• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 27, 2024

Splinter, the politics and media site that was down for five years, has been relaunched by Paste magazine, as promised. 

And it has a new editor in chief: Jacob Weindling, a contributor to Paste’s politics page, who promises to deliver insightful political coverage.

"Splinter has always been a platform for those who refuse to be silenced and demand accountability and transparency in our political discourse," Weindling says. "It's crucial that this voice is not only heard but amplified, especially as we approach a critical presidential election.”

Maybe. But the Splinter story is typical of the fickle world of digital publishing. 

G/O Media acquired Splinter and Jezebel when it purchased the portfolio of Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion Inc. from Univision Communications Inc. in April 2019 for a sum estimated at less than the $135 million it paid for it. 

That very fall, G/O decided to close Splinter because of a lack of high readership, an internal memo said at the time. 

Jezebel, a feminist website, survived until 2023, but then it too was closed. 

Of course, there were layoffs along the way. 

Enter Paste magazine, a digital music and entertainment publication. Paste acquired Jezebel and Splinter from G/O Media in the fall of 2023, and promptly revived Jezebel. It also said it would bring back Splinter during the 2024 election year.

And so it has. “With Jacob's vision and expertise, we are confident that Splinter will make a triumphant comeback to reclaim its status as a trailblazer in the digital media landscape," says Josh Jackson, Paste founder and CEO.