The Daily Beast#Controversies

The Daily Beast began publishing on October 6, 2008. Its founding editor was Tina Brown, a former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk magazine. The name of the site was taken from a fictional newspaper in Evelyn Waugh's novel Scoop.{{cite news |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2008/08/tina_brown_resurrects_waughs_d.html |title=Tina Brown resurrects Waugh's Daily Beast |date=7 August 2008 |magazine=New York |series=Daily Intelligencer |access-date=April 29, 2015 |archive-date=October 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029045004/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2008/08/tina_brown_resurrects_waughs_d.html |url-status=live }}

In 2010, The Daily Beast merged with the magazine Newsweek creating a combined company, The Newsweek Daily Beast Company. The merger ended in 2013, when Daily Beast owner IAC sold Newsweek to IBT Media, owner of the International Business Times.{{cite web |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/08/iac-found-someone-to-buy-newsweek.html |title=IAC found someone to buy zombie Newsweek |date=3 August 2013 |magazine=New York |series=Daily Intelligencer |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918110424/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/08/iac-found-someone-to-buy-newsweek.html |url-status=live }} Brown stepped down as editor in September 2013.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/11/tina-brown-steps-down-daily-beast-editor |title=Tina Brown steps down after tumultuous tenure at Daily Beast |date=11 September 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |place=London, UK |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=November 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112174619/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/11/tina-brown-steps-down-daily-beast-editor |url-status=live }}

John Avlon, an American journalist and political commentator as well as a CNN contributor, was the site's editor-in-chief and managing director from 2013 to 2018.{{cite press release |url=http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2018/05/24/john-avlon-joins-cnn-full-time-as-senior-political-analyst-with-regular-daily-presence-on-new-day/ |title=John Avlon Joins CNN Full Time as Senior Political Analyst, with Regular Daily Presence on New Day |date=May 24, 2018 |publisher=CNN Press Room |access-date=June 3, 2018 |quote=Most recently, Avlon was Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast since 2013, succeeding the site's founder Tina Brown. Under his leadership, The Daily Beast more than doubled its traffic to 1.1 million readers a day, with the highest engagement of any digital first news site while winning 17 awards for journalistic excellence. He first joined The Daily Beast as a columnist one month after its launch, in November of 2008, and rose through the ranks as political editor, executive editor and managing director. |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818053309/http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2018/05/24/john-avlon-joins-cnn-full-time-as-senior-political-analyst-with-regular-daily-presence-on-new-day/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://iac.com/about/leadership/business-management/john-avlon |title=John Avlon |series=IAC Profile |publisher=IAC |access-date=26 June 2017 |quote=John Avlon is managing director and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. |archive-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231085246/http://iac.com/about/leadership/business-management/john-avlon |url-status=live }}

In September 2014, The Daily Beast reached a new record of 21 million unique visitors – a 60% year-over-year increase in readers, accompanied by a 300% increase in the overall size of its social media community.{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/10/one-year-after-tina-brown-exit-daily-beast-traffic-196426.html |title=One year after Tina Brown exit, Daily Beast traffic surges |first=Hadas |last=Gold |date=1 October 2014 |website=Politico |access-date=December 2, 2014 |archive-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622092926/http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/10/one-year-after-tina-brown-exit-daily-beast-traffic-196426.html |url-status=live }}

In May 2018, Avlon departed from the Beast to become full-time Senior Political Analyst and anchor at CNN. Avlon was succeeded by executive editor Noah Shachtman.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/05/24/big-changes-at-the-daily-beast-eic-john-avlon-to-cnn-noah-shachtman-to-replace-him/ |title=Big changes at the Daily Beast: EIC John Avlon to CNN; Noah Shachtman to replace him |last=Wemple |first=Erik |date=May 24, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |series=Erik Wemple blog |access-date=June 3, 2018 |quote=Shachtman's imperative comes from new heights, too. He is progressing from executive editor of the Daily Beast to editor in chief, a position vacated by John Avlon, the smooth-talking journo who splits his time between the Daily Beast and steady appearances on CNN – where Avlon will be moving full-time as a senior political analyst and anchor. |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818071239/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/05/24/big-changes-at-the-daily-beast-eic-john-avlon-to-cnn-noah-shachtman-to-replace-him/ |url-status=live }}

In March 2017, former chief strategy and product officer Mike Dyer left for Intel.{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/media/story/2017/03/daily-beast-president-leaving-to-join-intel-004937 |title=Daily Beast president leaving to join Intel |last=Gold |first=Hadas |author-link=Hadas Gold |date=3 March 2017 |work=Politico |access-date=7 June 2017 |quote=Daily Beast president and publisher Mike Dyer is leaving the company for a new position at technology firm Intel, he announced to staff on Friday. |archive-date=June 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608220158/http://www.politico.com/media/story/2017/03/daily-beast-president-leaving-to-join-intel-004937 |url-status=live }} In May 2017, Heather Dietrick was appointed president and publisher.{{cite web |url=http://iac.com/media-room/press-releases/daily-beast-appoints-heather-dietrick-president-and-publisher |title=The Daily Beast appoints Heather Dietrick as president and publisher |date=18 May 2017 |publisher=IAC |access-date=7 June 2017 |quote=Today, The Daily Beast announced the appointment of Heather Dietrick as President and Publisher, where she will oversee all company operations with an emphasis on growing The Daily Beast{{'}}s journalistic influence and building out new revenue streams. |archive-date=June 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606004635/http://iac.com/media-room/press-releases/daily-beast-appoints-heather-dietrick-president-and-publisher |url-status=live }} In July 2021, Shachtman announced that he'd be moving from the Beast to Rolling Stone and that he would be succeeded by Tracy Connor.{{cite tweet|number=1415697571885027329|user=NoahShachtman|title=Y'all know how much I love The Beast. I've never had a job so fulfilling, so fun, and that delivered such an impact… |date=July 15, 2021}}

In January 2023, it was reported by The New York Times that IAC chairman Barry Diller was considering a sale of The Daily Beast. In June 2023, however, Diller publicly acknowledged that he had ended talks to sell The Daily Beast, stating that it is "not for sale."{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/business/daily-beast-sale-talks-end.html|title=Barry Diller Ends Talks to Sell The Daily Beast|first=Benjamin|last=Mullen|work=New York Times|date=June 23, 2023|accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

