![]() ![]() Throughout the conversation, Denton defended the publication of the story, saying it was newsworthy given that many in the Valley were aware already and he was an increasingly important figure in not just the technology industry. But many recently minted super-rich Silicon Valley residents aren’t used to outside scrutiny in the same way that figures in politics and the entertainment industry, Denton said. Thiel accrued a fortune from his investment in Facebook. “There are stories among them that I’m not proud of that did step over the mark,” Denton said. ![]() Gawker Media is known for a lot of great stories, Denton said (like Gizmodo’s coverage of Facebook trending topics), but some of them may have missed the mark. The primary one is, of course, the publication of the Hulk Hogan sex tape that now threatens to bankrupt the company, which Thiel came out saying he was involved in funding the case. The conversation centered around Gawker’s decision to publish a story that noted that Thiel was gay - among other controversial stories that the media organization has published - and the noteworthiness of those stories, which now could potentially significantly damage the company as a result of a series of lawsuits. It shows how things work,” he wrote.Gawker Media CEO Nick Denton joined Kara Swisher on stage at Vox Media’s Code Conference next to an empty chair - reserved for Peter Thiel, who is involved in a lawsuit against Gawker and did not attend the conference. “And so Gawker’s demise turns out to be the ultimate Gawker story. “But when you try to make a business out of that freedom, the system will fight you. As our experience has shown, that freedom was illusory. “It’s difficult to recall now, but at Gawker’s founding there was a sense that the internet was a free space, where anything can be said,” Denton continued. Throughout its run, Gawker made too many enemies of too many powerful people, including Thiel. “They are planning their next offsite meeting for Miami I am relieved they are all safe.”Īlso Read: Univision News Chief Says Gawker Media's Sites Will 'Keep Their Voice'Īccording to Denton, the site’s demise is evidence that a publication that refuses to play nice with its subjects ultimately can’t survive. “The rest of the staff and the rest of the brands - Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Jezebel, Kotaku, Jalopnik and Deadspin - are in the shelter of a Hispanic media company pursuing the broader multicultural and millennial audience,” wrote Denton. Last week, the company was purchased by Univision, which announced it would be shuttering the flagship site after Monday and reassigning the staff to other roles within the media conglomerate. “But in dramatic terms, it is a fitting conclusion to this experiment in what happens when you let journalists say what they really think.”Īlso Read: RIP Gawker: Site of Snark's Most Notorious Moments Will Live Foreverĭenton’s Gawker Media went bankrupt last year after losing a $140 million lawsuit brought by Hulk Hogan over a sex tape published on the site, a lawsuit later revealed to have been funded by billionaire investor Peter Thiel. Named for one of the site’s popular tags, which Denton explains was attached to posts “revealing the sausage-making, the secret ways that power manifests itself,” the post reflects on the site’s history and downfall, comparing it to a news story Gawker itself would rabidly cover. Gawker founder Nick Denton authored one final story for the site on Monday, a post titled “How Things Work” set to serve as the blog’s last before it shuts down for good. ![]()
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