404 Media

404 Media is an online publication that focuses on technology and internet reporting.^[1][2] It covers topics such as hacking, sex work, niche online communities, and the right-to-repair movement.^[3][4] The publication is worker-owned by its reporters.^[5]

404 Media

Unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL.
Screenshot Screenshot of the website in November 2023
Format	Digital
Owner(s)	Dark Mode, LLC
Founder(s)	Jason Koebler Samantha Cole Emanuel Maiberg Joseph Cox
Founded	August 22, 2023; 17 months ago (2023-08-22)
Website	404media.co

History

Three founders of 404 Media (left to right): Samantha Cole, Joseph Cox, and Emanuel Maiberg.

404 Media was founded in 2023 by former staff members of Vice Media's Motherboard after it filed for bankruptcy.^[6][7] Among the founding members of 404 Media were Jason Koebler, the former editor-in-chief of Motherboard, senior editors Emanuel Maiberg and Samantha Cole, and writer Joseph Cox.^[1][3] Fast Company summarized the outlet's creation as "bootstrapp[ing] a spartan setup consisting of a Stripe account and the Ghost web-hosting platform".^[8]

In November 2024, 404 Media entered an agreement with Wired to co-publish two of its articles a month on the magazine's website.^[9]

Business model

404 Media, incorporated in California as Dark Mode, LLC,^[10] is reporter-owned, a model that was inspired by organizations such as Defector Media and Hell Gate.^[3] The company offers two paid subscription tiers, $100 and $1,000 annual plans.^[8]

In January 2024, the website began requiring email addresses to deter artificial intelligence (AI) article spinners from scraping its content.^[11] As of February 2024, the company reported profitability.^[12]

Notable reports and coverage

In January 2024, 404 Media reported AI-generated rewrites of its articles had begun to show up on search engines, with some of these AI-generated stories prioritized over the original article on Google Search.^[13][14]

During the Taylor Swift deepfake pornography controversy, a 404 Media investigation discovered that the images originated from 4chan and were distributed via the Telegram service before appearing on social media platforms.^[7][5]

In February 2024, 404 Media released a report alleging that Tumblr and WordPress were selling users' data to AI companies OpenAI and Midjourney for training purposes.^[2] 404 Media has also covered how so-called "ghost kitchens", delivery-focused restaurants on apps such as UberEats and DoorDash that sell food from other restaurants, have utilized generative AI to create product images.^[15]

Reception

In an article about 2024 media industry layoffs, the Financial Times highlighted 404 Media as a successful new media venture amid an "existential crisis" in the industry. The article stated that the publication has been recognized for its "eye-catching range of stories about the tech sector" and highlighted its profitability.^[13][16]

On July 25, 2024, the Electronic Frontier Foundation announced 404 Media would receive one of three 2024 EFF Awards for their "incisive investigative reports, deep-dive features, blogs, and scoops" on various topics.^[17]

References

1. Korach, Natalie (August 22, 2023). "Four Top Vice Journalists Launch Independent Tech Publication". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
2. Leeman, Zachary (August 22, 2023). "Former Vice Journos Launch 404 Media After Company's Bankruptcy". The Messenger. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
3. Robertson, Katie (August 22, 2023). "After Vice's Downfall, Top Journalists Start Their Own Tech Publication". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
4. Bethlehem, Lily (August 23, 2023). "Former Vice Media Staffers Found 404 Media". Jewish Business News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
5. Barwick, Ryan (December 12, 2023). "How new tech publication 404 Media is pitching itself to advertisers". Marketing Brew. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
6. Bolies, Corbin (August 22, 2023). "Ex-Vice Editors Launch New Outlet Weeks After Bankruptcy Sale". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
7. Moses, Lucia (August 23, 2023). "How 4 Vice alums are building a new media company with ambitions to turn its journalism into film and TV". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
8. Berkowitz, Joe (November 9, 2023). "Why worker-owned publications like Defector and 404 Media are winning". Fast Company. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
9. Roush, Chris (November 4, 2024). "Wired strikes partnership with 404 Media". Talking Biz News. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
10. "404 Media Objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Subpoena to Access Our Reporting". 404 Media. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
11. Roush, Chris (February 12, 2024). "Why tech site 404 Media began requiring email address from readers". Talking Biz News. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
12. Tameez, Hanaa' (February 12, 2024). "Six months in, journalist-owned tech publication 404 Media is profitable". Nieman Lab. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
13. Notopoulos, Katie. "AI spam is already starting to ruin the internet". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
14. Zeff, Maxwell (January 19, 2024). "Google Sheds Responsibility for AI Sites Dominating Search Results". Yahoo Tech. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
15. Mendoza, Diego (February 28, 2024). "Willy Wonka fiasco highlights risks of AI-made ads". Semafor. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
16. Moore, Elaine (February 25, 2024). "Despite existential crisis, new media start-ups keep coming". Financial Times. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
17. "Electronic Frontier Foundation to Present Annual EFF Awards to Carolina Botero, Connecting Humanity, and 404 Media" (Press release). Electronic Frontier Foundation. July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.

External links

• Official website