• by Ray Schultz , August 24, 2021

Void magazine, a culture-and-lifestyle magazine serving Northeast Florida, will cease publication with its September issue. 

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Matthew Shaw, has been hired as arts & culture editor by WJCT Public Media, WJCT reports. 

“With rising print costs and waning advertising sales, we can no longer sustain the costs of producing and distributing our free magazine to over 400 locations throughout the community,” the magazine states on Facebook. 

“We are putting all our energy into our new project, INK FACTORY BREWING, which shares the same partnership group and vision as Void,” the magazine added. It is trying to develop a “self-funded, more sustainable print model.” 

In the interim, “the Void brand will continue through its website, social, community events and merchandise shop. 

The management had not responded to a query at press time.

The Jacksonville-based magazine says it was forced to shut down during the first wave of the pandemic, but was able to continue through a crowdfunding campaign, emergency relief from the government and personal and federal loans. However, this barely kept magazine production afloat.

“The funds have run out and advertising sales are not nearly where they were prior to the pandemic,” they write. “This is not the end, like so many businesses out there, it is time for us to evolve.”

The new brewery will feature “an onsite microbrewery, beer & coffee bar, gallery & merchandise shop,” the post continues.