Gawker is a Rorschach test. When readers started sending me celebrity sighting tips and we published them in a periodic feature called the Gawker Stalker, some celebrities accused us of directly endangering them. jeopardize their safety. It doesn’t matter if the eyewitnesses took place after the fact, often a few days later, or in many cases, the celebrity’s own journalist who sent the news. It’s easy, if not completely accurate, to draw a straight line from that feature to the aggressive paparazzi style of TMZ or Deux Moi. But for others, Gawker Stalker makes celebrities feel more human and approachable. It’s great to know that Jon Stewart has been to Dunkin’ Donuts just like you or your favorite musician has taken the subway.
Gawker’s DNA has since spread to other parts of the media; Its tone and style are replicated in countless spin-offs, and its alumni are employed by major media companies, including The Times. It created a model of independent media in which elite skepticism and a desire for mischief lead to stories of power and its abuses (along with a lot of vanity about it). famous people).
The lawsuit that caused it to close has also cast a lasting shadow. Mr. Thiel came to Gawker Media after one of its blogs described him as gay. (It also report that his hedge fund, Clarium Capital, was losing money.) He filed many lawsuits, but eventually found the winning case — and a sympathetic courtroom — in the Hulk Hogan episode. The case revolved around whether Gawker violated Mr. Hogan’s privacy, as a internationally recognized celebrity who regularly discusses his sex life in public, he no longer has the right to privacy.
Mr. Hogan was awarded a previously unthinkable $140 million. I wouldn’t publish the video myself, but for me the bigger issue was how the incident affected the First Amendment. It opens the door to anyone rich enough to fund a lawsuit (or two or three) to evict a media organization they don’t like to cover. Even if you hate Gawker, this will terrify you.
A few years ago, a new owner revived Gawker. This final iteration of Gawker’s isn’t like the last: It reads more like a literary magazine, with essays and quirky tales of esoteric things.
The original Gawker could never have existed today. Gen X’s seemingly sharp skepticism towards institutional power has turned into Gen Z’s outright rejection of it. And, more importantly, there’s nothing too hot for the mainstream media to cover anymore. A former president is accused of paying to silence a porn star, and even the highest intellectual outlets are obligated to cover that sum.
Social media has also democratized this kind of criticism and given social media users more access to those in power. You can go to Twitter right now and directly ask Elon Musk to put down his phone and stop posting. (He won’t do it, but you can tell him.)
