Bustle (magazine)

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}{{Infobox magazine

| title = Bustle

| logo = Bustle logo 2020.svg

| image_file = Screenshot of Bustle April 7 2025.png

| image_caption = Screenshot of Bustle on April 7 2025

| editor = Charlotte Owen

| editor_title = Editor-in-chief

| previous_editor =

| staff_writer =

| photographer =

| category = Women's

| frequency =

| format =

| circulation =

| publisher =

| paid_circulation =

| unpaid_circulation =

| circulation_year =

| total_circulation =

| founder =

| founded = {{start date and age|August 2013}}

| firstdate =

| finaldate =

| finalnumber =

| company = Bustle Digital Group

| country = United States

| based = {{Plain list |

315 Park Ave South Floor 11
New York City, New York 10010

}}

| language = English

| website = {{URL|http://bustle.com}}

| issn =

| oclc =

}}

Bustle is an online American women's magazine founded in August 2013 by Bryan Goldberg.{{cite news |last=Malone |first=Noreen |date=September 16, 2013 |title=What Bustle's Funding Really Shows Us |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/114730/what-bustles-funding-really-shows-us |newspaper=The New Republic |access-date=October 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919175414/http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114730/what-bustles-funding-really-shows-us |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |url-status=live }} It positions news and politics alongside articles about beauty, celebrities, and fashion trends. By September 2016, the website had 50 million monthly readers.{{cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3063755/exclusive-the-women-behind-the-new-bustle-on-reinventing-womens-media|title=The Women Behind The New Bustle On Reinventing "Women's Media"|date= September 29, 2016|first=Elizabeth|last=Segran|access-date=March 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325050337/https://www.fastcompany.com/3063755/exclusive-the-women-behind-the-new-bustle-on-reinventing-womens-media|archive-date=March 25, 2018|url-status=live |website=Fast Company}}

History

File:Bustle logo.svg

Bustle was founded by Bryan Goldberg in 2013. Previously, Goldberg co-founded the website Bleacher Report with a single million-dollar investment.{{cite news|last1=Bloomgarden-Smoke|first1=Kara|title=How Bustle Proved the Haters Wrong|url=http://observer.com/2015/07/bustle/|access-date= October 12, 2017|work=The New York Observer|date= July 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013013357/http://observer.com/2015/07/bustle/|archive-date= October 13, 2017|url-status=live}} He claimed that "women in their 20s have nothing to read on the Internet."{{cite web|author=Rebecca Greenfield|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/picture-says-just-about-everything-about-bustle/311064/|title=This Picture Says Just About Everything About Bustle|website=The Atlantic|date= September 16, 2013|access-date=March 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325050333/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/picture-says-just-about-everything-about-bustle/311064/|archive-date=March 25, 2018|url-status=live}} Bustle was launched with $6.5 million in backing from Seed and Series A funding rounds.{{cite news|last1=Goldberg|first1=Bryan|title=I've raised $6.5 million to build and grow my new company, Bustle|url=https://pando.com/2013/08/13/ive-raised-6-5-million-to-build-and-grow-my-new-company-bustle-com/|access-date= October 12, 2015|publisher=Pando|date= August 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910081714/https://pando.com/2013/08/13/ive-raised-6-5-million-to-build-and-grow-my-new-company-bustle-com/|archive-date= September 10, 2015|url-status=live}}

Bustle surpassed 10 million monthly unique visitors in July 2014, placing it ahead of rival women-oriented sites such as Refinery29, Rookie and xoJane; it had the second greatest number of unique visitors after Gawker's Jezebel.{{cite news |last=Griffith |first=Erin |date=July 14, 2014 |title=With an audience of 11 million young women, Bustle raises $5 million more |url=http://fortune.com/2014/07/14/bustle-funding-traction/ |newspaper=Fortune |access-date=October 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031174404/http://fortune.com/2014/07/14/bustle-funding-traction/ |archive-date=October 31, 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Hess |first=Amanda |date=August 21, 2014 |title=The Bro Whisperer of Bustle |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/08/bustle_one_year_later_bryan_goldberg_s_website_for_women_is_hugely_successful.html |newspaper=Slate |access-date=October 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012140111/http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/08/bustle_one_year_later_bryan_goldberg_s_website_for_women_is_hugely_successful.html |archive-date=October 12, 2015 |url-status=live }}

By July 2015, Bustle had 46 full-time editorial staff. That October, it launched the parenting sister site Romper.{{Cite web| last = Shontell| first = Alyson| title = 2-year-old Bustle hits 45 million monthly uniques, flirts with profitability, and launches a new website for millennial moms, Romper| work = Business Insider| access-date = July 6, 2019| url = https://www.businessinsider.com/bustle-launches-new-website-romper-for-millennial-moms-2015-10| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190706160926/https://www.businessinsider.com/bustle-launches-new-website-romper-for-millennial-moms-2015-10| archive-date = July 6, 2019| url-status = live}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/bustle-has-a-baby|title=Bustle Has a Baby|last=Widdicombe|first=Lizzie|date=October 29, 2015|magazine=The New Yorker}} By that point, Bustle was receiving 31.6 million unique visitors per month, and it had 200 part-time contributors and 40 full-time editors.

