DNAinfo

Founded by Joe Ricketts in November 2009 as "Digital Network Associates",^[2] DNAinfo.com began by offering online, hyperlocal coverage for New York City and online coverage for Chicago launched in November 2012.^[3][4][5] In December 2013, DNAinfo launched a print version coverage by the name, DNAinfo.com.^[6] The operational and editorial offices for DNAinfo were in New York and Chicago. DNAinfo is also a registered trademark.^[7]

In March 2017, DNAinfo purchased the New York media company Gothamist.^[8]

On November 2, 2017, Ricketts posted to both DNAinfo and the "-ist" network sites that both websites would immediately cease operations, a week after Gothamist writers voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East.^[9] All content from all DNAinfo sites and all subsidiary sites were taken down.^[10] The next day, archives of the sites were returned to functionality.^[11] Ricketts's shutdown was criticized as being an act of retaliation after the two companies' workers had joined a union.^[12]

After DNAinfo shutdown, three of the Chicago newspaper's former editors decided to launch their own independent hyperlocal news organization. Within a few months, Block Club Chicago had raised more than $183,000 on Kickstarter. By the end of 2018, after 6 months of publishing, Block Club Chicago had more than 6,000 paid subscribers and over 7 million pageviews.^{[13][better source needed]}