In April 2024, Diller hired Ben Sherwood as chief executive and publisher, and Joanna Coles as chief creative and content officer.{{Cite news |last=Mullin |first=Benjamin |date=2024-04-15 |title=Barry Diller Bets on Media Veterans to Turn Around The Daily Beast |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/business/media/the-daily-beast-ben-sherwood-joanna-coles.html |access-date=2024-06-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Employees were offered voluntary buyouts in May in an effort to cut costs.{{Cite news |last1=Mullin |first1=Benjamin |last2=Robertson |first2=Katie |date=2024-05-28 |title=The Daily Beast's New Bosses Plan Buyouts to Cut Losses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/business/media/daily-beast-buyouts.html |access-date=2024-06-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} About 70% of unionized workers took the buyout, including almost all of the Beast's senior staffers.{{Cite web |last=Korach |first=Natalie |date=2024-06-17 |title=70% of Unionized Staffers at Daily Beast to Take Buyouts |url=https://www.thewrap.com/daily-beast-union-staffers-buyout-layoffs/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}

In an April 2018 interview, Avlon described the publication's political stance as "non-partisan but not neutral": "what that means is we're going to hit both sides where appropriate, but we're not going for mythic moral equivalence on every issue."{{cite web |url=https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-daily-beast-is-buzzing-with-solid-scoops-and-an-editor-who-knows-how-to-spread-the-word/ |title=The Daily Beast is buzzing with solid scoops and an editor who knows how to spread the eord |last=McLaughlin |first=Aidan |date=April 24, 2018 |website=Mediaite |access-date=May 9, 2018 |quote='I describe our political perspective as nonpartisan but not neutral,' he said. 'And what that means is we're going to hit both sides where appropriate, but we're not going for mythic moral equivalence on every issue.' |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221740/https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-daily-beast-is-buzzing-with-solid-scoops-and-an-editor-who-knows-how-to-spread-the-word/ |url-status=live }} In April 2017, Avlon discussed the organization's approach on the Poynter Institute's podcast saying, "We're not going to toe any partisan line."{{cite web |url=http://www.poynter.org/2017/why-the-daily-beast-doesnt-publish-trump-stories-on-sunday-mornings/457020/ |title=Why The Daily Beast doesn't publish Trump stories on Sunday mornings |last=Mullin |first=Benjamin |date=April 24, 2017 |publisher=Poynter Institute |access-date=July 8, 2017 |quote=Our commitment is to be non-partisan but not neutral ... We're going to hit both sides where appropriate. We're not going to toe any partisan line. We're going to have a range of columnists, from liberal to libertarian. But we're also not going to pretend there's a mythic moral equivalence between candidates or on any given issue. For me, the key quote for our times is actually an older quote from Daniel Patrick Moynihan who said that everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. |archive-date=August 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803163530/http://www.poynter.org/2017/why-the-daily-beast-doesnt-publish-trump-stories-on-sunday-mornings/457020/ |url-status=live }} In December 2017, NPR reported that The Daily Beast{{'}}s editor-in-chief John Avlon had begun pairing reporters from both the right and left sides of the political spectrum to cover White House stories. Specifically, reporters Asawin Suebsaeng (formerly of Mother Jones) and Lachlan Markay (formerly of The Heritage Foundation) were tasked with covering the first Trump administration.C-Span (13 February 2020).

Politics and Prose Bookstore, Union Market, Washington, D.C., Hosting organization. Series: BookTV. Book interview by Molly Ball, National Correspondent Time Magazine, of Daily Beast reporters Lachlan Markay & Asawin Suebsaeng's Sinking in the Swamp. [https://www.c-span.org/video/?469331-1/sinking-swamp C-Span website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809041324/https://www.c-span.org/video/?469331-1%2Fsinking-swamp |date=August 9, 2020 }} Retrieved 26 February 2020.

The Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple stated in 2018 that "Pound for pound, [The Daily Beast] is an impressive operation. As I see it, they do a few things well: They bang the phones, they don't always follow the same story everyone else is doing, and they are fast."{{cite web |url=https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-daily-beast-is-buzzing-with-solid-scoops-and-an-editor-who-knows-how-to-spread-the-word/ |title=The Daily Beast Is Buzzing With Solid Scoops and an Editor Who Knows How to Spread the Word |last=McLaughlin |first=Aidan |date=April 24, 2018 |website=mediaite.com |publisher=Mediaite |access-date=May 9, 2018 |quote=Pound for pound, it is an impressive operation, Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple told me. As I see it, they do a few things well: they bang the phones, they don't always follow the same story everyone else is doing and they are fast. |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221740/https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-daily-beast-is-buzzing-with-solid-scoops-and-an-editor-who-knows-how-to-spread-the-word/ |url-status=live }}

Later in 2018, editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman characterized The Daily Beast as a "high-end tabloid" that embraces gonzo journalism.

According to Shachtman, The Daily Beast{{'}}s social media policy for journalists consists (as of 2018) of three main rules: "you're reporters, not cheerleaders" so do not be an open partisan; avoid hate speech and posts that could offend a group; and "don't get your fellow reporters in trouble".

A feature of The Daily Beast is the Cheat Sheet, billed as "must reads from all over". Published throughout the day, the Cheat Sheet offers a selection of articles from online news outlets on popular stories. The Cheat Sheet includes brief summaries of the article, and a link to read the full text of the article on the website of its provider. It is found at www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet.{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-investigating-possible-havana-like-energy-attack-right-next-to-white-house-says-report |title=Cheat Sheet - The Daily Beast |date=April 29, 2021 |publisher=The Daily Beast Company LLC |access-date=29 April 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429101808/https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-investigating-possible-havana-like-energy-attack-right-next-to-white-house-says-report |url-status=live }}

