'Forbes' Shutters Opinion Section

The bell has tolled for Forbes’ opinion section, which is shutting down to increase the business magazine's focus on its network of online contributors.

"As we strive to tell stories that have a point of view, the need for conventional opinion-style writing has lessened,” Forbes Media vice president of digital news Mark Coatney wrote in an internal email to staff obtained by Business Insider, which first reported the news.

Coatney noted Forbes wants future “stories with a point of view” to be “relevant to our core editorial mission and grounded in reporting and fact.”

Going forward, Forbes will focus on its contributor network, which consists of nearly 2,000 non-staff writers. Forbes’ model allows these approved contributors to publish directly to Forbes.com.

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Some Forbes opinion writers will still contribute to the magazine in other sections; others will be let go, Coatney added.

Opinion section editor Avik Roy will become a contributor in the policy field, according to Business Insider.

While digital-native publication BuzzFeedlaunched a new opinion section this summer, other publishers, like The New York Times, have found it difficult to strike the right balance of viewpoints lately. The NYT's hire of conservative policy and politics columnist Bret Stephens this spring triggered some readers to cancel their subscriptions.

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