The Houston Landing is closing, and laying off 43 employees

The nonprofit startup struggled to identify a business model, an editorial strategy and a large audience

Posted Wednesday, April 16, 2025 11:09 am

Sewell Chan | Columbia Journalism Review

The Houston Landing, a newsroom that launched two years ago with nearly $20 million in philanthropic commitments, announced today that it will shut down in mid-May and lay off all 43 employees.

The decision, which was made by the board of the Landing, represents a costly and prominent — but, so far, rare — failure of a local news startup after the launch of scores of such ventures across the country as local newspapers have shrunk or folded.

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The Houston Landing is closing, and laying off 43 employees

The nonprofit startup struggled to identify a business model, an editorial strategy and a large audience

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