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Type of site | Technology news |
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| Owner | Vox Media |
| Created by | |
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| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | January 2, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-01-02) |
| Current status | Redirects to vox.com/technology |
Recode (stylized asrecode; formerlyRe/code)[1] was a technology news website that focused on the business ofSilicon Valley.Walt Mossberg andKara Swisher founded it in January 2014, after they leftDow Jones and the similar website they had previously co-founded,All Things Digital.Vox Media acquiredRecode in May 2015 and, in May 2019, theRecode website was integrated intoVox. On March 6, 2023, Vox media announced that in order to make the various Vox sub brands less confusing to its readers, it was retiring Recode brand but would continue its mission to explain complex issues around technology to its readers under the unified Vox brand.[2]
In September 2013, technology journalistsWalt Mossberg andKara Swisher leftAll Things Digital, the technology news site they had founded and developed forDow Jones andNews Corp. Mossberg leftThe Wall Street Journal at the end of the year, leaving behind a popular, weekly technologycolumn.[3] The two launched their new, independent technology news website,Recode, on January 2, 2014. Its holding company, Revere Digital, received minority investments fromNBCUniversal andTerry Semel's Windsor Media.[3] The total investment was estimated betweenUS$10 and 15 million. Mossberg and Swisher held the company's majority stake and noted its comfortable financial stance.[4]Recode also provided breaking technology coverage for NBCUniversal, and received video resources and exposure in return via a formal partnership. Mossberg saw the investment as an opportunity to implement new ways of covering the technology field, and planned to add six employees on technology policy and mobile beats. The CNBC partnership also explored new advertising efforts and shared office space.[3] At launch, the 23-person team included all former members ofAll Things Digital. The staff also received equity in the company.[4]
Mossberg and Swisher planned to continue their prominent, annualAll Things Digital conference, which they renamed the "Code" conference and scheduled for the same time and location: late May at Terranea Resort inRancho Palos Verdes, California.Recode also kept plans to continue their separate mobile and media conferences. CNBC became a partner in these conferences.[3] A part-time team of 12 employees runs the conferences.[4]
The site developed a reputation for breaking tech industry news but ultimately did not reach the level of popularity it expected, with just 1.5 million regular monthly visitors.Vox Media acquired the website in May 2015 in a move thatThe New York Times described as a reflection of tumult in onlinetechnology journalism.[5] Vox purchased all of the company's stock, but the details of the transaction were not released. At the time of the acquisition,Recode had 44 employees and three additional employees by contract. They were expected to join Vox. Mossberg and Swisher planned to stay with the website. The two were impressed with Vox Media's audience reach. Vox's technology news website,The Verge, had eight times the traffic, in comparison. The scopes of the two sites were not expected to overlap withRecode's emphasis on technology industry business andThe Verge's on "being a new kind of culture publication".[5] An internal study found a three percent overlap in content between the two sites.[5] Recode started publishing a podcast in July 2015 calledRecode Decode.[6][7] The podcast won "Tech Podcast of the Year" as well as "Podcast of the Year" at the 2019Adweek Podcast Awards.[8]
On May 8, 2016, Recode relaunched with a new design under editor-in-chief Dan Frommer.[1] In May 2019, Recode was integrated into Vox Media's flagship website,Vox, becoming the columnRecode by Vox.[9]
As continued fromAll Things Digital,[4]Recode focuses on technology and digital media news, particularly pertaining to the business ofSilicon Valley.[3] The site also reviews new enterprises, and consumer hardware and software, and conducts original reports.[4]
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