The Houston Landing, a nonprofit digital news outlet, said it is shutting down due to “financial challenges” less than two years after it was launched.
The Landing started in publishing in June 2023, backed by more than $20 million in seed funding from a host of organizations, including Houston Endowment, American Journalism Project and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The publication was launched after a two-year study from the American Journalism Project found Houston residents said they did not feel they had access to a deeply reported stories that impacted their daily lives.
But the board said it has been unable to develop revenue to support its ongoing operations and will shut down in about a month. The Landing’s spent $2 million more than it brought in last year and one of its initial founders decided to stop donating money to the organization, according to the Columbia Journalism Review.
“We are proud of the Landing’s coverage of Greater Houston and continue to believe deeply in the need for more free, independent journalism in our region,” said Ann B. Stern, board chair of Houston Landing. “This decision was difficult but necessary. Houston Landing’s reporting has made a meaningful impact in the community, but it struggled to find its long-term financial footing.”
The board said it is in discussions with The Texas Tribune, an Austin-based nonprofit news outlet about establishing a Houston newsroom. The Texas Tribune is expanding across the Lone Star state and is set to open newsrooms in Waco and Austin this year.