In September 2016, Bustle launched a redesign using the company's $11.5 million series D funding round. At that time, the site had over 70 full-time editors and 250 contract contributors who posted more than 200 articles daily.

In April 2019, Kate Ward resigned as editor-in-chief. She had worked at Bustle since 2013.{{Cite web |last=Hod |first=Itay |date=2019-04-09 |title=Bustle Founding Editor-in-Chief Kate Ward to Exit After 6 Years |url=https://www.thewrap.com/bustle-founding-editor-in-chief-kate-ward-to-exit-after-6-years/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}} Emma Rosenblum replaced Ward in June 2019.{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Kali |date=2019-06-04 |title=Bustle Digital Pulls New Group Editor From Elle Magazine |url=https://wwd.com/feature/bustle-digital-pulls-new-lifestyle-group-editor-emme-rosenblum-from-elle-1203148754/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=Women's Wear Daily |language=en-US}}

Content model

In 2013, The New Yorker reported that Goldberg planned to hire writers from Bustle's target demographic (young women between 18 and 34) instead of professional writers. It noted, "He hopes that, by gradually hiring hundreds of these writers and asking them to 'create the content that interests them,' the Web site will become 'an accurate representation' of the larger demographic."{{Cite magazine |last=Widdicombe |first=Lizzie |date=2013-09-16 |title=From Mars |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/23/from-mars |access-date=2024-08-27 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}} That year, Ward and her colleagues utilised the Bleacher Report's contributor model to increase traffic. The Business of Fashion wrote, "Under the approach, a vast network of writers did around-the-clock shifts for low hourly wages to deliver a quota of blog posts that often capitalised on trending Google terms to attract clicks."{{Cite web |last=Odell |first=Amy |date=January 11, 2019 |title=Is Bustle the Next Condé Nast? |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/is-bustle-the-next-conde-nast |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230422094718/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/media/is-bustle-the-next-conde-nast/ |archive-date=22 April 2023 |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=The Business of Fashion}}

Bustle Digital Group

= Formation =

On April 17, 2017, DMG Media (publishers of the British tabloid The Daily Mail) announced that it had sold Elite Daily to the newly rebranded Bustle Digital Group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/bustle-digital-group-elite-daily-price-daily-mail-2017-4|title=Bustle acquires Elite Daily from Daily Mail and rebrands as Bustle Digital Group|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|website=Business Insider|access-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111100621/https://www.businessinsider.com/bustle-digital-group-elite-daily-price-daily-mail-2017-4|archive-date=November 11, 2019|url-status=live}}

= Sales and acquisitions =

Goldberg said that the acquisition was done in part to increase Bustle's original video content, which generated an average of 10 million monthly views, compared to Elite Daily's average of 60 million monthly views.{{Cite news|url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/04/elite-daily-lost-a-ton-of-money-but-bustle-just-bought-it-from-the-daily-mail-anyway/|title=Elite Daily lost a ton of money, but Bustle just bought it from the Daily Mail anyway|work=Nieman Lab|access-date=April 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421060242/http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/04/elite-daily-lost-a-ton-of-money-but-bustle-just-bought-it-from-the-daily-mail-anyway/|archive-date=April 21, 2017|url-status=live}}

Bustle Digital Group purchased the inactive website Gawker in July 2018.{{cite news |last1=Kludt |first1=Tom |last2=Darcy |first2=Oliver |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/12/media/gawker-auction-bryan-goldberg/index.html |title=Gawker.com sold to Bleacher Report co-founder Bryan Goldberg in bankruptcy auction |work=CNN |date=July 12, 2018 |access-date=July 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712175432/https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/12/media/gawker-auction-bryan-goldberg/index.html |archive-date=July 12, 2018 |url-status=live }} Bustle Digital Group bought the events website Flavorpill, owner of Flavorwire, in August 2018.{{Cite web| title = As Publishers Build Experiential Events, Bustle Digital Group's Newest Acquisition Will Help It Compete| date = 15 August 2018| access-date = July 6, 2019| url = https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/as-publishers-build-experiential-events-bustle-digital-groups-newest-acquisition-will-help-it-compete/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190706160327/https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/as-publishers-build-experiential-events-bustle-digital-groups-newest-acquisition-will-help-it-compete/| archive-date = July 6, 2019| url-status = live}} On November 29, 2018, Mic CEO Chris Altchek announced Mic was laying off most of Mic's staff while working on a deal to sell Mic.{{cite news |last1=Kafka |first1=Peter |author-link1= |date=Nov 29, 2018 |title=Mic has laid off the majority of its staff |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/11/29/18117787/mic-layoffs-staff-bustle-facebook |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130223844/https://www.recode.net/2018/11/29/18117787/mic-layoffs-staff-bustle-facebook |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |work=Recode |quote=}} The next day, a Bustle representative confirmed that Bustle Digital Group had acquired Mic.{{cite news |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |author-link1= |date=November 29, 2018 |title=Bustle Digital Group Acquires Mic Following Mic's Massive Layoff |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/bustle-acquires-mic-1203051696/ |url-status=live |department=Digital > News |work=Variety website |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130202452/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/bustle-acquires-mic-1203051696/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |quote= }}{{cite news |url=https://digiday.com/media/mic-transformations-pivoting-nowhere/ |title=Pivoting to nowhere: How Mic ran out of radical makeovers |work=Digiday |date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201005201/https://digiday.com/media/mic-transformations-pivoting-nowhere/ |archive-date=December 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}