After the launch, the site introduced additional sections, including a video Cheat Sheet and Book Beast.{{cite web |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/lit_crit/tina_brown_talks_about_the_book_beast_107960.asp |title=Tina Brown Talks About the Book Beast |publisher=Mediabistro.com |date=6 February 2009 |access-date=30 May 2010 |archive-date=April 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412203307/http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/lit_crit/tina_brown_talks_about_the_book_beast_107960.asp |url-status=live }} The site frequently creates encyclopedic landing pages on topical subjects such as President Obama's inauguration, the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme, and the Iran uprising.{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsmaker/us-open-beast?cid=bsa:hottopics |title=U.S. Open |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=4 March 2010 |archive-date=September 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903010230/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsmaker/us-open-beast?cid=bsa:hottopics |url-status=live }} In 2014, The Daily Beast became the majority on mobile and released an iOS app, which Nieman Lab described as "the dawn of the quantified news reader".{{Cite web |last=Doctor |first=Ken |date=December 4, 2014 |title=The newsonomics of the newly quantified, gamified news reader |url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2014/12/the-newsonomics-of-the-newly-quantified-gamified-news-reader/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428120228/http://www.niemanlab.org/2014/12/the-newsonomics-of-the-newly-quantified-gamified-news-reader/ |archive-date=April 28, 2015 |website=Nieman Lab}}

The illustrational style used at the top of every article has been described as, "jaunty collage and pop-art illustrations".{{cite web |url=https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-daily-beast-is-buzzing-with-solid-scoops-and-an-editor-who-knows-how-to-spread-the-word/ |title=The Daily Beast is Buzzing With Solid Scoops and An Editor Who Knows How to Spread The Word |last=McLaughlin |first=Aidan |date=April 24, 2018 |publisher=Mediaite |access-date=May 9, 2018 |quote=Those sensibilities are carried over to the Beast{{'}}s signature illustration style, the work of director of photography Sarah Rogers, with its jaunty collage and pop-art illustrations—often animated—topping every article. |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221740/https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-daily-beast-is-buzzing-with-solid-scoops-and-an-editor-who-knows-how-to-spread-the-word/ |url-status=live }}

Contributors to the publication include notable writers and political activists such as:

{{div col|colwidth=10em}}

• Jake Adelstein
• Ayaan Hirsi Ali
• Samantha Leigh Allen
• Martin Amis
• John Avlon
• Mike Barnicle
• Peter Beinart
• Buzz Bissinger
• Jamelle Bouie
• Jimmy Breslin
• Tina Brown
• Christopher Buckley
• Gordon Chang
• Ron Christie
• Eleanor Clift
• Ana Marie Cox
• Christopher Dickey
• Diane Dimond
• Kim Dozier
• Joshua Dubois
• Mark Ebner
• Jon Favreau
• Ron Filipkowski
• David Frum
• Leslie H. Gelb
• Daniel Genis
• Michelle Goldberg
• Dan Goldman
• Daniel Gross
• Lloyd Grove
• Shane Harris
• Molly Jong-Fast
• Jackie Kucinich
• Eli Lake
• Bernard Henri Levy
• Matt K. Lewis
• Ira Madison III
• Meghan McCain
• Mark McKinnon
• Michael Moynihan
• Candida Moss
• Maajid Nawaz
• Olivia Nuzzi
• Dean Obeidallah
• P. J. O'Rourke
• Kirsten Powers
• Joy-Ann Reid
• Josh Rogin
• Noah Shachtman
• Mimi Sheraton{{cite web |url=http://www.cision.com/us/2016/07/the-daily-beast-adds-drink-food-vertical/ |title=The Daily Beast Adds Drink + Food Vertical |last=Media Research |first=Cision |date=July 22, 2016 |website=cision.com |publisher=Cision |access-date=September 28, 2017 |quote=Rounding out the staff is Mimi Sheraton, another columnist covering food, travel and restaurants. |archive-date=September 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929000817/http://www.cision.com/us/2016/07/the-daily-beast-adds-drink-food-vertical/ |url-status=live }}
• Harry Siegel
• Will Sommer
• Stuart Stevens
• Goldie Taylor
• Michael Tomasky
• Touré
• Michael Weiss
• Rick Wilson
• Mari Yamamoto

{{div col end}}

In May 2017, Pulitzer Prize–winning national security reporter Spencer Ackerman left The Guardian and joined The Daily Beast.{{cite web |title=Spencer Ackerman Profile |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/spencerackerman |access-date=26 June 2017 |quote=Spencer Ackerman was the national security editor for Guardian US. Ackerman was part of the Guardian team that won the 2014 Pulitzer prize for public service journalism. A former senior writer for Wired, he won the 2012 National Magazine Award for digital reporting. |archive-date=June 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626024409/https://www.theguardian.com/profile/spencerackerman |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/14/guardian-washington-post-pulitzer-nsa-revelations |title=Guardian and Washington Post win Pulitzer prize for NSA revelations |date=April 14, 2014 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=June 26, 2017 |quote=Others on the team of journalists included Spencer Ackerman, James Ball, David Blishen, Gabriel Dance, Julian Borger, Nick Davies, David Leigh and Dominic Rushe. In Australia the editor was Katharine Viner and the reporter Lenore Taylor. |last1=Pilkington |first1=Ed |archive-date=May 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522223928/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/14/guardian-washington-post-pulitzer-nsa-revelations |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.cision.com/us/2017/05/daily-beast-nabs-spencer-ackerman/ |title=Daily Beast Nabs Spencer Ackerman |last=Research |first=Cision Media |date=May 10, 2017 |website=cision.com |publisher=Cision Media |access-date=June 1, 2017 |quote=After several years as U.S. national security editor at The Guardian, Spencer Ackerman will join The Daily Beast as senior national security correspondent. |archive-date=June 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601175833/http://www.cision.com/us/2017/05/daily-beast-nabs-spencer-ackerman/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/media/tipsheets/morning-media/2017/05/rupert-murdoch-nothings-happening-at-fox-news-taking-bets-on-the-paul-berman-blackmailer-bill-clinton-novelist-001269 |title=Now we know who Spencer Ackerman left The Guardian for |last=Pompeo |first=Joe |date=May 9, 2017 |work=Politico |access-date=June 1, 2017 |quote=The Daily Beast as a senior national security correspondent, 'covering homeland security, counterterrorism, intel and more... and reuniting with his former colleague Noah Shachtman, who's now the Beast's exec editor,' CNN's Brian Stelter reported last night |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812095426/http://www.politico.com/media/tipsheets/morning-media/2017/05/rupert-murdoch-nothings-happening-at-fox-news-taking-bets-on-the-paul-berman-blackmailer-bill-clinton-novelist-001269 |url-status=live }}

