Inside MIT Sloan, members of an editorial advisory board criticized what they called an “impulsive” decision to shut down the 67-year-old MIT Sloan Management Review (SMR). MIT Sloan Dean Richard Locke notified colleagues that the publication will cease production after nearly seven decades, with the final issue slated for September 2026. The shutdown will eliminate 23 full-time staffers and about 20 contractors, according to the report, while the dean’s framing pointed to a broader strategic pivot toward unified messaging and more short-form, digital engagement such as newsletters and podcasts. Board members described being surprised and questioned the rationale, arguing the decision reduces a business-idea institution to branding metrics. The dispute highlights a common tension in higher education communications: shifting attention toward social-first content can come at the cost of deep editorial infrastructure. For faculty and industry audiences, journal shutdowns can also impact publication pipelines for scholars and practitioners who rely on established review formats. As governance and reputation concerns surface, SMR’s closure debate may resonate across academic publishing ecosystems, especially in management and applied research communities.