awl's influence extended into podcasting circles and newsletter culture contemporaneous with platforms like Radiotopia, Serial (podcast), and The Daily. Academics at institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University referenced its essays in syllabi, alongside citations in books from academic presses and trade houses.

Business Model and Operations

The publication employed a hybrid operation typical of independent online media during the 2010s: advertising, sponsored content, reader donations, and occasional event partnerships. Revenue strategies mirrored experiments at Vox Media, The Intercept, and membership models later popularized by outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times through subscription diversification. Operationally, staff sizes fluctuated with freelance budgets and editorial projects; the site maintained a small editorial office in Manhattan and relied on distributed contributors across cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and London. The economic pressures that influenced the site's closure paralleled those that affected digital-native newsrooms during consolidation and platform algorithm changes.

Notable Publications and Series

Among its memorable pieces were investigative and cultural essays that reverberated across media ecosystems, prompting responses on platforms including Slate, Vox (website), The Atlantic, and New York Magazine. Curated series drew contributions from novelists, critics, and academics associated with institutions like Columbia University School of Journalism and presses such as Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. The site's archives contained interviews with figures from Cinema and Music scenes, profiles of politicians and artists who had appeared in venues like The Kennedy Center and festivals such as Sundance Film Festival, and think pieces that engaged with policy debates involving legislators from United States Congress.

Closure and Legacy

Publication slowed and largely ceased regular updates in 2018 as founding editors shifted to other projects and industry conditions tightened. The site's archival influence persists through citations in journalism studies, anthologies, and alumni who moved to outlets including New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Wired (magazine), Esquire (magazine), and The New York Times Book Review. Its model—editor-driven curation blending criticism, reportage, and personal essay—remains referenced by contemporary independent ventures and digital incubators involved with cultural and literary publishing. Category:Online magazines published in the United States