The ‘journalism’ previously housed on Fusion.net has found a new home at SplinterNews.com, as the company aims to clarify their aggressive political coverage.
Fusion was originally launched as the online content home of Univision’s English-language channel and Fusion.net will remain as a companion to the TV channel’s programming of “pop culture, satire, news.”
The name shift comes with peculiar, and seemingly purposeful, undertones; Univision suggests seeing with one vision and Fusion means to bond together. These two names now juxtaposed with the polar opposite branding suggested by ‘Splinter’ which literally means to divide, break or cause to split into small sharp fragments.
Editor-in-chief of Splinter, Dodai Stewart, told Poynter “We have an administration where all of a sudden every issue that we have been passionate about for the last two years is under siege.”
The focus of Splinter will be to contextualize current events “for a justice-minded, inclusive, and incisive audience,” the company said in a statement.
Splinter will have a heavy emphasis on political coverage as they join the crowded ranks of liberal anti-Trump outlets like Vox, Huffington Post, Slate, Salon, Daily Kos and Think Progress. In addition to reporting, Stewart also promised critical commentary “with a sharp point of view.”
Washington-based political coverage from Splinter will be led by former Gawker editor Alex Pareene, with features editor Nona Willis-Aronowitz coming from the liberal online publication Talking Points Memo.
Although Splinter is owned and operated under Gizmodo Media Group, their leadership is adamant that they are not the new Gawker. In June 2016, Gawker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after losing a legal battle with Hulk Hogan. Two months later, Univision Communications bought Gawker and renamed itself Gizmodo Media Group in a clear effort to put distance between themselves and the now-infamous Gawker brand.
Gizmodo Media Group also houses Deadspin, The Onion, LifeHacker and A.V. Club, among others.
Fusion itself was launched in 2013 as a joint venture of Univision and Disney. Their programming was originally aimed at multicultural millennials, but has since expanded its programming.
Recent articles which have run under the banner of Splinter News include a piece detailing the failed unionization of an automotive plant, an article about civil rights groups potentially suing over Trump’s transgender military ban, and a piece hitting the president for taking a vacation. In addition, they share an article from LifeHacker entitled, “How to Convince Yourself to go on Longer Walks” and one from The Root entitled, “Color of Climate: Is Climate Change Gentrifying Miami’s Black Neighborhoods?”
