Q Magazine shuts down after 34 years

Media organizations have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a number of layoffs and closures over the past four months. British music magazine Q is the latest casualty of the dire economic situation caused by the pandemic. The magazine’s editor Ted Kessler announced via Twitter that the July 28 issue will be the magazine’s last, and that “we’re all available for work.” Kessler also attached a letter from the editor, which is published in Q‘s final issue, explaining the situation. “This is the final issue of Q, an eventuality that nobody could’ve predicted as recently as March,” it reads. “We’ve been a lean operation for all of my tenure, employing a variety of ways to help keep our head above water in an extremely challenging print environment. COVID-19 wiped all that out.”

Q has been publishing since 1986, with a focus primarily on mainstream rock and in-depth, historical features. The final issue features archival interviews from throughout the magazine’s history with artists such as David Bowie, Prince and Joni Mitchell.