DCist / WAMU
U.S. center-left
Background
DCist launched in 2005 as part of the Gothamist network of city-focused websites, beginning as a volunteer-run blog before turning professional around 2007. In 2017, billionaire Joe Ricketts—who had acquired the Gothamist network—abruptly shut down DCist and all sibling sites the week after staff voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East, erasing years of archived content in the process. In February 2018, WAMU 88.5 FM announced it had jointly acquired DCist alongside Gothamist and LAist—in partnership with New York's WNYC and Southern California's KPCC—and relaunched it in June 2018. WAMU is licensed to and owned by American University, one of Washington's private research universities, and has been the primary NPR member station for the capital region since 2007. During its WAMU era (2018–2024), DCist operated as an independent editorial team within the station, covering local D.C. affairs with a reputation for factual accuracy and slight center-left story selection. Corporate underwriting revenue at WAMU fell sharply—from $18.1 million in fiscal year 2019 to $9.6 million in fiscal year 2023—and American University itself announced a $33 million budget shortfall. In February 2024, WAMU abruptly shut down DCist and laid off 15 journalists, stating a strategic refocus on audio journalism.
Sources
- DCist – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- WAMU-FM – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- WAMU – Wikipedia
- DCist – Wikipedia
- WAMU To Revive Local News Site DCist | WAMU
- WAMU shuts down local news site DCist, lays off reporters – The Washington Post
- Why Did WAMU Close DCist? – Washingtonian
- WAMU abruptly shuts down DCist, lays off 15 journalists – WTOP News
- Gothamist – Wikipedia
Profile compiled 2026-07-17; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.