In June 2017, HuffPost senior political editor Sam Stein announced he was joining The Daily Beast in the same capacity.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/06/19/huffposts-sam-stein-leaving-for-the-daily-beast/ |title=HuffPost's Sam Stein leaving for the Daily Beast |last=Wemple |first=Erik |date=19 June 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=26 June 2017 |quote=Days after HuffPost announced a round of layoffs, one of its longtime voices is making a leap of his own accord: Sam Stein, the site's senior politics editor, was joining The Daily Beast in a similar capacity. He joins a 10-strong D.C. bureau at The Daily Beast, a site that has made a series of big-name hires in recent weeks, including luring former Guardian reporter Spencer Ackerman and former Gawker Media president Heather Dietrick. |archive-date=June 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619171845/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/06/19/huffposts-sam-stein-leaving-for-the-daily-beast/ |url-status=live }}

In early June 2014, Capital New York re-published a memo by outgoing CEO Rhona Murphy, stating that The Daily Beast{{'}}s average unique monthly visitors increased from 13.5 million in 2013 to more than 17 million in 2014.{{cite news|url=http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/06/8546580/leadership-changes-daily-beast|title=Leadership changes at The Daily Beast|work=Capital|access-date=4 June 2014|first=Joe|last=Pompeo|date=4 June 2014|archive-date=April 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417035219/http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/06/8546580/leadership-changes-daily-beast|url-status=live}} By September 2014, the website reached a new record of 21 million unique visitors; it was a 60% year-over-year increase in readers, accompanied by a 300% increase in the overall size of its social media community.{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/10/one-year-after-tina-brown-exit-daily-beast-traffic-surges-196426 |title=One year after Tina Brown exit, Daily Beast traffic surges |last=Gold |first=Hadas |date=1 October 2015 |website=politico.com |publisher=Politico |access-date=7 June 2017 |quote=In a memo to staff on Wednesday, Editor-in-Chief John Avlon said internal numbers on all platforms showed 21.3 million unique visitors in September, a 60 percent increase in traffic compared to the same month last year. ComScore data for September, which is often lower than internal numbers, is not yet available. "This year alone, we've grown our audience more than 30%, our social media community is up 300%, and our Facebook audience has grown from 320,000 to 1.7 million since last summer. Over the course of 2014, our advertising deal size has increased 30%, with our largest campaigns ever secured in the past quarter. |archive-date=March 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323054440/http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/10/one-year-after-tina-brown-exit-daily-beast-traffic-surges-196426 |url-status=live }}

In 2015, Ken Doctor, a news analyst for Nieman Lab, reported that The Daily Beast is "one of the fastest-growing news and information sites year-over-year in the 'General News' category".{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/media/story/2015/02/what-are-they-thinking-the-daily-beasts-mike-dyer-against-wishful-thinking-003437 |title=What are they thinking? The Daily Beast's Mike Dyer, against wishful thinking |last=Doctor |first=Ken |date=February 10, 2015 |website=Politico |access-date=July 7, 2017 |quote=This is what we know from data: It's one of the fastest-growing news and information sites year-over-year in the 'General News' category. With a Comscore growth rate of 52 percent year-over-year, as compared to 31 percent for the top 25 news sites overall, The Daily Beast drives more than 12 million unique visitors a month, surpassing some notable legacy magazines. Its story, though, is more intriguing as we look at three factors underpinning its growth: mobile, millennials and content marketing. Those words now seem commonplace; it's the particular way The Daily Beast arranges the Legos that distinguishes it. |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019042445/http://www.politico.com/media/story/2015/02/what-are-they-thinking-the-daily-beasts-mike-dyer-against-wishful-thinking-003437 |url-status=live }}

During Avlon's leadership from 2013 to 2018, The Daily Beast doubled its traffic to 1.1 million readers a day and won over 17 awards for journalistic excellence.{{cite web |url=http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2018/05/24/john-avlon-joins-cnn-full-time-as-senior-political-analyst-with-regular-daily-presence-on-new-day/ |title=John Avlon Joins CNN Full Time as Senior Political Analyst, with Regular Daily Presence on New Day |date=May 24, 2018 |publisher=CNN Press Room |access-date=June 3, 2018 |quote=Most recently, Avlon was Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast since 2013, succeeding the site's founder Tina Brown. Under his leadership, The Daily Beast more than doubled its traffic to 1.1 million readers a day, with the highest engagement of any digital first news site while winning 17 awards for journalistic excellence. He first joined The Daily Beast as a columnist one month after its launch, in November of 2008, and rose through the ranks as political editor, executive editor and managing director. |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818053309/http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2018/05/24/john-avlon-joins-cnn-full-time-as-senior-political-analyst-with-regular-daily-presence-on-new-day/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/31/our-murrow-moment.html|title=Our Murrow Moment|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=2016-12-31|last1=Avlon|first1=John|access-date=January 24, 2017|archive-date=May 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504161308/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/31/our-murrow-moment.html|url-status=live}}

The Daily Beast won a Webby Award for "Best News Site" in 2012 and 2013.{{Cite news|title=HuffPost Live and NY Times among Webby Award winners|date=30 April 2013|url=http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/huffpost-live-vice-and-new-york-times-among-webby-award-winners/s2/a552834/|last=McAthy|first=Rachel|publisher=Journalism.co.uk|access-date=11 September 2013|archive-date=October 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029114851/https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/huffpost-live-vice-and-new-york-times-among-webby-award-winners/s2/a552834/|url-status=live}} Also in 2012 John Avlon won National Society of Newspaper Columnists' award for best online column in 2012 for The Daily Beast.{{Cite news |title=Column Contest Winners, Going Way Back |url=http://www.columnists.com/awards/column-contest-winners/ |publisher=National Society of Newspaper Columnists |access-date=9 February 2017 |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815225433/https://www.columnists.com/awards/column-contest-winners/ |url-status=live }}

In March 2012, "Book Beast" won a National Magazine Award for Website Department, which "honors a department, channel or microsite".{{cite web |url=http://www.magazine.org/asme/about-asme/pressroom/asme-press-releases/national-magazine-awards-digital-media-2012-winners |title=National Magazine Awards For Digital Media 2012 Winners Announced |date=March 20, 2012 |website=magazine.org |publisher=The Association of Magazine Media |access-date=June 7, 2017 |quote=Website Department Honors a department, channel or microsite The Daily Beast, Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief Newsweek and The Daily Beast, For 'Book Beast' |archive-date=April 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421095937/http://www.magazine.org/asme/about-asme/pressroom/asme-press-releases/national-magazine-awards-digital-media-2012-winners |url-status=live }}

