This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37125348
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| News site Gawker.com to shut down next week | News site Gawker.com to shut down next week |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The news site Gawker.com will shut down next week, just days after its parent company was purchased by Univision. | The news site Gawker.com will shut down next week, just days after its parent company was purchased by Univision. |
| Gawker founder Nick Denton told staff on Thursday afternoon, a post on its website said. | Gawker founder Nick Denton told staff on Thursday afternoon, a post on its website said. |
| Media firm Univision agreed to buy Gawker Media for $135m (£103m) at a bankruptcy auction. | Media firm Univision agreed to buy Gawker Media for $135m (£103m) at a bankruptcy auction. |
| Gawker filed for bankruptcy after losing a $140m privacy lawsuit brought by former wrestler Hulk Hogan, paid for by Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel. | Gawker filed for bankruptcy after losing a $140m privacy lawsuit brought by former wrestler Hulk Hogan, paid for by Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel. |
| Mr Thiel funded Mr Hogan's case saying he wanted to curb the company's "bullying", after the site published an article that outed Mr Thiel as gay. | |
| Gawker rescued by US media group | Gawker rescued by US media group |
| Peter Thiel a 'serious threat' to press | Peter Thiel a 'serious threat' to press |
| Founded 14 years ago, Gawker is known for its no-holds-bar approach to reporting, including breaking gossip stories on high-powered celebrities and business leaders. | Founded 14 years ago, Gawker is known for its no-holds-bar approach to reporting, including breaking gossip stories on high-powered celebrities and business leaders. |
| Univision is most commonly known in the US as the country's biggest Spanish-language media company. It also owns a 40% stake in the satirical website The Onion. | Univision is most commonly known in the US as the country's biggest Spanish-language media company. It also owns a 40% stake in the satirical website The Onion. |
| 'Losing Gawker.com hurts' | 'Losing Gawker.com hurts' |
| In a memo to his staff, seen by the news agency AP, Mr Denton said: "Sadly, neither I nor Gawker.com, the buccaneering flagship of the group I built with my colleagues, are coming along for this next stage. | In a memo to his staff, seen by the news agency AP, Mr Denton said: "Sadly, neither I nor Gawker.com, the buccaneering flagship of the group I built with my colleagues, are coming along for this next stage. |
| "We have not been able to find a single media company or investor willing also to take on Gawker.com. The campaign being mounted against its editorial ethos and former writers has made it too risky. I can understand the caution." | "We have not been able to find a single media company or investor willing also to take on Gawker.com. The campaign being mounted against its editorial ethos and former writers has made it too risky. I can understand the caution." |
| He added that he would move out of the news and gossip business but "work to make the web a forum for the open exchange of ideas and information". | He added that he would move out of the news and gossip business but "work to make the web a forum for the open exchange of ideas and information". |
| A US bankruptcy court later approved Univision's purchase of Gawker Media, which owns seven websites in total. | A US bankruptcy court later approved Univision's purchase of Gawker Media, which owns seven websites in total. |
| They are: Gawker.com, Deadspin, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Kotaku, Jalopnik, and Jezebel. | They are: Gawker.com, Deadspin, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Kotaku, Jalopnik, and Jezebel. |
| The post on Gawker's website said plans for future coverage and its website's archives had not yet been finalised. | The post on Gawker's website said plans for future coverage and its website's archives had not yet been finalised. |
| Gawker employees took to Twitter to express their sadness about the decision to shut down the sites. | Gawker employees took to Twitter to express their sadness about the decision to shut down the sites. |
| "Our other sites, including Kotaku, live on, but losing the vibrant Gawker.com hurts," tweeted Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of Kotaku. | "Our other sites, including Kotaku, live on, but losing the vibrant Gawker.com hurts," tweeted Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of Kotaku. |
| Bobby Finger, a staff writer for Jezabel, tweeted, "I'm one of countless people who owes Gawker so, so, so much." | Bobby Finger, a staff writer for Jezabel, tweeted, "I'm one of countless people who owes Gawker so, so, so much." |
| Another staff writer, Jordan Sargent, wrote: "Gawker is dead because Peter Thiel (w the help of Charles harder) has succeeded in creating a world where owning gawker is simply not viable." | Another staff writer, Jordan Sargent, wrote: "Gawker is dead because Peter Thiel (w the help of Charles harder) has succeeded in creating a world where owning gawker is simply not viable." |
| Former Gawker reporter Sam Biddle wrote simply, "I am heartbroken". | Former Gawker reporter Sam Biddle wrote simply, "I am heartbroken". |
| Financial trouble | Financial trouble |
| Earlier this year Gawker was sued by Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, after the website published a video of Mr Hogan having sex with the wife of a friend from 2007. | Earlier this year Gawker was sued by Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, after the website published a video of Mr Hogan having sex with the wife of a friend from 2007. |
| A three-week trial ended with the jury ruling in the former wrestler's favour and ordering Gawker to pay $115m in compensation and $25m in punitive damage. | A three-week trial ended with the jury ruling in the former wrestler's favour and ordering Gawker to pay $115m in compensation and $25m in punitive damage. |
| Gawker asked the judge for a new trial, but that request was rejected. Many experts though expect that the original verdict will be overturned on appeal. | Gawker asked the judge for a new trial, but that request was rejected. Many experts though expect that the original verdict will be overturned on appeal. |