Gawker
Updated: 12/11/2025, 3:10:57 PM Wikipedia source
Gawker was an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers that was based in New York City and focused on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month in 2015. Founded in 2002, Gawker was the flagship blog for Denton's Gawker Media. Gawker Media also managed other blogs such as Jezebel, io9, Deadspin and Kotaku. Gawker had come under scrutiny for posting videos, communications and other content that violated copyrights or the privacy of its owners, or was illegally obtained. Gawker's publication of a sex tape featuring Hulk Hogan led Hogan to sue the company for invasion of privacy. Hogan received financial support from billionaire investor Peter Thiel, who had been outed as gay by Gawker against his wishes. On June 10, 2016, Gawker filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay Hogan $140 million in damages. On August 18, 2016, Gawker Media announced that its namesake blog would be ceasing operations the following week. Its other websites were unaffected, and continued publication under Univision as the renamed Gizmodo Media Group. Founder Nick Denton created the site's final post on August 22, 2016. The Freedom of the Press Foundation independently archived the Gawker website and its articles in 2018. On July 12, 2018, Bryan Goldberg, owner of Bustle and Elite Daily, purchased Gawker.com and its archive in a bankruptcy auction for less than $1.5 million. Gawker relaunched under the Bustle Digital Group on July 28, 2021, with Leah Finnegan as editor. On February 1, 2023, Bustle Digital Group suspended the site's operations. Finnegan tweeted that the publication was folding. In November 2023, Gawker was acquired by Meng Ru Kuok. The Gawker digital archive was not included in this purchase, with all articles wiped from the original website and relocated to gawkerarchives.com.
Infobox
Tables
| Editor-in-chief | Editor from | Editor to |
| Elizabeth Spiers | 2003 | 2003 |
| Choire Sicha | 2003 | 2004 |
| Jessica Coen | 2004 | 2006 |
| Jesse Oxfeld | 2005 | 2006 |
| Alex Balk | 2006 | 2007 |
| Emily Gould | 2006 | 2007 |
| Choire Sicha | 2007 | 2007 |
| Gabriel Snyder | 2009 | 2010 |
| Remy Stern | 2010 | 2011 |
| Daulerio | 2012 | 2013 |
| John Cook | 2013 | 2014 |
| Max Read | 2014 | 2015 |
| Leah Beckmann | 2015 | 2015 |
| Alex Pareene | 2015 | 2016 |
| Dan Peres | 2019 | 2019 |
| Leah Finnegan | 2021 | 2023 |
References
- nytimes.comhttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/business/media/bdg-gawker-shuttering.html#:~:text=gawker%2Dshuttering.html-,Gawker%2C%20the%20Irreverent%20Gossip%20Site%2C%20Will%20Be%20Shuttered%20Again,difficult%E2%80%9D%20start%20to%20the%20year.&text=Gawker%20is%20dead.
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/business/media/gawker-nick-denton-moment-of-truth.html?_r=0
- "Gawker.com" Archived June 30, 2015, at the Wayback Machine SimilarWeb. Retrieved June 28, 2015.http://www.similarweb.com/website/gawker.com#
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/11/business/media/gawker-bankruptcy-sale.html
- The Atlantichttps://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/02/hogan-thiel-gawker-trial/554132/
- "Gawker.com to End Operations Next Week"https://web.archive.org/web/20160818145641/http://gawker.com/gawker-com-to-end-operations-next-week-1785455712
- Gawkerhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170402192138/http://gawker.com/how-things-work-1785604699
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/business/media/gawker-archives-press-freedom.html
- Wiredhttps://www.wired.com/story/gawker-archives-freedom-of-press-foundation-toast-la-weekly/
- CNNhttps://money.cnn.com/2018/07/12/media/gawker-auction-bryan-goldberg/index.html
- TheWraphttps://www.thewrap.com/gawker-is-set-for-relaunch-again/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2023/digital/news/gawker-shutting-down-1235509262/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2023/digital/news/gawker-sold-meng-ru-kuok-caldecott-music-group-1235791943/
- Slatehttps://slate.com/business/2024/02/messenger-gawker-vice-media-layoffs-sites-deleted-why.html
- The New York Timeshttps://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/12/13/former-gawker-editor-sews-up-fashion-site/?8dpc
- n+1https://nplusonemag.com/issue-6/reviews/gawker-2002-2007/
- n+1http://www.nplusonemag.com/gawker-2002-2007
- Timeshttps://web.archive.org/web/20100131215138/http://gawker.com/5257522/times-hamptons-just-like-us-cutely-conserving-for-thrifty-summer
