What is Deadspin and why is it gunning for Kevin Johnson?
Why is Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson suddenly under siege, mostly over news that isn't new? The answer is something called Deadspin -- a hard-hitting online site that has pummeled him with a dozen stories over more than a year.
The latest blow came last week after Deadspin posted a police video linked to a well-known 1996 sexual misconduct accusation against Johnson. That prompted ESPN on Monday to delay releasing "Down in the Valley," a documentary about the effort Johnson led to keep the Sacramento Kings in town.
And it raised new questions about his political future, with one Democratic party leader on Tuesday calling for Johnson to step down.
What is Deadspin, and why does it have its sights set on Johnson?
The site is owned by Gawker Media, whose other titles include the namesake New York online tabloid. Deadspin serves a lively brew of stories about sports, sex, scandal and pop culture — including show-business figures like the Kardashians. And it has apparently found an audience for stories questioning Johnson's behavior, though he hasn't been in the NBA for 15 years.
The company isn't shy about promoting its work, hiring New York PR firm Goldin Solutions to draw the attention of local news organizations to its stories about Kevin Johnson.
But Deadspin editor-in-chief Tim Marchman was more reticent when asked to explain the remarkable persistence of its coverage of a long-retired basketball player. "The motivation of the coverage should be self-evident," he said, declining to comment further.
Journalist Dave McKenna has penned 12 Deadspin articles about Johnson. The first, headlined “ The man who helped bring down Donald Sterling is an asshole, too,” published on May 2014 and reviewed past charges of Johnson's inappropriate business practices and sexual conduct.
One year later, McKenna followed up with a 4,448-word piece headlined " How Kevin Johnson destroyed a black mayors group to promote his brand," which detailed the mayor's takeover of the National Conference of Black Mayors.Online news site Deadspin has its sights set on Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson - Sacramento Business Journal:
