Who founded io9 and when was it created?
Annalee Newitz founded io9 in 2008 as a standalone blog under Gawker Media. Newitz had been approached by Gawker shortly after another of their projects, Other magazine, ceased print publication.
Questions about Io9
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did io9 become part of Gizmodo?
Io9 became a sub-blog of Gizmodo in 2015 as part of a reorganization under Gawker Media. The move was driven in part by a roughly 12% overlap in content between the two publications.
Who were the founding staff members of io9?
The founding staff included Annalee Newitz, Charlie Jane Anders, Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG, Graeme McMillan from Newsarama, Kevin Kelly from Joystiq and Cinematical, and Lynn Peril, author of Pink Think: Becoming a Woman in Many Uneasy Lessons.
Who are the editors of io9 and what are their tenures?
Annalee Newitz edited io9 from 2008 to 2015, followed by Charlie Jane Anders from 2015 to 2016, Rob Bricken from 2016 to 2018, Jill Pantozzi from 2018 to 2021, and James Whitbrook from 2021 onward.
Why did io9 face backlash in 2023?
In 2023, G/O Media published AI-written articles on io9 and other sites it owned, drawing significant reader and internal backlash. Deputy Editor James Whitbrook published a public statement denouncing the decision.
What was io9's original editorial focus?
Io9 launched with a focus on science fiction, futurism, and science. Founding editor Annalee Newitz described the site's ethos as being about looking into the future and science fiction; in February 2010 it was named one of the top 30 science blogs by The Times Eureka Zone blog.