Gawker has been #GamerGate’s arch nemesis since 2014, with the consumer revolt targeting the outlet for its unethical journalism and the ruination of many lives due to careless blogging. #GamerGate went after Gawker’s advertisers, costing them millions in ad revenue. But it was only after a war of attrition in the courtroom with Hulk Hogan that a final blow was dealt to Denton’s online empire.
After losing a legal battle to Hulk Hogan over publishing his sex tape and then having to file bankruptcy, Gawker.com will be shutting down next week. The original owner, Nick Denton, also had to file for bankruptcy after losing the lawsuit, and on August 16th Denton had to auction off Gawker and its subsidiaries to Univision for $135 million.
Gawker’s writers were originally worried about the future of Gawker.com after Univision made it known that they had a place under their conglomeration for Kotaku, Gizmodo, Jezebel and Jalopnik but made no mention of Gawker.com.
Well, over on Gawker.com writer T.K. Trotter acknowledged that Univision has no place for Gawker.com under their new regime. The site will be shutting down next week.
Nick Denton will stick around for another two years with an annual salary of $200,000, but only as a consultant and under the requisition of fulfilling a non-compete clause. This means no new start-ups, no new business ventures and no new blogging endeavors for Denton.
Former writers for Gawker took to Twitter to express their discontent, defending the publishing of revenge porn and other defamatory pieces for which Gawker had become renown for.
Most of the people celebrating Gawker shutting down are as good a confirmation you can hope for that it made enemies of all the right scum.
— Big Sexy Jeb! Lund (@Mobute) August 18, 2016
Gawker isn’t closing bc of a sextape or bad choices, but bc of a vindictive billionaire. That’s bad news for everyone. Except billionaires.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) August 18, 2016
If you think some billionaire with a grudge won’t come after your news org after this, you are sadly mistaken https://t.co/49p8G78c3Z
— Adam Servianski (@AdamSerwer) August 18, 2016
The idea that Gawker went too far and that led to its downfall is silly. It was a dumb jury in Florida that did this.
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) August 18, 2016
These verified journalists on Twitter defending Gawker let you know exactly who to look out for when it comes to unethical journalism.
Nevertheless, most people with a moral compass are celebrating the demise of Gawker.com. Ruining lives through assassination blogging is not journalism.
This still doesn’t answer the question of what will happen to Gawker’s subsidiaries. With Univision obviously cleaning house of Gawker.com, we still don’t know what will become of recognized sites like Jezebel, Kotaku, Deadspin and Gizmodo.
According to CNN, writers for Gawker.com will be shuffled into roles at other Univision divisions or at the other Gawker subsidiaries until the sale is final.
On the up and up, #GamerGate’s arch nemesis has been felled by the giant that is Hulk Hogan (with some financial help from billionaire Peter Thiel). While the media can continue to tout that #GamerGate is bad and evil, at least it lasted long enough to see the big, bad, boss topple over under the weight of its own transgressions.