404 Media has sold out two anniversary events in New York City after three years of independent operation.
The outlet launched in August 2023 following a departure from corporate media. The founders left a career built with brilliant colleagues but constrained by investor whims and executive decisions. They also rejected business models that felt lumbering and ineffective.
When the founders quit, they hoped their existing reputation would sustain the new venture. They believed readers would subscribe because the journalism mattered and provided personal value.
Three years later, that initial hope has been validated. The publication hosts an annual event to thank supporters and meet them in person. This year, the plan expanded to two nights: a live podcast taping followed by an afterparty.
Both events took place in New York and were completely sold out. This was an untested strategy, yet the audience turned up for both nights.
The podcast taping
WNYC’s Greene Space crew provided the venue on Thursday night. The team treated the hosts to a live recording of the podcast.
Attendees packed the room, laughed, and expressed frustration about the state of the world. One question from the Ask Us Anything box asked, “Are we going to be okay?” While the answer is complicated, the gathering suggested the sentiment was positive.
Contributors Becky Ferreira and Matthew Gault attended to discuss data centre resistance and unusual science. Ferreira covered the topic of crab in a bottle.
The full taping will publish as a podcast episode soon. In the meantime, the recording is available on the YouTube channel.
The afterparty
The second night moved to Brooklyn for a beer at Threes Brewing in Gowanus. The venue team provided chicken and french fries.
Sam took most of the photographs from the night.
