Business · Companies · 1 hr ago
Joe Ricketts’ Straight Arrow News shuts down after five years
Joe Ricketts is closing Straight Arrow News, the digital outlet he founded in 2021.
The Omaha-based outlet aimed to offer nonpartisan, fact-based journalism and present competing views on divisive issues.
Staff learned of the decision on Friday, and publication stopped immediately.
The closure came less than three months after the outlet launched a paid subscription service, with monthly and annual plans.
Current subscribers can receive refunds, but the number of employees affected was not immediately clear.
Ricketts said that, despite his belief in the outlet’s mission, he could not make the business sustainable.
The shutdown highlights the difficulty of sustaining digital news outlets, even with wealthy investors backing them.
Straight Arrow News is shutting down after five years, and it stopped publishing immediately.
Founder Joe Ricketts announced the decision in an open letter on Friday, November 6, 2026.
Employees were told about the closure at a meeting that day.
The Omaha-based outlet launched a paid subscription service less than three months before closing.
Refunds are available to all current subscribers.
- Who
- Straight Arrow News, founded by Joe Ricketts, is closing.
- What
- The digital news outlet ceased publishing and is shutting down its operations.
- When
- The closure was announced on Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Where
- Straight Arrow News was based in Omaha and published at SAN.com.
- Why
- Ricketts said the business was not sustainable despite his belief in its mission.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Joe Ricketts launched Straight Arrow News.
The outlet launched a premium subscription service.
Employees were informed of the closure, and Ricketts announced it in an open letter.
Straight Arrow News ceased publishing effective immediately.
- Founder
- Joe Ricketts
- Launch
- June 2021
- Subscription price
- $12.95 per month or $99.90 annually
- Closure
- Publishing ended effective immediately on November 6, 2026
- Subscriber refunds
- Available to all current subscribers
What people are saying
But belief in a mission does not by itself make a business sustainable.
After considerable investment and effort, I have made the difficult decision to cease Straight Arrow’s operations.
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News: Straight Arrow News (@StraightArrow__), the online news site focused on “unbiased” coverage and founded by billionaire Joe Ricketts in 2021, is shutting down, staffers were told in a meeting today.