In March 2019, Bustle Digital Group purchased The Outline, followed by The Zoe Report in May 2019. They also purchased Nylon in June 2019, with the intention to publish print magazines under the Nylon brand name.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foliomag.com/bustle-digital-group-buys-nylon-relaunch-print/|title=Bustle Digital Group Buys Nylon Magazine, Plans to Relaunch Print|date=June 27, 2019|website=Folio|language=en-US|access-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224023136/https://www.foliomag.com/bustle-digital-group-buys-nylon-relaunch-print/|archive-date=December 24, 2019|url-status=live}} Rather than monthly publications, the magazines will be published around large cultural events, like the Coachella music festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.recode.net/2019/3/27/18284591/bustle-outline-bryan-goldberg-josh-topolsky-digital-media-acquisition|title=Bustle Digital, the company that bought Gawker and Mic, has acquired the Outline|last=Kafka|first=Peter|work=Recode|date=March 27, 2019|access-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330074103/https://www.recode.net/2019/3/27/18284591/bustle-outline-bryan-goldberg-josh-topolsky-digital-media-acquisition|archive-date=March 30, 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web| last1 = Bloomgarden-Smoke| first1 = Kara| title = Bustle Digital Group Acquires The Zoe Report| work = WWD| access-date = July 6, 2019| date = March 26, 2018| url = https://wwd.com/business-news/media/bustle-digital-group-acquires-the-zoe-report-1202638730/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190706155344/https://wwd.com/business-news/media/bustle-digital-group-acquires-the-zoe-report-1202638730/| archive-date = July 6, 2019| url-status = live}}{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/bustle-buys-nylon-bryan-goldberg-print-relaunch-1203253779/|title=Bustle Digital Group Buys Nylon, Plans to Relaunch Print Edition of Fashion and Culture Mag (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=June 27, 2019|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108212622/https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/bustle-buys-nylon-bryan-goldberg-print-relaunch-1203253779/|archive-date=November 8, 2019|url-status=live}} In July, Bustle Digital acquired Inverse, a science and culture site.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/bustle-digital-buys-inverse-dave-nemetz-1203277041/|title=Bustle Digital Buys Digital-Media Startup Inverse, Its Eighth Acquisition to Date|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=July 23, 2019|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=December 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231143514/https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/bustle-digital-buys-inverse-dave-nemetz-1203277041/|archive-date=December 31, 2019|url-status=live}}

In April 2020, BDG fired the staff of The Outline.{{cite news |last1=Goggin |first1=Benjamin |title=Bustle Digital Group lays off about 25 people, including the entire staff of The Outline |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/bustle-digital-group-layoffs-the-outline-entire-staff-2020-4 |work=Business Insider |accessdate=8 November 2024 |date=3 April 2020 |archive-date=11 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411220517/https://www.businessinsider.com/bustle-digital-group-layoffs-the-outline-entire-staff-2020-4 |url-status=live }}

In 2021, BDG acquired Some Spider, parent of Scary Mommy and Fatherly.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/bdg-some-spider-scary-mommy-1235024995/|title=Bustle Digital Buys Scary Mommy's Parent Company for $150 Million in Stock|website=Variety|date=July 21, 2021|access-date=December 19, 2022|archive-date=November 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114174921/https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/bdg-some-spider-scary-mommy-1235024995/|url-status=live}}

In February 2023, BDG shut down Gawker.{{cite news |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Gawker Is Shutting Down |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/gawker-shutting-down-1235509262/ |access-date=8 November 2024 |work=Variety |date=1 February 2023 |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201145832/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/gawker-shutting-down-1235509262/ |url-status=live }} In November of that year, Gawker was sold to Meng Ru Kuok, of the Singapore-based Caldecott Music Group.{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2023-11-15 |title=Gawker Sold to Founder of Singapore's Caldecott Music Group: 'It Has the Opportunity for Reinvention' (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/gawker-sold-meng-ru-kuok-caldecott-music-group-1235791943/ |access-date=8 November 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=November 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129183728/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/gawker-sold-meng-ru-kuok-caldecott-music-group-1235791943/ |url-status=live }}

References

External links

{{Official website|http://www.bustle.com/}}
{{Facebook|642709969075906}}

Category:2013 establishments in New York (state)

Category:American women's websites

Category:Internet properties established in 2013

Category:Magazines established in 2013

Category:Magazines published in New York City

Category:Online magazines published in the United States

Category:Women's magazines published in the United States