In an internal memo sent Friday afternoon, U.S. News and World Report editor Brian Kelly informed staffers that the monthly magazine would cease regular print publication in favor of a "predominantly digital publishing model."

The last print issue will ship to subscribers in December. U.S. News and World Report will continue to produce "selected, single-topic print issues," such as the publication's popular university and personal finance guides, which will be made available at newsstands and through "targeted distribution," Kelly said.

The magazine also plans to release four other special editions concentrated on topics such as history and religion throughout the year.

The publication will continue to focus on building out its website — which it pledged to do in November 2008, when it shifted its publishing frequency from bi-weekly to weekly — and developing content for emerging platforms, such as the iPad and Android tablets.

"We can't sit still," Kelly urged.

It sounds an awful lot like the advice Marc Andreessen delivered to old media companies earlier this year: "You gotta burn the boats," he said.

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