Anna Nemstova received the Courage in Journalism Award in 2015 from the International Women's Media Foundation.{{Cite news |title=Beast Reporter Wins Courage Award |url=http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/huffpost-live-vice-and-new-york-times-among-webby-award-winners/s2/a552834/ |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-date=October 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029114851/https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/huffpost-live-vice-and-new-york-times-among-webby-award-winners/s2/a552834/ |url-status=live }} Also that year, Michael Daly won with the National Society of Newspaper Columnists award in the category of Online, Blog, Multimedia – Over 100,000 Unique Visitors.{{Cite news |title=2015 Column Finalists |url=http://www.columnists.com/2015/05/2015-column-contest-finalists/ |publisher=National Society of Newspaper Columnists |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-date=October 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023093019/http://www.columnists.com/2015/05/2015-column-contest-finalists/ |url-status=live }}

In 2016, the Los Angeles Press Club nominated several of The Beast's writers including M. L. Nestel for Arts/Entertainment Investigative, Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins for best Celebrity Investigative, Malcolm Jones for best Obituary, Lizzie Crocker for Humor and Tim Teeman for Industry/ArtsHard News. Also nominated for best in field were Kevin Fallon for Industry/Arts Soft News and Melissa Leon for Industry/Arts Soft News.{{Cite news |title=Daily Beast Nominated for 16 Awards |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/11/14/daily-beast-earns-16-award-nominations.html/ |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211235439/http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/11/14/daily-beast-earns-16-award-nominations.html |url-status=live }}

The Association of LGBTQ Journalists or NLGJA nominated both Tim Teeman 2016 Journalist of the Year and Heather Boerner Excellence in HIV/AIDS Coverage.{{Cite news |title=NLGJA Announces 2016 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners and Honorees |url=http://www.nlgja.org/blog/2016/08/nlgja-announces-2016-excellence-journalism-award-winners-honorees/ |publisher=nlgja.org |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211075759/http://www.nlgja.org/blog/2016/08/nlgja-announces-2016-excellence-journalism-award-winners-honorees/ |url-status=live }} In 2017, NLGJA awarded Jay Michaelson for his coverage of GOP anti-LGBT legislation and Tim Teeman for reporting on ALS.{{cite web |url=http://www.nlgja.org/blog/2017/08/award-winners/ |title=PRESS RELEASE: NLGJA Announces 2017 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners and Honorees |date=August 7, 2017 |website=nlgja.org |publisher=Association of LGBTQ Journalists |access-date=November 4, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023316/http://www.nlgja.org/blog/2017/08/award-winners/ |url-status=live }}

In 2017, the website won three New York Press Club Journalism Awards in the internet publishing categories of Entertainment News, Crime Reporting and Travel Reporting.{{cite web |url=https://www.nypressclub.org/images/2017/2017-jawards-winners-news-release.pdf |title=The International Consortium Of Investigative Journalists Wins Gold Keyboard In 2017 New York Press Club Journalism Awards |date=May 2017 |website=nypressclub.org |publisher=The New York Press Club, Inc. |access-date=June 7, 2017 |quote=Crime Reporting – Internet 'The Pickup Artisits' Brandy Zadrozny, The Daily Beast, Entertainment News – Internet 'Rose Styron: The Truth About Life with Her Husband, Literary Legend William Styron', Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast, Travel Writing – Internet, 'Penitents, Pedophiles, Poets, Movie Stars, Silversmiths, and Drug Lords', Phoebe Eaton, The Daily Beast |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812100725/https://www.nypressclub.org/images/2017/2017-jawards-winners-news-release.pdf |url-status=dead }} In December, the Los Angeles Press Club's National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards announced the platform had won 4 awards for 2017 reporting including investigative articles about the Nate Parker rape case, comic Bob Smith's struggle with ALS, and remembering Bill Paxton.{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/daily-beast-wins-four-la-press-club-awards |title=LA Press Club Awards 2017 |date=December 10, 2017 |website=lapressclub.org |publisher=LA Press Club |access-date=December 17, 2017 |quote=JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR—Any Platform – 3rd Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast, BEST CRITIC (print, broadcast or online) – 3rd Ira Madison III, The Daily Beast, BEST CRITIC (Theater) – 2nd Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast, Celebrity Investigative – Kate Briquelet and ML Nestel, The Daily Beast, 'Inside the Nate Parker Rape Case' |archive-date=November 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105130929/https://www.thedailybeast.com/daily-beast-wins-four-la-press-club-awards |url-status=live }}

In 2018, the trade magazine Digiday awarded the Beast{{'}}s Cheat Sheet for best email newsletter.{{cite web |url=https://digiday.com/events/awards-publishing/dotdash-wins-publisher-of-the-year-at-the-digiday-publishing-awards/ |title=Dotdash wins Publisher of the Year at the Digiday Publishing Awards |last=Bottger |first=Caroline |date=March 29, 2018 |website=Digiday |access-date=May 9, 2018 |quote=Best Email Newsletter, The Daily Beast – Cheat Sheet |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221948/https://digiday.com/events/awards-publishing/dotdash-wins-publisher-of-the-year-at-the-digiday-publishing-awards/ |url-status=live }}

In September 2009, The Daily Beast launched a publishing initiative entitled "Beast Books" that will produce books by Beast writers on an accelerated publishing schedule.{{cite news|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/newsweekthe-daily-beast-sets-traffic-record_b67299|title=Newsweek/The Daily Beast Sets Traffic Record|work=Media Bistro|access-date=September 11, 2013|first=Chris|last=O'Shea|date=31 August 2013|archive-date=September 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906142939/http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/newsweekthe-daily-beast-sets-traffic-record_b67299|url-status=live}} The first book published by Beast Books was John Avlon's Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America.{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/introducing-beast-books |title=Introducing Beast Books |last=Brown |first=Tina |date=January 22, 2010 |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=June 7, 2017 |quote=Wingnuts is the first book bearing the imprint of Beast Books. |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019063439/https://www.thedailybeast.com/introducing-beast-books |url-status=live }}

