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Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

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Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#251

Post by mikeyouse »

icebraining wrote: post #197
mikeyouse wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ACLU typically expands rights and free speech while this is somewhere on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Citing the ACLU, if Hulk Hogan’s sex tape was somehow newsworthy, then distributing it on the internet would come under the protections of the First Amendment, and Gawker would have a right to publish it. But the jury found that this case was not about the Hulk as a public figure and that the video had no news value. The Hulk, therefore, enjoys the same rights to privacy as everyone else.

Yes, a Florida jury decided that Hulk Hogan wasn't a public figure but that the damage to his career from a sex tape was worth $55 million. Do those things seem slightly contradictory to you?

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#252

Post by keepper »

cthor wrote: post #227
keepper wrote: post #74

A racist billionaire[1], funding another racist millionaire[2], supporting another racist billionaire[3] But everyone seems to be ok with this, because of pseudo libertarianism? Libertarianism: "All the parts of government that benefit rich folks are legit/necessary/essential. All the parts that benefit poor folks are illegitimate/aggression/tyranny." Oh man... what is going on!?! [1] https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/…

There's some perverse doublethink going on when it's considered racist to suggest we stop discriminating on the basis of race.

He's expressed support on the "right" of businesses to discriminate based on race/gender/etc[1]. As well as libertarianism being critical of the civil rights act, the civil war, etc [2].

How is that doublethink?

[1] http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education... [2] http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/16/racism-civil-rights-an...

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#253

Post by wrsh07 »

GrumpyYoungMan wrote: post #68
nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

"Precedent this sets"? I think "Don't publish a illegally made video of people in a private moment or ignore court orders to take down the video." to be a rather positive precedent, don't you? That's the sort of chilling effect on media we should all be applauding. Thief merely funded a court battle that had merit (in this case, quite a lot of merit) that Bollea probably could have won on his own. I fail to see what…

... "merely" went looking for reasons to sue Gawker and happened to find a big one.

He has funded multiple suits against Gawker.

He wasn't giving a friend some money, he was explicitly searching out cases to take down a media company. That's a precedent.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#254

Post by cjahsh »

smt88 wrote: post #221
cjahsh wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, society should recognize the positive impacts of investigative journalism. I can hardly see a between the Pentagon Papers and a sex tape!

What if a conservative politician lobbies for adultery being illegal, and then a sex tape emerges of him cheating on his wife? That's important journalism. What if the CEO of a company intimidates an employee into having sex with him and secretly films it, and that gets released? That's also important journalism. There are lots of other ways sex tapes could be newsworthy: a famous person makes racist comments in it (…

Are all sex tapes journalism? Including revenge porn?

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#255

Post by deong »

jlarocco wrote: post #234
bkeroack wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False. Statements must be untrue to be either libel (written) or slander (verbal). The sex tape in question was real. I would not be so quick to celebrate. This case has demonstrated that one or two very powerful, wealthy individuals (Peter Thiel et al) are able to destroy a successful business and ruin the livlihoods of dozens merely because they were embarassed . (It's worth noting that what Gawker originally wrote…

You are definitely correct that Gawker's behavior wasn't technically illegal, but it was still a shitty thing to do, so I have zero sympathy for them. > I would not be so quick to celebrate. This case has demonstrated that one or two very powerful, wealthy individuals (Peter Thiel et al) are able to destroy a successful business and ruin the livlihoods of dozens merely because they were embarassed. That's always been…

You don't have to have sympathy for them to want this not to have happened. I don't like Gawker. If you want to argue the world is a better place without them, I'm not going to take the other side.

But the way they've been destroyed is terrifying for anyone who wants to live in a free and informed society. The ends don't justify the means.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#256

Post by slg »

smt88 wrote: post #221
cjahsh wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, society should recognize the positive impacts of investigative journalism. I can hardly see a between the Pentagon Papers and a sex tape!

What if a conservative politician lobbies for adultery being illegal, and then a sex tape emerges of him cheating on his wife? That's important journalism. What if the CEO of a company intimidates an employee into having sex with him and secretly films it, and that gets released? That's also important journalism. There are lots of other ways sex tapes could be newsworthy: a famous person makes racist comments in it (…

There is a difference between reporting on the existence of a sex tape and publishing said tape. None of the examples you gave require the tape to be published.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#257

Post by CM30 »

keepper wrote: post #74

A racist billionaire[1], funding another racist millionaire[2], supporting another racist billionaire[3] But everyone seems to be ok with this, because of pseudo libertarianism? Libertarianism: "All the parts of government that benefit rich folks are legit/necessary/essential. All the parts that benefit poor folks are illegitimate/aggression/tyranny." Oh man... what is going on!?! [1] https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/…

If you're attacking the people involved for their social and political views, you may as well ask what the views are of the people involved in Gawker as well.

http://nypost.com/2016/03/09/gawker-editors-line-a-sex-tape-...

And there are way more examples out there. Like Sam Biddle and his bullying comments, or various disturbing anti male comments by Jezebel, or various comments about wishing horrible things on their opponents.

This is not a black and white situation.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#259

Post by josh_carterPDX »

Gawker didn't fail because of anything other than a complete lack of integrity. They were aggressive, manipulative, and unethical. I remember we had a co-working space where Gawker had some people. We couldn't say shit out loud and had to make sure our screens could not be seen by anyone else in the building. There's nothing more unnerving than actually feeling as though someone was watching/stalking you. This company and the people they employed were vultures. To call this thing a publication is an insult to people who are actually digging up stories that have an impact to society. This was worse than the National Enquirer and the world is a better place without them part of it. Good riddance.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#260

Post by slg »

smt88 wrote: post #244
slg wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does that really change the underlying belief? Whether what Gawker did was libel, an invasion of privacy, or any other crime it boils down to Gawker violating the rights of other individuals and building a business model around that practice. This wasn't some brave investigative journalist exposing corruption, this was a hack posting the sex tape of a celebrity. They aren't even in the same ballpark.

> This wasn't some brave investigative journalist exposing corruption, this was a hack posting the sex tape of a celebrity. I agree, but the reason Gawker lost is important. It was because they violated someone's privacy. I strongly support violating the privacy of powerful, public figures in the future if it serves public interest. I agree that Gawker was stupid, greedy, and overreaching here, but I still worry that…

> but I still worry that next time...

People are acting like their is no thought put into these type of court cases. This isn't a universal precedent that applies to every situation. It doesn't prevent any journalist from pursuing legitimate news stories and invading privacy along the way. It only prevents journalist from invading someone's privacy where the only story is the invasion itself.

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