Wired Italia and Tiscali News Shut Down as Digital Journalism Loses Industrial Value

Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch announced the closure of Wired Italia and Self, along with some international editions of Glamour, on April 16, citing that these brands represent just over 1% of total revenue. The group is focusing resources on stronger, more scalable areas. Wired Consulting and live events will continue under international direction, mainly British. The decision comes despite Condé Nast reporting overall revenue growth and profitability. Separately, Tiscali News will close from April 30 as parent company Tessellis restructures amid a possible sale of its consumer division and a negotiated crisis composition procedure. The 12 journalists on staff face redundancy with no continuity planned by the potential buyer. Both closures reflect a broader shift: declining online traffic (Wired Italia saw a 15% drop in users in the last year), competition from AI chatbots and search engines that reduce page views and advertising revenue, and the prioritization of profitable branded content, consulting, and events over pure journalism. The closures highlight how digital news brands can have cultural value but insufficient industrial value to sustain local newsrooms.