- "Extremely literal boss demotes editor to columnist – self-referential – Gawker"https://web.archive.org/web/20081218054303/http://valleywag.com/5084842/extremely-literal-boss-demotes-editor-to-columnist
- "Consumerist Is For Sale"http://consumerist.com/5084569/consumerist-is-for-sale
- "AdweekMedia: Best of the 2000s – Blog of the Decade"https://web.archive.org/web/20100127182036/http://www.bestofthe2000s.com/blog-of-the-decade.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/business/media/16bizbriefs-GAWKERACQUIR_BRF.html
- Gawkerhttps://web.archive.org/web/20120807044347/http://gawker.com/5853561/a-tribute-to-richard-lawson-on-his-second-last-day
- Capital New Yorkhttps://web.archive.org/web/20121024053756/http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2011/10/3881181/richard-lawson-leaves-gawker-work-old-gawker-boss-atlantic-wire
- Gawker Will Be Conducting An Experiment, Please Enjoy Your Free Cute Cats Singing And Sideboobs Archived June 17, 2012,http://gawker.com/5878065/gawker-will-be-conducting-an-experiment-please-enjoy-your-free-cute-cats-singing-and-sideboobs
- Four truths about Gawker-Brian Williams e-mail thing Archived August 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Erik Wemple, Thehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/four-truths-about-gawker-brian-williams-e-mail-thing/2012/01/17/gIQAUktt5P_blog.html
- A.J. Daulerio Is Leaving Gawker for 'Who the F#@K Knows' Archived January 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Kara Bloomgahttps://observer.com/2013/01/a-j-daulerio-is-leaving-gawker-for-who-the-fk-knows/
- A.J. Daulerio Out as Gawker Editor in Chief Archived January 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Charlie Warzel, AdWeek, Jhttp://www.adweek.com/news/press/aj-daulerio-out-gawker-editor-chief-146450
- A.J. Daulerio Out As Gawker Editor; John Cook to Step Up Archived January 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Joe Coscarelhttp://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/01/aj-daulerio-out-as-gawker-editor.html
- Cisionhttp://www.cision.com/us/2014/03/max-read-takes-reins-at-gawker/
- Poynter Institutehttps://web.archive.org/web/20141128120629/http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/246113/gawker-bans-internet-slang/
- TheWraphttp://www.thewrap.com/gawker-rips-buzzfeed-ban-internet-slang/
- The New York Observerhttps://observer.com/2014/04/massive-attack-gawker-goes-after-whopping-word/
- BostInnohttp://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/04/03/gawker-editor-bans-internet-slang/
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/10/ban-internet-slang-steven-poole-derp-amazeballs-lulz-wtf
- The New Republichttps://newrepublic.com/article/117289/gawker-language-memo-encourages-use-adult-language
- Observerhttps://observer.com/2015/06/gawker-votes-to-form-union/
- "In A First For Online Media, Gawker Writers Join Union"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/04/412042028/in-a-first-for-online-media-gawker-writers-join-union
- "How We're Voting on the Union, and Why"https://web.archive.org/web/20150721121035/http://gawker.com/how-were-voting-on-the-union-and-why-1707427120
- Women's Wear Dailyhttp://wwd.com/media-news/digital/gawker-nick-denton-tries-to-calm-staff-as-fallout-continues-10190742
- The Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gawker-closing_us_57b5e870e4b0fd5a2f41cbb5
- Forbeshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/veronicavillafane/2016/09/22/univision-rebrands-gawker-media-as-gizmodo-media-group-starts-translating-content-for-univision-com/#4b64345e44ad
- The A.V. Clubhttp://www.avclub.com/article/hulk-hogan-further-vindicated-univision-shuts-down-241350
- Gawkerhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160818215743/http://gawker.com/fate-of-gawker-com-remains-unclear-after-univision-acqu-1785392239
- Splinterhttps://splinternews.com/here-are-the-media-chuds-joining-fake-gawker-1831782448
- Esquirehttps://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a29501602/gawker-bryan-goldberg-bustle-digital-group/
- The Daily Beasthttps://www.thedailybeast.com/gawker-writers-quit-over-editorial-director-carson-griffiths-offensive-tweets-workplace-comments
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/business/media/gawker-editor-dan-peres.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/business/gawker-bustle-reboot-canceled.html
- Fox Newshttps://www.foxnews.com/media/daily-beast-carson-griffith-lawsuit
- Fox Newshttps://www.foxnews.com/media/carson-griffith-gawker-defamation-case-daily-beast
- Insiderhttps://www.businessinsider.com/daily-beast-defamation-lawsuit-gawker-implosion-dismissed-2023-5
