We Magazines to cease publishing Birdee just months after closing The Hoopla
Independent publisher We Magazines is to cease publishing Birdee, a news website and quarterly newspaper aimed at teenage girls, in a move that comes just months after it closed its women’s news and commentary site The Hoopla.
In a statement on its website editor Hayley Gleeson today wrote: “It brings me great sadness to tell you that Birdee will be ceasing publication for now.
“In the months since We Magazines announced the closure of The Hoopla, we’ve been searching for a solution to keep Birdee in the air… But we’ve exhausted all our avenues to date and until a more sustainable publishing model can be found (we’re all ears if you’ve got any ideas), we’re putting our pens down. We’ll be publishing a few more stories this week before wrapping things up on Friday.”
Birdee was launched in July 2013 and was aimed a female teenage market, following it up with a quarterly tabloid newspaper in November 2014.
In the wake of the March closure of The Hoopla, We Magazines’ Wendy Harmer cited Birdee as a success story telling Mumbrella: “Birdee is going well I think the fact that we have got that newspaper out there, which now has its second edition on sale, is something that makes it a unique product.”
When contacted today Harmer directed inquires to We Magazines publisher Jane Waterhouse. Waterhouse said, in a post on this story: “like The Hoopla we refuse to run Birdee on interns and can’t run at a loss as we don’t have deep pockets.
“We are proud of what we have created and both were born out of sister communications commitment to creating smart content for smart women. We at sister are in production on new campaigns and products that will be released in the next 2 months. It’s pen’s down for Birdee but she may still fly again as 25 per cent of her readership comes from the US and UK.”
In her statement on the website Gleeson finished by writing: “Since we began in July 2013, Birdee has gone over and above to deliver millions of women (and men) around the world an intelligent and inspiring source of news and opinion – perhaps even an orgasm or two.
“From politics to pop culture, sex and relationships to style, mental health to money, we’ve hosted some truly game-changing conversations in our short time. If Birdee helped just one reader to feel more informed or inspired, more driven to make change, or more reassured that someone out there “gets her”, then it has all been worth it.
“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to publish the works – online and in print – of some of the most passionate young writers around. Your energy and ideas will continue to influence and impress, for sure.”
Nic Christensen
Jane Waterhouse has not responded to requests as she was in meetings! I think Hayley has said it all, like The Hoopla we refuse to run Birdee on interns and can’t run at a loss as we don’t have deep pockets . We are proud of what we have created and both were born out of sister communications commitment to creating smart content for smart women. We at sister are in production on new campaigns and products that will be released in the next 2 months. It’s pen’s down for Birdee but she may still fly again as 25% of her readership comes from the US and UK. Deanne Weir has been an unwavering support of which we are truly grateful and Hayley is a massive talent who started her career at sister. We will never shy away from innovation and creating smart products, campaigns and content for women.
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Talk to the misfits they have an eye on the female market….
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