Gawker announced today that it will retool itself to become a political website, instead of focusing on New York City and the media industry. The change comes after a controversy that resulted in two editors resigning.
Gawker Media CEO and founder Nick Denton announced the news in a memo, which was obtained by the The New York Times. Denton wrote that the site “will ride the circus of the 2016 campaign cycle, seizing the opportunity to reorient its editorial scope on political news, commentary and satire.”
Gawker became a dominant force on the web through its snarky style and major scoops. However, many thought they pushed the limits over summer when a controversial story was published and then taken down. Even some who worked at the site distanced themselves from the story and two top editors resigned. John Cook was then named the executive editor of Gawker Media and Alex Pareene was hired as Gawker.com editor.
The company will also focus on seven main sites, including Deadspin and Gizmodo. Defamer will be cut. Seven people will be let go, but six other jobs will be created, according to the Times’ sources.