WestportNow terminates publication
WestportNow will cease publication after nearly 18 years of reporting. This is due to the death of Gordon Joseloff, the website’s founder, editor and primary publisher.
WestportNow will stop publication at the end of November after the death of the website’s founder, editor and publisher, Gordon Joseloff.
The news was announced in a statement published on the website by Joseloff’s children, Anna-Liisa Nixon and Ben Joseloff. He died on Nov. 9 due to a rare blood cancer that, according to the statement, he battled for three years.
“WestportNow was more than a job to our father,” his children wrote. “It was the natural culmination of two of his life-long passions: journalism and Westport.”
WestportNow was founded by Joseloff in March 2003 and has been in publication for a little over 17 years. He was the sole publisher of the site, which makes it difficult to continue operations without him.
“Continuing to provide the level of coverage WestportNow readers expect and deserve without his leadership would be challenging,” Joseloff’s children wrote in their statement. “For this reason, WestportNow will cease publication at the end of the month.”
Joseloff served as Westport’s first selectman for two terms from 2005-2013. He also served seven terms, or 14 years, on the Representative Town Meeting. Joseloff was also very involved in many local organizations including the Westport Historical Society and the Westport Rotary, as well as being a volunteer firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician.
Before working in Westport, Joseloff was an award winning journalist and worked for CBS. He traveled the world and covered many global events.
“Today is a sad day for local journalism,” Dan Woog wrote on his blog 06880. “Since 2009, WestportNow and 06880 have been friendly competitors — and friends.”
WestportNow was one of the first successful local news sources in Westport and has definitely made its mark on the town. Throughout the years, WestportNow has reported on important local and national news and was always a source which Westporters knew they couldn trust.
Westport now was more than a job to our father. It was a natural culmination of his two life-long passions: journalism and Westport.
— Anna-Liisa Nixon and Ben Joseloff
“Hyperlocal news sources like WestportNow play a critical role in keeping members of the public informed of what’s happening in town” Danielle Dobin, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission said to Westport News. “With it’s updates about commissions and the Board of Selectmen, news about the schools and our athletes, performances and academic competitions, and, of course, its beautiful sunset photos, WestportNow was a virtual community gathering place.”
WestportNow has always been a reliable source for local news that Westport residents say will definitely be missed.
“[WestportNow] is where the majority of people living in Westport get their information from,” Izzy Sareen ’22 said. “Not only is it a reliable source, but it has helped hundreds of people across Westport gain access to quick and important information about their town.”
