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[UPDATE x 2] FOX News: We Found Gawker's Mole
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 11, 2012
Modified Apr 11, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 11, 2012
Modified Apr 11, 2012
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[SECOND UPDATE BELOW] This week, Gawker premiered a new feature giving readers an inside look at News Corp's corporate culture at 1211 Avenue of the Americas via their "newest hire," a person who works for Fox News. Yesterday he/she supplied b-roll footage of Mitt Romney discussing how his wife's Austrian warmbloods were harder to ride than his Missouri fox trotter, and today the Mole wrote of how "oddly low rent" and "soul-crushing" the building is. We suspected that Roger Ailes' goons with Alex Mack-morphing abilities would find the mole, but not this quickly: a Fox News spokesman tells Mediaite, "We've found the person and we're exploring legal options at this time."
We spoke with an assistant at Gawker Media who informed us that they were still reading reports of the outing, and couldn't comment or confirm the information yet.
But if the outing is true, and Fox does decide to sue the mole, will Gawker come to the writer's legal defense? If the writer is indeed on Gawker's payroll, is Gawker exposing itself to claims of tortious interference? (Or if not, will they give the mole a job? They indicated that they were leaving the outlet soon anyway.) What's so wrong about invading privacy in the name of journalism?
We'll post an update if Gawker returns our requests for comment.
[UPDATE] The mole is alive and well and lawsuit free, per the mole: "If Fox has smoked me out, it's news to me. I'm still here. Back to work."
So what innocent soul has been acting as Bill O'Reilly's human falafel for the past hour?
[UPDATE 3:00 PM] A FOX News spokesperson ominously tells Mediate, "We know who it is." So it appears they haven't confronted the mole, but instead will smoke them out with sheer terror/paranoia.
Tagged
bill o'reilly
fox news
gawker media
moles
news corp
phone hacking
rupert murdoch
secrets
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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