RIP (?) E&P

Say it ain't so!

Editor & Publisher, the bible of the newspaper industry and a journalism institution that traces its origins back to 1884, is ceasing publication.

An announcement, made by parent company The Nielsen Co., was made Thursday morning as staffers were informed that E&P, in both print and online, was shutting down.

The expressions of surprise and outpouring of strong support for E&P that have followed across the Web -- Editor & Publisher has even hit No. 4 as a Twitter trending topic -- raise the notion that the publication might yet continue in some form.

...As news spread of E&P's fate, the staffers have been inundated with calls from members of the industry it covers, and many others, expressing shock and hopes for a revival. Staff members will stay on for the remainder of 2009.

Greg Mitchell, editor since 2002, has hailed the staff and accomplishments, including a dozen major awards and strong showing on the Web for many years. Some staff writers/editors have been at E&P for a quarter of a century. "I'm shocked that a way was not found for the magazine to continue it some form -- and remain hopeful that this may still occur," he said.

I really hope so, too. I've been reading E&P online for years, and I would be really sad to see it go. I don't think I can overestimate how important E&P was in covering the media and its role in constructing the case for war, as but one example of its value of the past few years alone.

I'm not sure where to direct teaspoons at this point; I've emailed someone at E&P and if I get any suggestions, I'll let you know. Leave any thoughts you might have in comments.