Gawker Media:
where the hacking happened

Editors at Gawker, Gizmodo and Jezebel blogs are facing the axe.

Gawker editor Sheila McClear has been let go, as has an editorial assistant at Jezebel, while Gawker weekend editor Alex Carnevale’s monthly contract was not renewed, writes FishbowlNY (via MediaBuyerPlanner).

Gizmodo lost reporter Benny Goldman. Gawker Media head Nick Denton has not said whether more cuts will come. Consolidation has made it difficult to tell if more of the company’s sites will make cuts before the end of the year, Denton says.

Denton's made no secret of his fears for the future of his sites in light of the economic climate. He recently predicted a worst-case scenario of a 40% decline in ad spend on his blog. Since then, Gawker Media's revenues have actually soared — by 39% in November over the same month last year, according to Denton.

20% of the gains come from adding Google ads to each site's search results. More sponsored posts and larger ad units also added to growth.

Last month Denton announced plans to sell the Consumerist website and consolidate Valleywag into Gawker. Layoffs at Gawker also occurred, along with the elimination of pageview bonuses for writers, though pay was raised to compensate.

In April, Denton sold Wonkette, Idolator and Gridskipper, which generated less than one million impressions per month.