In January 2011, they published Stephen L. Carter's The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/books/review/Traub-t.html |title=The War Presidents |last=Traub |first=James |date=January 28, 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=June 7, 2017 |archive-date=August 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819171230/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/books/review/Traub-t.html |url-status=live }} Also in 2011, Beast Books published Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee's memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers.{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/leymah-gbowee-wins-nobel-peace-prize |title=Leymah Gbowee Wins Nobel Peace Prize |date=October 7, 2011 |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=October 15, 2017 |quote=Liberian peace activist and Daily Beast contributor Leymah Gbowee was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her 'non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work.' |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019063441/https://www.thedailybeast.com/leymah-gbowee-wins-nobel-peace-prize |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/09/13/140401518/tina-browns-must-reads-the-women-of-the-world |title=Tina Brown's Must-Reads: The Women Of The World |date=September 13, 2011 |publisher=NPR |work=Morning Edition |access-date=October 15, 2017 |quote=First up is Liberian activist and Daily Beast columnist Leymah Gbowee's new memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers (published by the Daily Beast's Beast Books imprint), in which the author tells the story of how her small-neighborhood upbringing in Monrovia was torn apart by civil war in 1989. |archive-date=October 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016122044/http://www.npr.org/2011/09/13/140401518/tina-browns-must-reads-the-women-of-the-world |url-status=live }}

In February 2010, Jack Shafer of Slate magazine reported that the chief investigative reporter for The Daily Beast, Gerald Posner, had plagiarised five sentences from an article published by the Miami Herald. Shafer also discovered that Posner had plagiarized content from a Miami Herald blog, a Miami Herald editorial, Texas Lawyer magazine and a health care journalism blog.{{Cite web |last=Shafer |first=Jack |date=February 5, 2010 |title=Plagiarism at the Daily Beast: Gerald Posner concedes lifting from the Miami Herald |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2010/02/plagiarism_at_the_daily_beast.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915102449/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2010/02/plagiarism_at_the_daily_beast.html |archive-date=September 15, 2015 |website=Slate}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2010/02/more_posner_plagiarism.html |title=More Posner Plagiarism |journal=Slate |date=February 2010 |access-date=22 July 2016 |last=Shafer |first=Jack |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915223046/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2010/02/more_posner_plagiarism.html |url-status=live }} Posner was dismissed from The Daily Beast following an internal review.{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2010/02/the_posner_plagiarism_perplex.html |title=The Posner Plagiarism Perplex |work=Slate |date=11 February 2010 |access-date=22 July 2016 |last=Shafer |first=Jack |archive-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806104059/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2010/02/the_posner_plagiarism_perplex.html |url-status=live }}

On August 11, 2016, The Daily Beast published an article entitled "I Got Three Grindr Dates in an Hour in the Olympic Village", written by Nico Hines, the site's London editor, who was assigned to cover the Olympic Games.{{cite news|last1=Hunt|first1=Elle|title=US Daily Beast website takes down article discussing Grindr dates with Olympic athletes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/12/us-daily-beast-website-takes-down-article-discussing-grindr-dates-with-olympic-athletes|access-date=September 15, 2017|work=The Guardian|date=August 12, 2016|archive-date=September 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915161012/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/12/us-daily-beast-website-takes-down-article-discussing-grindr-dates-with-olympic-athletes|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Hines|first1=Nico|title=What I've Learned|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/what-ive-learned|access-date=September 15, 2017|work=The Daily Beast|date=March 20, 2017|archive-date=September 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928193034/http://www.thedailybeast.com/what-ive-learned|url-status=live}} Hines, a heterosexual married man, signed up for several gay and straight dating apps, including Tinder, Bumble and Grindr, and documented his experiences in the Olympic Village. While not specifically naming names, Hines provided enough detail in the article to identify individual athletes, leading to widespread criticism that this information could be used against closeted gay athletes, especially those living in repressive countries.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-37058787|title=Rio 2016: Daily Beast 'sorry for outing gay athletes'|date=12 August 2016|publisher=BBC News|access-date=June 22, 2018|archive-date=August 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818054915/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-37058787|url-status=live}} Facing intense backlash online,{{cite web|url=https://mic.com/articles/151282/daily-beast-editor-nico-hines-used-grindr-at-2016-rio-olympics-it-s-a-homophobic-mess#.h2ebgGOY7|title=Seriously, F*ck That 'Daily Beast' Gay-Baiting, Life-Threatening Olympics Piece|last=Mic|date=August 11, 2016|access-date=11 August 2016|archive-date=August 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814140851/https://mic.com/articles/151282/daily-beast-editor-nico-hines-used-grindr-at-2016-rio-olympics-it-s-a-homophobic-mess#.h2ebgGOY7|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.queerty.com/everyones-pissed-straight-journalist-used-grindr-gay-athletes-rio-20160811|title=Everyone's Pissed At This Straight Journalist Who Used Grindr To Out Gay Athletes In Rio|access-date=August 11, 2016|date=2016-08-11|archive-date=August 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811225828/https://www.queerty.com/everyones-pissed-straight-journalist-used-grindr-gay-athletes-rio-20160811|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2016/08/11/olympic-sex-reporting-gone-wrong-how-not-to-cover-the-international-athlete-hook-up-scene/|title=Olympic sex reporting gone wrong: How not to cover the international athlete hook-up scene|last=Williams|first=Mary Elizabeth|work=Salon|date=August 11, 2016|access-date=August 11, 2016|archive-date=August 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811180256/http://www.salon.com/2016/08/11/olympic-sex-reporting-gone-wrong-how-not-to-cover-the-international-athlete-hook-up-scene/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2016/08/11/the_daily_beast_s_olympics_grindr_stunt_is_dangerous_and_unethical.html |title=This Daily Beast Grindr Stunt Is Sleazy, Dangerous, and Wildly Unethical| author-link = Mark Joseph Stern | last = Stern |first=Mark Joseph |date=August 11, 2016 |work=Slate |issn=1091-2339 |access-date=August 11, 2016 |archive-date=August 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811210620/http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2016/08/11/the_daily_beast_s_olympics_grindr_stunt_is_dangerous_and_unethical.html |url-status=live }} The Daily Beast edited the piece to remove details that could allow athletes to be identified, and editor in chief John Avlon added a lengthy editor's note. Criticism challenging the value of the piece continued,{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/8/11/12440186/daily-beast-olympics-gay|title=The Daily Beast tried to prove Olympians like sex, but instead may have outed gay athletes|first=German|last=Lopez|date=August 11, 2016|work=Vox|access-date=June 13, 2017|archive-date=August 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812102433/https://www.vox.com/2016/8/11/12440186/daily-beast-olympics-gay|url-status=live}} and The Daily Beast eventually removed the article altogether and issued an apology.{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/11/a-note-from-the-editors.html|title=A Note From the Editors|date=August 12, 2016|newspaper=The Daily Beast|access-date=August 12, 2016|archive-date=August 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812173726/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/11/a-note-from-the-editors.html|url-status=live}} In March 2017, Hines issued a formal apology for his actions, and it was announced by the website's editor Hines would be returning to The Daily Beast "following a lengthy period of intense reflection".{{cite news|last1=Stern|first1=Mark Joseph|title=Nico Hines, the Daily Beast's Olympics Grindr Journalist, Is Back. Can the Internet Forgive Him?|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2017/03/22/nico_hines_of_the_daily_beast_olympics_grindr_story_is_back.html|access-date=September 15, 2017|work=Slate|date=March 22, 2017|archive-date=September 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915161616/http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2017/03/22/nico_hines_of_the_daily_beast_olympics_grindr_story_is_back.html|url-status=live}}

