Gawker Gets In The Gray Lady's Face

The New York Times has been called "The Gray Lady" because at one time its text-art ratio was, shall we say, a little on the high side. Though its web page has plenty of art to offer, its tone seems a little gray when you compare it to Gawker, the newish site with the tabloid photo collages and headlines to match, including such in-your-face numbers as "Confessions of a Mayflower Ball Attendant."

The aforementioned story begins, “I’ve done my fair share of joking about dipshit society folks here at Gawker...” Thus breaking a fairly major rule for the New York Times and other such outlets: Don’t say dipshit (and isn't it two words, anyway?). This is the first piece on the opening page, also a big difference from NYTimes.

Yesterday’s NY Times.com opened with somber stories about Syria and lighter fare about what television options parents have since DirecTV’s programming blackout has taken Nickelodeon and its offsping out of the equation. One of the looser, more humorous comments, referring to the other channels enjoying the displaced Nickelodeon viewers, went like this: “For the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, the Hub and Sprout, it is the equivalent of a baby boom after a hurricane or a snowstorm.” Definitely a lighter touch.

The New York Times headlines are written in traditional headline style: “Damascus Confronts New  Reality After Attack.” Whereas some of Gawker’s headlines almost sound like casual conversation: “Jane Austen Novels to Get Erotic Makeover Because All Books Must Be Sexy Now.”

But Gawker also gives voice to people who, for whatever reason, may not be heard elsewhere, such as Rupert Murdoch’s former nanny, who said that working for Murdoch and his wife, Wendi Deng, was a horrific experience. Other than a tax document that misclassified the nanny and a link to some court papers, there isn’t much indication showing how the reporter checked the validity of the nanny. There isn’t much attribution throughout the piece, even to the nanny.

While the styles are decided different, I’d say each serves a purpose and that there’s room for both.