Allbritton announced the launch of Protocol in late 2019 to much buzz. The Washington media mogul told Vanity Fair at the time that he wanted to replicate Politico’s successful model for the technology industry. “I would love for this to be as big as, if not larger than, Politico is right now,” Allbritton told Vanity Fair in 2019. But Protocol never had much luck. Shortly after launching, the global pandemic unleashed brutal economic headwinds on the media industry, resulting in some cuts to staff. Finally, when it seemed that the outlet might catch its footing as the pandemic’s grip on the economy lifted, German publishing giant Axel Springer closed a deal to purchase Politico. That acquisition resulted in Protocol, which had operated independently, being folded into Politico Media Group. “We have great appreciation for the impact of the journalism that Protocol has produced, and I want to personally thank each of them for the unique talents they brought to Protocol,” Goli Sheikholeslami, the chief executive of Political Media Group, wrote in an email to staffers Tuesday afternoon. Sheikholeslami reiterated that Politico sees “great opportunity in technology coverage” and wants “to win the conversation on the future of tech in the same way we do politics.”
Sheikholeslami also said Politico US and EU will combine to form one operational company with a single executive team.
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