Andrew M. Seaman, ethics committee chair for the Society of Professional Journalists, called the article "journalistic trash, unethical and dangerous".{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/12/trash-unethical-and-dangerous-daily-beast-lambasted-for-olympic-dating-article/ |title='Trash, unethical and dangerous': Daily Beast lambasted for Olympic dating article |last1=Guarino |first1=Ben |date=August 12, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 12, 2016 |archive-date=August 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812130648/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/12/trash-unethical-and-dangerous-daily-beast-lambasted-for-olympic-dating-article/ |url-status=live }} The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association stated "The reporting was unethical, extremely careless of individual privacy and potentially dangerous to the athletes".{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-fi-oly-daily-beast-grindr-lgbt-20160812-snap-story.html |title=Bad form at the Olympics in Daily Beast{{'}}s Grindr-baiting story |last1=Maltais |first1=Michelle |date=August 12, 2016 |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=August 13, 2016 |archive-date=August 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813071937/http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-fi-oly-daily-beast-grindr-lgbt-20160812-snap-story.html |url-status=live }} Vince Gonzales, professor of professional practice at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism wrote "I think this borders on journalistic malpractice". The president of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis, wrote "How this reporter thought it was OK—or that somehow it was in the public's interest—to write about his deceitful encounters with these men reflects a complete lack of judgment and disregard for basic decency, not to mention the ethics of journalism". Swimmer Amini Fonua, who represented Tonga at the Rio games, criticized the article as 'deplorable', writing: "It is still illegal to be gay in Tonga, and while I’m strong enough to be me in front of the world, not everybody else is. Respect that."{{Cite news |last1=Mele |first1=Christopher |last2=Chokshi |first2=Niraj |date=2016-08-12 |title=Daily Beast Removes Article on Gay Olympians in Rio |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/12/business/media/daily-beast-removes-article-on-gay-olympians-in-rio.html |access-date=2023-11-15 |issn=0362-4331}}

In June 2019, The Daily Beast reporter Kevin Poulsen was accused of doxing Shawn Brooks, a 34-year-old Trump supporter living in the Bronx, when Poulsen revealed his identity for being the alleged creator and disseminator of a widely shared fake video, which showed American politician Nancy Pelosi speaking in a slurred manner.{{cite web |last1=Miles |first1=Frank |title=Daily Beast accused of 'doxxing' alleged creator of 'Drunk Pelosi' video |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/daily-beast-facing-backlash-for-outing-alleged-creator-of-drunk-pelosi-video |publisher=Fox News |access-date=June 3, 2019 |date=June 2, 2019 |archive-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704002145/https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/daily-beast-facing-backlash-for-outing-alleged-creator-of-drunk-pelosi-video |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/446621-man-accused-of-creating-fake-pelosi-video-plans-to-sue-daily-beast|title=Man accused of creating fake Pelosi video plans to sue Daily Beast|last=Conradis|first=Brandon|date=2019-06-03|work=The Hill|access-date=2019-06-05|archive-date=June 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605041416/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/446621-man-accused-of-creating-fake-pelosi-video-plans-to-sue-daily-beast|url-status=live}} The fake video had been shared over 60,000 times on Facebook and had more than 4 million views, and also spread to Twitter and YouTube.{{Cite news|date=June 4, 2019|title=Man accused of faking 'drunk Pelosi' video wants to sue reporter who outed him|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-accused-of-faking-drunk-pelosi-video-wants-to-sue-reporter-who-outed-him/|access-date=2019-06-05|work=The Times of Israel|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604031257/https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-accused-of-faking-drunk-pelosi-video-wants-to-sue-reporter-who-outed-him/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/daily-beast-drunk-pelosi.php|title=Should The Daily Beast have exposed the man behind 'drunk Pelosi' video?|last=Ingram|first=Mathew|date=June 3, 2019|work=Columbia Journalism Review|access-date=2019-06-05|archive-date=July 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704002100/https://www.cjr.org/analysis/daily-beast-drunk-pelosi.php|url-status=live}}

In response, Brooks denied creating the fake video, despite admitting to being one of the administrators of the group that originally posted the video, Politics WatchDog, and blamed a "female admin" of the group. Brooks also said that he would sue The Daily Beast and Poulsen for publishing "inaccurate trash", and created a GoFundMe page to raise money for legal costs, with a goal of raising $10,000. As of the morning of June 3, 2019, he had raised more than $4,400.

