Defamer Inc.

Mark Lisanti and Defamer get nice front-page treatment in the new L.A. Business Journal. The story goes into Lisanti's background and blogging ethos—"he tries to distinguish between credible information and false rumors, but does not apply the same journalistic standards as magazines or newspapers"—but focuses more on the site's growing clout with advertisers:

Owned by New York-based Gawker Media Inc., the web site had 3.9 million page views in February 2005. That’s far below major Web sites such as those run by the Los Angeles Times, which claims 65.3 million page views a month, but it’s high by the standards of the blog universe.

That’s gotten the attention of major companies such as Captain Morgan Rum Co., Absolut Spirits Co. and Advance Publications’ men.style.com., which have advertised on the site, catering to Defamer’s core audience: affluent young people who watch movies and spend lots of money.

Ricky Van Veen, whose Connected Ventures sells T-shirts with off-color humor and pop-culture slogans, said Defamer.com reaches the kind of people who buy his products.

"Advertising on Defamer is profitable for us because their readership is the perfect demographic for what we’re selling – young, hip, snarky, and most importantly – pop culturally aware," Van Veen wrote in an e-mail message.

Gawker boss Nick Denton wouldn't be interviewed, emailing LABJ media reporter James Nash: "We’re a private company, and don’t talk about any Gawker title as a business." Nash guesstimates that since ads on Defamer cost from $4 to $20 per thousand views, each spot may run $400 to $2,000 a day. The story, though on the front page, is not free on the website. Meanwhile, when Lisanti isn't blogging for a living, he posts for free at Bunsen.tv.