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/business/media/gawker-return.html
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2021/digital/news/gawker-relaunch-bustle-digital-group-1235029633/
- CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/02/01/media/gawker-shuts-down/index.html
- TheWraphttps://www.thewrap.com/gawker-acquired-caldecott-music-group-bustle-media-bmg/
- Futurismhttps://futurism.com/dead-gawker-promote-joe-rogan-donald-trump
- "Letter From the Ex-Editor: It's a Long Way to Tipperary, It's a Long Way to Go"https://web.archive.org/web/20060705103252/http://www.gawker.com/news/jesse-oxfeld/letter-from-the-exeditor-its-a-long-way-to-tipperary-its-a-long-way-to-go-184928.php
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/business/media/gawker-politics-media.html
- Columbia Journalism Reviewhttps://www.cjr.org/special_report/microfilm-newspapers-media-digital.php/
- Intelligencerhttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/08/save-the-trash-why-the-gawker-archive-is-important.html
- "Describing dynamic data journalism: developing a survey of news applications"https://slub.qucosa.de/landing-page/?tx_dlf%5bid%5d=https%3A%2F%2Fslub.qucosa.de%2Fapi%2Fqucosa%253A16654%2Fmets
- TechCrunchhttps://techcrunch.com/2018/02/01/freedom-of-the-press-foundation-will-preserve-gawkers-archives/
- Columbia Journalism Reviewhttps://www.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/the-dire-state-of-news-archiving-in-the-digital-age.php/
- "Introducing Gawker Stalker Maps"https://web.archive.org/web/20060411054843/http://www.gawker.com/news/stalker/introducing-gawker-stalker-maps-160338.php
- "Gawker.com launches 'stalker' map"http://www.today.com/id/11945454
- Larry King Livehttp://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0704/06/lkl.01.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/business/dealbook/peter-thiel-tech-billionaire-reveals-secret-war-with-gawker.html
- Tom's Hardwarehttp://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Tom-Cruise-Scientology,news-27215.html
- "Church of Scientology Claims Copyright Infringement"https://web.archive.org/web/20150721210837/http://gawker.com/5002319/church-of-scientology-claims-copyright-infringement
- "The Cruise Indoctrination Video Scientology Tried To Suppress"https://web.archive.org/web/20150716105455/http://gawker.com/5002269/the-cruise-indoctrination-video-scientology-tried-to-suppress
- "Sarah Palin's Personal Emails – Exclusive"https://web.archive.org/web/20100324024222/http://gawker.com/5051193/sarah-palins-personal-emails
- "Palin Emails Reveal Press Hate – Close read"https://web.archive.org/web/20100124233736/http://gawker.com/5051334/palin-emails-reveal-press-hate
- "Palin Hackers May Dodge Feds via DOJ Loophole – News and Analysis by PC Magazine"https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330802,00.asp
- "CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive – McCain camp seeks investigation over reported e-mail hack « – Blogs from CNN.com"https://web.archive.org/web/20100312095255/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/17/mccain-camp-seeks-investigation-over-reported-e-mail-hack/#more-18989
- "I Had a One-Night Stand With Christine O'Donnell"https://web.archive.org/web/20130829003900/http://gawker.com/5674353/i-had-a-one+night-stand-with-christine-odonnell?skyline=true&s=i
- "NOW to Media: Stop Reducing Women Candidates to Sex Objects"https://web.archive.org/web/20131011095057/http://www.now.org/press/10-10/10-28.html
- "Twitter / elliottjustin: Today, we are all Christine O'Donnell"https://twitter.com/elliottjustin/status/29014215829
- "Gawker Honcho: "Writers are Successful to the Extent That They Can Sublimate Their Egotism""http://www.theawl.com/2010/10/gawker-honcho-writers-are-successful-to-the-extent-that-they-can-sublimate-their-egotism
- Forbeshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/firewall/2010/12/13/the-lessons-of-gawkers-security-mess/
- "Gawker website Hacked by Gnosis; Gnosis says they are not 4chan or Anonymous"https://web.archive.org/web/20101216021934/http://techshrimp.com/2010/12/13/gawker-website-hacked-by-gnosis-gnosis-says-they-are-not-4chan-or-anonymous/
- Mediaitehttp://www.mediaite.com/online/gawker-medias-entire-commenter-database-appears-to-have-been-hacked/
- "Gawker hackers release file with FTP, author & reader usernames/passwords"https://thenextweb.com/media/2010/12/13/gawker-hackers-release-file-with-ftp-author-reader-usernamespasswords/
- "Commenting Accounts Compromised – Change Your Passwords"https://web.archive.org/web/20101214102405/http://lifehacker.com/5712635/commenting-accounts-compromised-++-change-your-passwords
