Just checked out the new look of Sillicon Valley gossiop rag Valleywag and see that Gawker’s owner and publisher Nick Denton is stepping in as the temporary replacement for the other Nick (Douglas). Denton writes that “we will look stupid for letting [Douglas] go” and that they are looking for a replacement:

But, to helm the site, we’re now looking for someone with, ideally, some background in reporting. An old-media career, useful in the sparkling new world of blogs.

So they want a journalist who decides to try the blog format instead of a blogger who is learning to be a journalist? It’s unclear from Nick Denton’s comments whether Douglas was actually fired or not (being let go suggests he was fired). I dropped Douglas an email and asked for his comment on the situation as well as what he’s planning on doing next. Kind of a shame that Valleywag won’t shine the light on themselves that they do so well on others.

Denton also delivers the new Valleywag mantra (emphasis mine):

We’re still going to break open secrets, like the fact that Google’s most prominent female executive dated Larry Page, the co-founder, the story that Valleywag launched with. It’s ludicrous that information like that should be common knowledge in Silicon Valley, and yet too hot to touch by the tech industry’s supine press corps. However, I suspect we’re going to tone down the personal coverage of civilians, because they haven’t done anything to seek out attention, and their personal lives aren’t that interesting. Unless they are. Anyway, more money, a little less sex: that is Valleywag’s new gossip mantra.

A little less sex? That should help readership, although I don’t remember seeing that much sex (Valleywag hasn’t been Fleshbot, Gawker’s adult blog). Valleywag readers really want and deserve to know who Jason Calacanis is banging this week, don’t they?

(relax, I’m joking on that part)

Will be interesting to see who Denton hires to replace Douglas.

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