Al Jazeera America's staffers say goodbye on its last day
Al Jazeera America's bold three-year effort to build a TV news network for the 21st century officially ended on Tuesday with a three-hour farewell broadcast -- and plenty of broken hearts.
The company announced in January that it would be shutting down its television and main web operations. Once seen as a media startup with money to burn thanks to its backing from the Qatari government, the company started with a bang, buying up Current TV for $500 million and hiring 170 people.
Many staff members shared posts on social media of the scenes in the office, none more poignant than a video from a journalist on the AJA morning show.
You May Also Like
In the video, a man plays "In My Life" by the Beatles while the camera pans to various staffers who say hi.
Poetically, the video cuts off right before the end of the song.
The channel struggled to attract much in the way of traditional TV viewership but found some success online. AJ+, its social network-focused news operation, is remaining open.
CEO Al Anstey told CNN Money that despite the closing he felt that the company had accomplished its goal of doing quality journalism that gave a "voice to the voiceless.
"We are signing off but, somewhat counterintuitively, I believe we succeeded," he said to CNN.
Supporting Anstey's claims are the many awards that AJA won in less than three years of operation, including an international Emmy for best documentary and an Edward R Murrow award for news documentary.
The channel will go dark after tonight's broadcast. The website will remain online, with its content still available for the time being.
Numerous staffers shared a mix of pride and sadness.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Seth Fiegerman was a Senior Business Reporter at Mashable, where he covered startups, marketing and the latest consumer tech trends. He joined Mashable in August 2012 and is based in New York.Before joining Mashable, Seth covered all things Apple as a reporter at Silicon Alley Insider, the tech section of Business Insider. He has also worked as a staff writer at TheStreet.com and as an editor at Playboy Magazine. His work has appeared in Newsweek, NPR, Kiplinger, Portfolio and The Huffington Post.Seth received his Bachelor of Arts from New York University, where he majored in journalism and philosophy.In his spare time, Seth enjoys bike riding around Brooklyn and writing really bad folk songs.
