- Lucia Moses, Mediaweek

NEW YORK Adding to its growing portfolio of print and online properties, Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has acquired watchdog blog Consumerist.com from Gawker Media.
 
Consumers Union said that Consumerist.com, which Gawker started three years ago and which has more than 10 million monthly page-views, will operate independently from 72-year-old Consumer Reports and be housed in a new, nonprofit entity called Consumer Media LLC. Terms of the deal, expected to take effect Jan. 1, 2009, were not disclosed.
 
Starting immediately, Consumerist.com will stop taking advertising, adopting the model of Consumer Reports, which supports itself by subscription revenue, grants, individual contributions and product sales in an effort to maintain its independence from the products it rates, Consumers Union said.
 
“The continuous growth and success Consumer Reports enjoys is proof that there is strong appetite for high-quality, unbiased content,” said John Sateja, executive vp, Consumers Union. “Consumerist.com, with its history of building community, shining a light on unfriendly consumer behavior, and having a little fun while they’re at it, is a natural complement to our growing organization.”
 
In a generally tough environment for print magazines, Consumer Reports has been on a growth curve, with subscriptions rising 14 percent to 4.4 million since 2002, while the parent company has branched out by launching print spin-offs including ShopSmart magazine.