Gawker re: O’Donnell "One-Night Stand" Story: "We verified any of the facts he provided us"

[sabra]

http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffbercovici/2010/10/28/behind-gawkers-christine-odonnell-one-night-stand-story/

<snip>

The Nick Denton-owned gossip site scored a hilarious if tawdry October surprise earlier today, posting an anonymous first-person account titled “I Had a One-Night Stand with Christine O’Donnell.” O’Donnell, of course, is the Republican Senatorial candidate from Delaware whose opposition to masturbation and past practice of witchcraft has made her the favorite late-night punchline of the election season. In the two and a half hours since it posted, Gawker’s story has received more than 200,000 page views and counting

Gawker editor Remy Stern told me the site, which makes no secret of its willingness to pay for juicy exclusives, ponied up “a pretty modest amount” for the story. It’s Gawker Media’s second big checkbook journalism-enabled coup in a month: Earlier, Deadspin, another Gawker site, paid an undisclosed sum for what it says are photos of NFL quarterback Brett Favre’s genitals, photos that he allegedly snapped himself and sent to a female employee of the New York Jets. That story generated more than 4.5 million page views.

I also asked Stern how he was sure that his anonymous contributor’s “One-Night Stand” story was true, since it would be pretty clearly actionable if it proved otherwise. Here’s his full answer:

Yes, we did pay for the story/photos. I won’t get into how much, but it was a pretty modest amount.

We verified any of the facts he provided us with to feel really comfortable that this was all legit. We confirmed the addresses he gave us and matched the photos to make sure the guy with O’Donnell was the same guy we were talking to. We also confirmed the photos were taken on Halloween 2007 as he told us they were. We also confirmed that he lived with his roommate (who, as the story relates, ended up dating O'Donnell after the incident in question).

[gateley]

1. Hoo boy! I hope it's true and it shuts her up and makes her disappear. nt

[LisaL]

11. I don't know much about her, but if she isn't married, then

even if the story is true, why exactly would it be a big deal?
And I really don't like the idea of "kiss and tell." I notice the guy didn't put his photo on the web.

[louis-t]

13. It isn't, except she portrays herself as a Goody Two Shoes.

Just a hypocrite, that's all.

[tblue37]

14. It's the hypocrisy. She is always saying that people should be *prevented* from

having sex outside of marriage and even from masturbating.

It's just like outing gay politicians and operatives who work against gay rights, like Larry Craig and Ken Melman.

[LisaL]

16. Well even if the story is true that anonomous 25-year old says

they didn't have sex.

[tblue37]

18. But she is also squawking all the time about masturbation being

wrong, wrong, wrong.

[gateley]

21. A big deal because it shows her to be a hypocrite - big time. I'd kiss and tell

if I slept with a guy and all of a sudden I see him as the media darling promoting abstinence, virginity and no masturbation. I'd want the people to know what kind of a person he was. Like Anita Hill.

[virtualobserver]

2. hopefully none of the photos show her masturbating

n/t

[Chulanowa]

5. Why? God, why?

Why would you do that to my mental photoshop? You son of a bitch!

[virtualobserver]

9. my apologies

I didn't consider the full impact that my words might have on an unsuspecting DU'er

[dionysus]

20. !

:rofl:

[gratuitous]

3. O'Donnell is going to lose Tuesday anyway

Prurient stories about late-night drunken carousing isn't going to help her get any votes, but she wasn't in danger of winning anyway.

[tblue37]

15. With some luck, maybe the story will help get her off the political stage. nt

[gratuitous]

17. I think this makes her a three-time election loser in Delaware

I suppose she gets some points back for winning the Republican primary, but since her beating Castle will cost the Republicans this seat in the Senate, I think she's on the slow train to political oblivion as it is. Although, considering the popular media's collective weakness for Republican losers, she'll no doubt pop up on various shows from time to time to run lines with indulgent hosts about how much better the U.S. would have been with her as a Senator.

[Chulanowa]

4. I hope they didn't also confirm the... finer details

:scared:

[Angry Dragon]

6. Did I read in the article that he got afraid when he noticed she

was wearing a wig towards her lower regions??

[guitar man]

25. Yeah

I guess that bothers these young guys. It never stopped me, but then again I'm an older guy, I guess we are used to it :P

[boston bean]

7. You guys gotta go read the story, she did not have sex with him. The title of the article is

misleading.

I aint defending the self identified non witch, but you gotta know the facts.

[Lint Head]

8. I hope SNL does a lady bug O'Donnell skit!

[sam sarrha]

10. that was lame... but if she does get elected. warn the Pages 'the Cougar has entered the Building'

[Common Sense Party]

12. Stay classy, Gawker.

Good grief.

[KharmaTrain]

19. Honestly...A Predictable And Lame Story

There's plenty to bury Christine the Teenage Witch but I knew this was coming...or at least an attempt. The timing...less than a week before and election and her waving her "virginity" out there was just too much for some enterprising political operative/prankster to pass up. It's a nice piece of fiction...titalting where needed by inventing "details" to make it plausible. Personally, her sex life, or lack of it, is nothing to the screwing she'd do to this country if she ever reached the Senate.

[LisaL]

23. I doubt it considering she is already down in the polls, so there is

no need for political pranksters to do anything. Sounds to me like this 25 years old guy just wanted to make a quick $, considering gawker says they paid him some modest sum.

[Cass]

22. I don't get what the big deal is with this story. They didn't have sex and she didn't have sex with

his room-mate who she went on to date for awhile. It sounds like they all went out and had some fun on Halloween.

Its also pretty jerky for the guy to gossip about her personal grooming habits. If he hasn't embraced the waxing revolution himself he needs to STFU.

[K8-EEE]

24. LEAVE CHRISTINE'S PUBES ALONE!!

I agree, he was an asshat to bring that up, and besides, what guy ever turns around and goes to sleep because a woman is unwaxed, I mean hello.