Charlotte magazine will shutter after nearly six decades
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Charlotte magazine, a monthly publication that's taken the pulse of the city since 1968, is shutting down after its December issue, the Charlotte Ledger first reported Thursday.
Why it matters: The loss of a longstanding city magazine is a blow for Charlotte and the local media ecosystem.
- For decades, the magazine has chronicled the city's growing pains as it strives to be world-class while also trying to preserve its past and confront its economic inequality challenges.
Between the lines: Morris Communications, which owns Charlotte magazine, is expected to announce the closure on Monday. The magazine began informing contributors this week of the news, the Ledger reported.
- The magazine has seven full-time staffers. Following the pandemic in 2022, the organization left its offices on Tremont Avenue for a new space at Hygge in Camp North End.
- Representatives from Morris Communications did not respond to a request from Axios for comment.
Zoom out: This is the latest hit to the local media scene. In 2018, alt publication Creative Loafing laid off its whole staff amid a company transition. In 2020, a hedge fund took over McClatchy, the Charlotte Observer's parent company, in a bankruptcy auction.
- The Observer, the city's newspaper of record, is no longer publishing a printed paper seven days a week.
The big picture: Beloved for standing features like its Charlottean of the Year series, Charlotte magazine is a lifestyle publication, but it's also a well-known voice of the city — covering power in Charlotte, publishing thoughtful features on local newsmakers, and unpacking broader trends about the restaurant, sports and entertainment scenes.
- The magazine made international news for its coverage of the 2016 protests following the police killing of Keith Scott. An iPhone photo by former editor Adam Rhew, now SouthPark Community Partners CEO, was picked up by media organizations nationwide.
- Among other notable alums of the magazine are Kristen Wile (Unpretentious Palate founder), Michael Graff (Axios' former Southern bureau chief and Charlotte Optimist founder), Rick Thurmond (Charlotte Center City Partners CMO) and Emma Way (Axios' associate director, editorial product).
Emma's thought bubble: "Charlotte has been spoiled for years by the caliber of storytelling that came out of Charlotte magazine. It wasn't just a publication — it was an incubator for some of the best writing in the city, a place where long-form reporting and deeply human features were the standard, not the exception.
- "I started my career at Charlotte magazine, and I'm a better journalist because of the editors, writers and mentors who welcomed my inexperience with kindness, challenged me and made me believe I belonged in this field."