London blog The Kernel is set to cease publication, it announced yesterday, with founder and editor-in-chief Milo Yiannopoulos blaming the fact he was ‘unable to turn ferocious, funny and brave journalism into gold.’
The Guardian has suggested that the blog’s closure is because £16,853 is owed, and that wages have not been paid.
The newspaper said: “None of the contributors to the site contacted by MediaGuardian were ever paid. Other writers and photographers say they are owed a total of about £10,000.”
In a farewell blog post, Yiannopoulos said: “There will be those happy to see us fail, among them ideological opponents, wrongdoers, exposed miscreants, disgruntled reviewees and others who, over the course of the last year and a half, have felt themselves for some reason short-changed by us. Our loyalty, however, is to our readers.
“I have been overwhelmed and enormously grateful for the enthusiasm of our quiet but fiercely loyal family. It is time, however, to draw a line gracefully under what we have achieved, to take stock, to express our gratitude, and to think about the next bit of the journey.”