- "Advisory Notice (No action required)"http://gawker.com/5712646/advisory-notice-no-action-required
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020906977.html?hpid=topnews
- "Even for a Minute, Watching Hulk Hogan Have Sex in a Canopy Bed is Not Safe For Work but Watch it Anyway"http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20150703232454/http://gawker.com/5948770/even-for-a-minute-watching-hulk-hogan-have-sex-in-a-canopy-bed-is-not-safe-for-work-but-watch-it-anyway
- BuzzFeedhttps://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/the-biggest-mistake-of-my-life-court-records-detail-the-buil
- Gawkerhttps://web.archive.org/web/20130428130143/http://gawker.com/a-judge-told-us-to-take-down-our-hulk-hogan-sex-tape-po-481328088
- "A judge told us to take down our Hulk Hogan sex tape post. We won't"https://web.archive.org/web/20160319090210/https://twitter.com/Gawker/status/327537977922318337
- The New York Observerhttps://observer.com/2014/09/spare-us-the-sanctimony-the-gross-hypocrisy-of-online-media-in-the-nude-photo-leak/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/business/media/gawker-nick-denton-moment-of-truth.html
- Forbeshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2016/06/07/behind-peter-thiel-plan-to-destroy-gawker/#357fbad15848
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/business/dealbook/peter-thiel-tech-billionaire-reveals-secret-war-with-gawker.html
- Fortunehttp://fortune.com/2016/01/20/gawker-funding/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/19/business/media/gawker-hulk-hogan-verdict.html
- CNNMoneyhttps://money.cnn.com/2016/03/18/media/hulk-hogan-gawker-jury-deliberations/index.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/business/media/hulk-hogan-damages-25-million-gawker-case.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/business/media/gawker-hulk-hogan-settlement.html?_r=0
- The Daily Telegraphhttp://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/michael-brutsch-exposed-as-the-reddits-violentacrez-the-worlds-worst-internet-troll/story-fnddckzi-1226495497037
- "Unmasking Reddit's Violentacrez, The Biggest Troll on the Web"https://web.archive.org/web/20121012213707/http://gawker.com/5950981/unmasking-reddits-violentacrez-the-biggest-troll-on-the-web
- "Reddit bans Gawker links over Adrian Chen story about porn purveyor Violentacres"http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/11/reddit_bans_gawker_links_over_adrian_chen_story_about_porn_purveyor_violentacres.html
- Daily Dothttp://www.dailydot.com/news/gawker-reddit-banned-adrian-chen-violentacrez/
- "Leaked Reddit Chat Logs Reveal Moderators' Real Concern"https://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/leaked-chat-logs-between-reddit-moderators-and-sta
- Wiredhttps://www.wired.com/2012/10/truth-lies-doxxing-internet-vigilanteism/
- The Next Webhttps://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/10/27/the-problems-with-anonymous-trolls-and-accountability-in-the-digital-age/
- ABC Newshttps://abcnews.go.com/Business/fed-interns-office-grievances-court/story?id=19476629
- TheWraphttps://www.thewrap.com/gawker-beats-former-interns-in-legal-battle-over-wages/
- "Goodbye to All That Gawking"https://adamweinstein.tumblr.com/post/124342415120/goodbye-to-all-that-gawking
- "A Statement From the Gawker Media Editorial Staff"https://web.archive.org/web/20150719013412/http://politburo.gawker.com/a-statement-from-the-gawker-media-editorial-staff-1718649722
- USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/07/17/gawkers-apparent-outing-cfo-meets-internet-backlash/30280505/
- "Gawker retreats and deletes controversial story"https://money.cnn.com/2015/07/17/media/gawker-removes-post/index.html
- Gawkerhttps://web.archive.org/web/20150721024215/http://gawker.com/tommy-craggs-and-max-read-are-resigning-from-gawker-1719002144
- Politicohttps://web.archive.org/web/20151024001133/http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2015/07/8572873/gawker-buyout-watch
- The Daily Beasthttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/25/gawker-s-season-of-fear-and-loathing.html
- CNBChttps://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/10/gawker-files-for-bankruptcy-and-says-it-will-sell-the-company-to-ziff-davis-or-someone-else.html
- CNBChttps://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/10/gawker-media-files-for-ch-11-bankruptcy-protection.html
- "Univision deletes six controversial Gawker Media posts"https://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/09/univision-to-delete-six-controversial-gawker-media-posts-004753/