The Consumerist

Hoping to win more youthful readers (and some insta-hipster clout), Consumers Union — the publisher of Consumer Reports — is purchasing Consumerist.com, a cheeky consumer advocate blog owned by Gawker Media.

Unlike Gawker, which is selling a panoply of online properties to hedge its bets against falling ad sales, Consumers Union is little affected by the waxes and wanes of the online ad market. Non-profit status and a successful subscription model enable it to operate Consumer Reports without leaning too heavily on sponsorship.

It is purchasing The Consumerist expressly to draw a younger generation of readers. Lack of pressure to turn a profit or appease advertisers will empower The Consumerist's editorial team to cover consumer-oriented topics as they please, stated EVP John Sateja of the Consumers Union (via MediaPost).

"Like Consumer Reports, [The Consumerist's] mission is to create a fair, safe, and just marketplace," Sateja elaborated, claiming the generation-forking pubs also share a maverick's bristle: "When Consumers Union began during the Depression, it was very snarky for its time. Consumerist continues that tradition for a new generation."

Consumer Reports currently serves about 3.3 million online subscribers. The Consumerist draws nearly two million unique visitors per month.

Gawker founder Nick Denton put The Consumerist on the block two months ago, at the time lamenting, "[people will say] the golden age of the blog is over." In November Gawker shut down Valleywag, a popular gossip site for Silicon Valley enthusiasts.