Pundits Mourn Loss of Editor & Publisher Magazine

Less known among general readers, the monthly was treasured by journalists

Editor & Publisher, the 125-year-old monthly covering all things journalism and media, will be shuttered by owner Nielsen Business Media. Kirkus Review, which covers the book publishing industry, is also being closed, and the company's other media properties are being sold off. Lachlan Murdoch may have once been interested but declined. E&P didn't have wide readership among general audiences, but it enjoyed a revered position among journalists and pundits, as did E&P editor Gregory Mitchell. The news of its closing on Thursday spurred pundits to mourn for E&P and for Mitchell, who spoke about the closing to his large following on Twitter.

• High-Profile Condolences They came from Salon's Glenn Greenwald, Mother Jones's David Corn, Washington Post's David Kurtz, Salon's Teresa Kopec, Washington Independent's David Weigel, American Prospect's Adam Serwer, and more.

• Journalism In Decline John Cole shakes his head. "E&P closing, Palin penning Op-eds, Politico on the Pulitzer board, and Al Gore being asked questions from Palin's facebook. Media in 2009."

• Hire Mitchell! Philadelphia Journalist Will Bunch says he "is sad over loss of Editor & Publisher, great advocate for free press AND ethical media. Someone please hire the great [Greg Mitchell]!"

• Destroyed By Madness Steve Silberman references Allen Ginsberg's famous poem, "Howl," in lamenting the loss of journalism jobs. "I have seen the best journalists of my generation laid off, bought out, non-reupped, and shitcanned."

• No Great Loss For Media Rafat Ali, editor of competing outlet PaidContent.org, goes there. "I will get killed for saying this, but E&P closing isn't sad, only the loss of jobs is. Not like there's a void in coverage of industry." The Washington Post's Ezra Klein shrugs, "Really surprised that Editor and Publisher is a trending topic on twitter."

• Mitchell Responds Editor Gregory Mitchell acknowledges the outpouring. "Yes, it's true, my magazine, E&P, axed today, out of job. At office until end of year--and here, of course. We'll have story on site soon but, frankly, everyone shocked and trying to cope. Not even going online? Maybe someone will step forward? Thanks for all the kinds words on E&P closing. Great staff, some here 20-25 years. You can keep following me here, and at my blog."

• Don't Forget Kirkus Review! Literary journalist Edward Champion explains the journal's importance. "This is a major hit. With newspapers scaling back their review sections, it has become even more necessary for any outlet -- whether print or online -- to subsist in one of the toughest business climates seen in decades."