Elite Daily
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital media, News |
| Founded | February 2012 |
| Founder | David Arabov, Jonathon Francis, Gerard Adams |
| Fate | Acquired by Bustle Digital Group |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | News articles, Feature articles, Listicles |
| Parent | Bustle Digital Group |
Elite Daily is a digital news outlet from the United States, established by David Arabov, Jonathon Francis, and Gerard Adams. Aimed primarily at millennials, the platform delivers coverage on current events, trending subjects, feature articles, and listicles spanning politics, social justice, relationships and sexuality, women's topics, and sports. It promotes itself with the tagline "The Voice of Generation Y".
History
Initially launched as an independent entity in February 2012, Elite Daily was acquired by DMG Media in January 2015 for an estimated $50 million.
By the end of 2014, it had achieved the position of the seventh most shared website on Facebook and ranked fourteenth among U.S. online news platforms. Throughout 2015, it sustained its status as a leading publisher of content on Facebook.
In 2014, the documentary division of Elite Daily earned a New York Emmy Award in the Politics/Government category for its short film Meet the 14-Year-Old Who Helped Legalize Medical Marijuana In NY.
On April 17, 2017, ownership transferred from DMG to Bustle Digital Group.
Use of pseudonyms
In July 2013, it was revealed that numerous writers for Elite Daily operated under fictitious names and used unrelated models’ images as profile pictures. Founder David Arabov acknowledged in a September 2013 interview that he wrote under the alias "Preston Waters," with at least five other staff members also employing pseudonyms. The editorial team reportedly maintained that accuracy in articles was sufficient without requiring truthful bylines or biographies.
Misappropriation of identities
In July 2015, Gawker journalist Kate Knibbs discovered her name attached to articles on Elite Daily that she had not authored. When asked about the lack of contributor identity verification, a DMG communications representative pointed to inherent risks tied to accepting external contributors. After verification of the issue, Knibbs described the site's response as "courteous."
Allegations of sexism
The feminist website Jezebel criticized Elite Daily for publishing what it described as "misogynistic screeds," drawing attention to content that diminished women’s value and rationalized infidelity over time. Jezebel continued to express disapproval of the site’s material throughout 2015. In February 2014, The Daily Banter condemned Elite Daily as epitomizing "everything that is wrong with online journalism," citing both its sexist content and reliance on unpaid contributors compensated solely by exposure. A 2015 article from Gawker observed that while the site had moved away from explicit misogyny, it remained unengaging and lacked appeal.
Copyright disputes
In March 2015, photojournalist Peter Menzel initiated legal action against Elite Daily, accusing them of unauthorized use of thirty of his photographs. He claimed that copyright notices were removed and that he was falsely credited without permission.
Notable people
- Entertainer Joe Santagato served as both producer and editor during his tenure with the company.