Gawker Media Layoffs 19, Suspends Pageview Bonuses Temporarily

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Nick Denton’s successful blog network is getting ready for harder times. 19 of the 133 employers is being laid off, while another 10 is hired to strengthen the successful sites like Gawker, Kotaku, Gizmodo and Lifehacker. He’s also temporarily suspending the pageview bonus system, which have already seen some slashing, for the first quarter next year, while hinting that it might be out of the loop longer in his memo. It’s not all bad news for Gawker Media bloggers, though, since the base pay amount will be raised for the ones not getting sacked.

Denton blames the recession. [Read more…]

Gawker Media Takes a Pop at Los Angeles Times’ Record Month

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Gawker Media, the blog network lead by Nick Denton, had a great July, it would seem, with no less than 6 sites setting new traffic records. Impressive indeed. The official posting also notes:

Also important is the year-over-year growth that continues with this new high. Gawker Media’s network traffic level is 70% higher than last year, 330% greater than in July 2006, and a whopping 700% higher than three years ago in 2005.

That is some growth for sure. [Read more…]

Gawker Media cuts payrates… Again!

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Once again, Gawker Media has cut the pay of their bloggers, according to a post over at Radar.

You may recall that not too long ago, Gawker Media moved to a model where their bloggers were tied to the traffc on their individual blog posts – along with a system of traffic bonuses and other incentives.

The declining economy may have had an impact on Gawker Media, thus driving down the payrates… [Read more…]

Denton scores 7 nominations for Bloggies

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The 2005 Bloggies, the blogosphere’s oldest blogging awards have annouced their nominees for this year, with Nick Denton’s Gawker Media leading the field with 7 nominations, with Wonkette scoring three nominations including Best American Weblog, Best Weblog about Politics and Weblog of the Year, Defamer scoring nominations for Best New Weblog and Best Entertainment Weblog, and Gawker and Gizmodo rounding out the list with nominations for Weblog of the Year and Best Computer or Technology Weblog.

Amongst other nominations from the world for blogging for business include WeblogsInc’s Engadget, with a nomination for Best Computer or Technology Weblog, Canadian company Ludicorp’s Flickr photo sharing service with nominations for Best Meme and Best Web Application for Weblogs, andSixApart’s Movable Type blogging software for Best Web Application for Weblogs.

Perinial blogging favourites Boing Boing featured with nominations for Best Group Weblog and Weblog of the Year, and Slashdot with nominations for Best Computers or Technology Weblog and Best Community Weblog.

The biggest shock in the nominations was the overlooking of any number of very high profile political blogs by the panel, with notables such as Times Blog of the Year Powerline and The Daily Kos missing out on nominations to the fairly low profile Low Culture, which is more satirical and gossip that politics, 3 way political blog WatchBlog, Pandagon and 1115.org

Past winner and MovableType refugee Scriptygoddess, now high priestess of WordPress plugins is up for another year with a nomination for Best Web Development Weblog.

A number of web pioneers have been overlooked again this year, notably Dave Winer, with Tom Coates from Plastic Bag and Derek Powazek lining up as favourites for the Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Voting will close at 10:00 PM US Eastern Standard Time on 3 February 2005, with The Weblog Award ceremony will be held at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas on Monday, 14 March 14 at 12:30 PM.