For almost a decade, The Awl implored the world to “Be Less Stupid.” There was a “great big internet” out there, the editors cautioned. And by writing intelligently about offbeat topics — from a locket meant to hold “mad money” to a deeply unsatisfying West Elm couch called “the Peggy” — The Awl and its sister sites did their best to live up to the motto.

On Tuesday, though, editors of The Awl and one of the sister sites, The Hairpin, announced that the end had come. Statements on the sites said editorial operations would cease at the end of January.

The closings represent yet another loss for independent publishers that have long struggled to compete with larger ones, which can offer ad buyers a wider audience. And in an email, The Awl’s publisher, Michael Macher, said that “a steady decline in direct sales” was “the root cause” for closing.

“We followed a dream of building a better internet, and though we did not manage to do that every day we tried very hard and we hope you don’t blame us for how things ultimately turned out,” one of the statements said. “The greatest achievement any site can claim is in the quality and fervor of its audience, and on that score we feel like we were the most successful organization ever.”