Politico turned the last page on its Playbook. (via Wikipedia)

This past Monday Massachusetts’s pundits and commentariat opened their inboxes and found something missing. The Bay State’s own version of Politico’s Playbook was not there. It was not a holiday or one of the newsletter’s seasonal hiatuses. Rather, the daily tip sheet on state and local politics is simply no more. Its last writer moved on and the Arlington, Virginia-based news outlet decided not to replace her.

Last Friday, Kelly Garrity, the fourth writer for Politico’s Massachusetts Playbook, announced it would be her last installment—for Politico. She is leaving to join The Boston Globe as it launches its new politics newsletter. Meanwhile, Politico’s exit from Massachusetts—its playbooks in other states endure—will ripple through Bay State politics and the media that cover it.

“There’s nothing quite like Massachusetts politics, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of you for keeping a spot for Massachusetts Playbook in your inbox over the last few years,” Garrity said in her final edition. She thanked tipsters and sources and credited the Massachusetts Playbook with introducing her to Politico.

The shift also comes at a time of transition for Politico. It is looking for a new top editor. Some time after the state playbooks debuted over a decade ago, the company was sold to Axel Springer, a German media giant. In the years after some of its top reportorial talent moved on, some media observers have described the outlet as somewhat adrift.

It was in this context that it instituted buyouts last month. The Wrap reported that it was cutting 3% of staff. Whether Garrity was among them is unclear.

Zero comment. (via Wikipedia)

Politico did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the closure of its Massachusetts Playbook. In the last edition, the editors included a note suggesting Politico’s other offerings and teased an announcement of new investments in “state-level policy coverage from coast to coast.”

It was just under 11 years ago that Politico announced an expansion of its pioneering and frenetic newsletter brand. The original Playbook, written Mike Allen, now of Axios, came to redefine political coverage inside Washington. The company had a foothold in New York via an acquisition and opened Playbooks in Florida and New Jersey in the spring of 2015. Massachusetts arrived in August of that year.

Its first writer was Dorchester News alumna Lauren Dezenski. Stephanie Murray, Lisa Kashinsky and Garrity followed. Dezenski and Murray have moved on to other outlets. Kashinsky is still with Politico.

Politico has since opened Playbooks in California and Illinois. Playbook expanded its international presence with editions for Canada and Europe.

These other Playbooks remain open and just this week news broke that the company would expand to Australia. However, moving into the Land Down Under while closing up shop in Massachusetts is curious. Clearly, it was not the moneymaking endeavor the company had hoped and as other Playbooks must be. By some estimates, Politico makes half its revenue from subscription-based policy reporting. That “coast-to-coast” investment may be in such reporting rather than free newsletters.

Politico’s exit from Massachusetts does not mean Bay State political fans will want for updates in their inbox. As Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy observed on his blog last week, the State House News daily newsletter, Massterlist, remains. Indeed, Massterlist predated Massachusetts Playbook and has now outlived it.

Kennedy also noted that Commonwealth Beacon and Axios Boston have pull, although they appeal more to policy-centric and general audiences respectively. WBUR and (W)GBH News also each have morning newsletters.

For The Globe, Garrity’s hiring heralds a return to political newslettering. The paper’s now-Assistant Metro Editor Josh Miller—who also leads and edits a weekly email on Cambridge and Somerville—helmed the Political Happy Hour for three years. The Globe folded it in 2017.

We’re back in your inbox, baby! (WMP&I)

In an email, a spokesperson for The Globe confirmed Garrity’s hiring. She will start next week with the new political newsletter to follow.

“We’re excited to welcome her and look forward to launching our new morning political newsletter this spring, with Kelly at the helm,” a spokesperson said.

The Globe did not say how this new morning missive would differ from Political Happy Hour. Nor did it say whether Garrity’s hiring constituted an expansion of state political coverage.

The Globe does appear to be contemplating growth again, having already moved into New Hampshire and Rhode Island. In the last year, it has begun to employ Northampton-based Brooke Hauser, the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s onetime top editor, as a Western Mass correspondent.

Still, the end of Politico Massachusetts could affect other outlets. Massachusetts Playbook and Massterlist both regularly link to other outlets’ stories in their newsletters. For small and hyperlocal outlets—such as WMP&I, which has appeared in both—linking is a significant driver of website traffic.

Given The Globe’s plans, the Commonwealth will not experience a net loss of political newsletters. Whether it will replace what Politico offered readers—and publishers—remains to be seen.

Kennedy, the journalism professor, told WMP&I there was no reason to despair. He suggested that Garrity’s new gig could mirror Massachusetts Playbook’s offerings and both Axios Boston and Commonwealth Beacon may bolster their political offerings. And of course, Massterlist only stands to gain subscribers.

Although “concern is warranted, I doubt that things are going to remain exactly the same minus Politico,” he said in an email. “There are opportunities here.”