After a three-year hiatus, Nikki Finke has returned to the news business. The journalist, media entrepreneur, and Internet publisher will take on the role of Senior Columnist at Mediaite beginning January 2017.
Finke joined the news and opinion blog on the condition that she’d have the opportunity to voice her opinions about “what she wants and how she wants to say it.” “I don’t want managerial duties,” she explained. “I don’t want bosses or editors. I don’t want contracts. So I have none.” Finke added, “I rejected other offers to return to journalism but accepted [Mediaite’s] because of the freedom [they] are giving me. I can write regularly or irregularly, long or short, fiercely or forgivingly. At this stage in my 40-year journalism career, that’s what I want and need.”
Due to a non-compete agreement, Finke won’t be writing about the entertainment industry.
Finke is best known for being the Founder of Deadline Hollywood, where she served as Editor-in-Chief from March 2006 to December 2013. “After three years of owning and running by herself what was then called DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com (she bought the URL for 14 bucks and change), she sold the entertainment news, analysis, and commentary website in June 2009,” Mediaite summarizes. “From 2009–2011 she added General Manager and President duties, and in December 2011 she received the additional title of Editorial Advisor to the parent company Penske Media Corp.”
In 2015, Finke unveiled Hollywood Dementia, a free website focused on short fiction about Hollywood and show business. She recently finalized a first-look television deal with HBO that gives the premium cable network “the first crack at developing projects based on the short stories published on Hollywood Dementia. The TV adaptations will be produced by Finke and Killer Films’ Christine Vachon,” Deadline reports.
Finke’s award-winning writing has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, New York Observer, New York Magazine, LA Weekly, Vanity Fair, Esquire, The Washington Post, and many other outlets.
“I am confident that Nikki’s fearless voice, which so many know all too well, will now help take Mediaite to new heights,” wrote Dan Abrams, Founder of Mediaite.