The Intercept co-founder Glenn Greenwald criticized The Daily Beast for revealing Brooks' identity, saying on Twitter that it was "repellent to unleash the resources of a major news outlet on an obscure, anonymous, powerless, quasi-unemployed citizen for the crime of trivially mocking the most powerful political leaders". HuffPost and New York contributor Yashar Ali also criticized The Daily Beast for revealing Brooks' identity, saying it "sets a really bad precedent when a private citizen has their identity publicly revealed simply because they made a video of a politician appearing to be drunk". The Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro said on Laura Ingraham's The Ingraham Angle on June 3 that "My impression was that if you are posting anonymously on Facebook, then it's not really within Facebook's purview to start handing that information to media outlets, but I guess that isn't true".{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ben-shapiro-slams-vile-and-angry-left-media-in-doxxing-case-involving-drunken-pelosi-creator|title=Ben Shapiro slams 'vile and angry left' media in doxxing case involving 'Drunken Pelosi' creator|last=Wallace|first=Danielle|date=2019-06-04|publisher=Fox News|access-date=2019-06-14|archive-date=June 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615022642/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ben-shapiro-slams-vile-and-angry-left-media-in-doxxing-case-involving-drunken-pelosi-creator|url-status=live}}

Other journalists who criticized The Daily Beast include freelance journalist and former The Young Turks journalist Michael Tracey, who said on Twitter that "No one on the planet ever thought "disinformation is the purview of Russia alone" other than self-aggrandizing, sleazy, click-chasing Daily Beast journalists", and media editor for TheWrap Jon Levine, who called the article a "hit job over a joke video that happened to go viral".

When The Daily Beast editor Noah Shachtman was asked about these criticisms by CNN media reporter Brian Stelter on his Reliable Sources show on June 2, 2019, Shachtman defended the article, noting that the fake video had reached "the highest levels of power, with Rudy Giuliani himself tweeting it out" and therefore, according to Shachtman, it was worth identifying the creator of the fake video. Shachtman said Poulsen spoke with Brooks in an on-the-record interview for an hour.

In August 2021, The Daily Beast published an article criticizing Mayim Bialik's appointment as the new host of Jeopardy!, which described the Israel Defense Forces as "genocidal"; after human rights lawyers and members of the Jewish community objected, The Daily Beast removed the word and stated that it would review its editorial policy on the use of the term "genocide".{{Cite news|title=After writer calls IDF genocidal, Daily Beast to check editorial standard|url=https://www.jpost.com/international/after-writer-calls-idf-genocidal-daily-beast-to-check-editorial-standard-676910|access-date=2021-08-17|work=The Jerusalem Post|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817230341/https://www.jpost.com/international/after-writer-calls-idf-genocidal-daily-beast-to-check-editorial-standard-676910|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Sales|first=Ben|title=Daily Beast to review editorial standards after writer calls Israel 'genocidal'|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/daily-beast-to-review-editorial-standards-after-writer-calls-israel-genocidal/|access-date=2021-08-17|work=The Times of Israel|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817230341/https://www.timesofisrael.com/daily-beast-to-review-editorial-standards-after-writer-calls-israel-genocidal/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|title=Daily Beast to review editorial standards after writer calls Israeli army 'genocidal'|url=https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/daily-beast-to-review-editorial-standards-after-writer-calls-israeli-army-genocidal|access-date=2021-08-17|publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817230341/https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/daily-beast-to-review-editorial-standards-after-writer-calls-israeli-army-genocidal|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Kornick|first=Lindsay|date=2021-08-15|title=Daily Beast reporter calls Israeli soldiers 'genocidal' in 'Jeopardy' host hit piece|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/daily-beast-calls-israeli-soldiers-genocidal-jeopardy-hit-piece|access-date=2021-08-17|publisher=Fox News|language=en-US|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817230341/https://www.foxnews.com/media/daily-beast-calls-israeli-soldiers-genocidal-jeopardy-hit-piece|url-status=live}}

In 2020, journalist Carson Griffith sued The Daily Beast, staff writer Maxwell Tani, and editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman for defamation over an article that alleged that Griffith made offensive comments in her role at Gawker. On March 24, 2021, a trial court judge denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.{{Cite web |last=Wulfsohn |first=Joseph |date=2021-03-25 |title=New York judge denies Daily Beast motion to dismiss former Gawker editor's defamation lawsuit |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/carson-griffith-gawker-defamation-case-daily-beast |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Fox News |language=en-US |archive-date=March 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328052434/https://www.foxnews.com/media/carson-griffith-gawker-defamation-case-daily-beast |url-status=live }} On August 9, 2022, another judge denied a motion to dismiss under New York's recently amended anti-SLAPP law.{{Cite web |last=Wulfsohn |first=Joseph |date=2022-08-10 |title=NY Supreme Court advances journalist's defamation lawsuit against the Daily Beast towards discovery |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ny-supreme-court-advances-journalists-defamation-lawsuit-against-daily-beast-towards-discovery |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Fox News |language=en-US |archive-date=August 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823054313/https://www.foxnews.com/media/ny-supreme-court-advances-journalists-defamation-lawsuit-against-daily-beast-towards-discovery |url-status=live }} On May 16, 2023, a New York appeals court dismissed the lawsuit.{{Cite web|last=Shamsian|first=Jacob|date=May 17, 2023|title=Court tosses defamation lawsuit against the Daily Beast over an article that destroyed Gawker 2.0|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/daily-beast-defamation-lawsuit-gawker-implosion-dismissed-2023-5|access-date=May 17, 2023|website=Insider|archive-date=May 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518005948/https://www.businessinsider.com/daily-beast-defamation-lawsuit-gawker-implosion-dismissed-2023-5|url-status=live}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{Cite web |last=Huang |first=Christine |date=7 May 2009 |title=Video: PSFK Conference NYC: New York New Media |url=http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/video-psfk-conference-nyc-new-york-new-media.html/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120130160635/http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/video-psfk-conference-nyc-new-york-new-media.html/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 30, 2012 |publisher=PSFK |access-date=23 April 2019 |url-access=subscription |postscript=. Interview with The Daily Beast{{'}}s executive editor Edward Felsenthal. }}
• {{cite encyclopedia |title=The Daily Beast |url=http://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/daily-beast/ |encyclopedia=Encyclo: An Encyclopedia of the Future of News |publisher=Nieman Journalism Lab |access-date=23 April 2019}}

{{IAC}}

{{White House James S. Brady Press Briefing Room seating chart}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daily Beast, The}}

Category:American news websites

Category:IAC Inc.

Category:Internet properties established in 2008

Category:Podcasting companies