Gawker.com to end operations next week; Nick Denton walks away from "News and Gossip Business"

[midian182]

It was reported earlier this week that Univision had put forward a winning bid of $135 million to acquire Gawker Media. But it seems there’s one of the seven Gawker properties the US Spanish-language broadcaster doesn’t want: flagship Gawker.com. As such, the 14-year-old site will shut down next week.

A bankruptcy judge approved Univision’s bid yesterday. Six of Gawker Media’s sites - Gizmodo, Kotaku, Lifehacker, Deadspin, Jalopnik, and Jezebel – will be folded into Univision's Fusion Media group, but it will not be taking on Gawker.com.

"We have not been able to find a single media company or investor willing also to take on Gawker.com," wrote Gawker founder Nick Denton. "The campaign being mounted against its editorial ethos and former writers has made it too risky. I can understand the caution."

Gawker.com won’t completely disappear from the web. Its archives will remain accessible, though the last postings will appear on Monday. But while its operations will soon be coming to an end, Denton didn’t rule out a future return for the site.

"For the moment, however, it will be mothballed, until the smoke clears and a new owner can be found," he said.

Univision has agreed to take on 95 percent of Gawker Media’s current employees. It’s assumed that some of those working for Gawker.com will move to one of the six other sites or another Univision property.

Denton said he will be leaving the business once the deal is complete. “I will move on to other projects, working to make the web a forum for the open exchange of ideas and information, but out of the news and gossip business.”

Gawker.com’s closure marks a victory for Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan, whose successful $140 million privacy lawsuit, partly funded by Peter Thiel, led to the company’s bankruptcy.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/66030-gawkercom-end-operations-next-week-nick-denton-walks.html

 

[BSim500]

"It was reported earlier this week that Univision had put forward a winning bid of $135 million to acquire Gawker Media. But it seems there’s one of the seven Gawker properties the US Spanish-language broadcaster doesn’t want: flagship Gawker.com."

And who can blame them... To be honest, Lifehacker is the only one that I'd miss.

 

[davislane1]

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Kotaku under the leadership of Univision. I expect even more politics to be injected into their games coverage.

As for Denton and Gawker... That's why you don't challenge the Pythons.

 

[Uncle Al]

I must I am amazed to find so many people who's lives are so empty that they spend so much time focused on information that is ...... useless. In a day and age where there is so much going on; things that are truly worthy of great study and focus, why waste time trying to see one insignificant person having sex with another, or figuring out what's in their trash, or any of that stuff???

I watch so many young people wasting their lives worried about style, clothing, being chic and cool; I can only imagine what could be accomplished if they were engaged in something truly useful and would change the world, their country, their city, or even their neighborhood in a positive way.

Not trying to lecture ... I just see far too much energy spent on useless garbage when we have real and genuine problems in the world that need young minds engaged in the fight to make it better .......

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I must I am amazed to find so many people who's lives are so empty that they spend so much time focused on information that is ...... useless. In a day and age where there is so much going on; things that are truly worthy of great study and focus, why waste time trying to see one insignificant person having sex with another, or figuring out what's in their trash, or any of that stuff???

I watch so many young people wasting their lives worried about style, clothing, being chic and cool; I can only imagine what could be accomplished if they were engaged in something truly useful and would change the world, their country, their city, or even their neighborhood in a positive way.

Not trying to lecture ... I just see far too much energy spent on useless garbage when we have real and genuine problems in the world that need young minds engaged in the fight to make it better .......

I agree with what you say about the youth but it's impossible to put a wise head on young shoulders. Youth is wasted on youth but we were young once and I don't remember being much different at the time. I guess that is one thing that'll never get outdated.

 

[Levi Sterling]

They did something illegal, they paid for it. There are several reasons for why I'm not sad. If you pass a speech check that requires 57 to speechcraft at at least 65 to personality you can know those reasons.

 

[veLa]

I'm not exactly sad because they definitely behaved unethically, but Gawker was one of my favorite outlets for their practice of "gotcha journalism." Their goal of embarrassing people made for fun journalism.

 

[drjekelmrhyde]

What about Kinja deals?