When Gawker Became the Gossip

Call it irony. American news and gossip blog Gawker, which has been projecting itself as a media watchdog and celebrity news portal for the last 12 years, has now been making news for its own internal politics in the past few days.

Editor-in-chief Max Read and Executive Editor Tommy Craggs have both resigned in protest after an article was pulled down by the managing partnership. The article was an expose of a C-suite executive from Conde Nast, a rival media group, detailing his alleged text communication with a gay porn star, whom he purportedly offered $2,500 for sex. Following the publication of the article, a hail of criticism by readers poured in and major advertisers are said to have threatened to pull out from Gawker, which gets around 25 million hits each month. The article was subsequently taken off the website, following which Read and Craggs resigned, citing lack of editorial freedom and autonomy. On his part, co-founder and CEO Nick Denton alluded to reader outrage at outing a gay person without his consent, and the harm it would cause his family, as the reason for the deletion.

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