Rising From the Ashes of the Washington Blade: DC Agenda

Last week's unexpected closing of the LGBT institution the Washington Blade took everyone by surprise, especially its staff, many of whom have been with the Blade for most, if not all, of the paper's 40-year history. Undaunted, they have rallied and regrouped as DC Agenda.

DC Agenda editor, Ken Naff, posted this message on their new website on Wednesday:

"Don’t judge us too harshly — the edition of DC Agenda you’re holding is a modest, early iteration of what we  hope to achieve in the wake of Washington Blade’s sudden closing this week.

The news that parent company Window Media was shuttering and liquidating its newspapers came as a shock to the staff, some of whom devoted their careers to the paper that became an institution. We were ushered out the doors of our offices with no severance, canceled paychecks and more questions than answers about why this was allowed to happen.

The former staff of the Washington Blade remains united and DC Agenda represents our effort at continuing the important mission and work of the Blade. It will grow and evolve to include a much larger and more diverse group of voices. But the core of the Washington Blade’s work remains unchanged. We will cover Congress, the White House, the LGBT rights movement, the D.C. marriage fight, local hate crimes and other political issues important to the LGBT residents of the city.

It’s been a tough week for us, but we are buoyed by the outpouring of support from people all over the city and beyond. We welcome and need your help and will respond to each offer as soon as possible. Thank you to all who have pledged to stick with us, especially our advertisers. Please visit savetheblade.com for updated information on DC Agenda or to make a gift to support the new venture.
The strength of the Washington Blade did not lie in its brand name — it came from the spirit of those who worked passionately to serve and inform our community. Those people are still here. Our work continues."