Gawker Media Acquires Upstart Competitor

Gawker Media's Nick Denton

In a move that suggests just how deeply Gawker Media has been shaken by it's redesign troubles, the company's managers announced this morning that they will acquire Crasstalk, a small blog created by former Gawker community members. In a press release Gawker editor Remy Stern explained that the company has been in talks with Crasstalk's management for the last two weeks and deal was struck yesterday to purchase the site for an undisclosed sum. The move comes after a disastrous redesign of the Gawker Media websites that alienated readers and baffled industry observers. Traffic has dropped sharply on the company's sites and readers have complained bitterly over technical issues with the new design.

Crasstalk, a small blog created by a group of Gawker users prior to the redesign has been a beneficiary of the debacle, going from a few dozen pageviews a day to an average of 18,000 views on most days since the redesign. Details on the site's owners are sketchy and a request for comment has not been returned at this time. The site is a bizarre mix of kitten pictures, biscuit recipes, and gay lifestyle articles.

In his press release Stern alluded to the idiosyncratic nature of the blog's mangers noting that the negotiations included requests for bondage gear, white zinfandel, and pictures of actress Aubrey Plaza. "The Crasstalk team has an unusual style that will be a welcome breath of fresh air at Gawker headquarters. We look forward to working with their team." The press release also notes that Gawker writer Adrian Chen will act as a liaison with the new site.