Gossip led to Gawker Media bankrupt. The story took a film – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                         
                     

                 

 
 

It all started when the site Gawker published a fri tape (home video with scenes of sex) 1 minute 41 seconds involving the old wrestling Hulk Hogan – stage name Terry Bollea – and then best friend’s wife. Nothing that the Gwaker was not used: descriptive website phrase is “gossip today in the news tomorrow.” Created in 2003 in New York (at the time in the form of blog), the site specializes in disclosing scandals and gossip in the US, especially celebrities, giving rise to the influential group Gawker Media , which has also, for example, the site on technology Gizmodo .

the events that followed were these rather unexpected. Former wrestler sued online publication for invasion of privacy and in March the company was ordered to pay 60 million dollars to Hulk Hogan for moral damages and 55 million for economic damages, which still amounted to over 25 million in punitive damages. In total, 140 million (approximately EUR 125 million) that the company claimed not pay and went bankrupt. But in the process they arose important revelations: the process carried out by Hulk Hogan against Gawker was, like many others, funded by the investor billionaire Peter Thiel, co-founder of Pay Pal and investor Facebook. Peter Thiel have specifically sought to support cases against Gawker after the site had published in 2007 an article which stated that Thiel was gay.

“Even with his millions, Thiel is not going to silence,” said the founder and Executive Director of the Gawker Nick Denton. “Our sites will resist – under new owners – and we will win in court,” he added. Revenge, or attempting to control the media? The open war between Denton and Thiel has raised a debate about the ease with which economic power can cause indirectly and disfaraçada way, the fall of a publication. “It’s less about revenge and more about specific deterrence,” he said in May this year Peter Thiel, cited by New York Times . “I saw the Gawker create a unique and incredibly destructive way to attract attention through the bullying and without any connection to the public interest”, accused Thiel.

Gawker is seen as a pioneer in publishing style celebrity scandals, with great media impact. The digital media company Ziff Davis has already made a proposal to buy the company at a value between 90 to 100 million dollars. The sale is expected to happen by the end of summer.