Add Gizmodo Media Group to the list of companies that are seeking larger footholds in the online video world. The Univision-owned collection of category-specific outlets has hired Ben Reininga to be its Head of Video.
Reininga, whose work experience includes roles at Vocativ, Refinery29, NowThis News, and the Huffington Post, arrives at Gizmodo at a time when its brands are becoming more active in video production. A representative for the company told Variety that this trend is not indicative of a coming “pivot to video.” Instead, Gizmodo will continue to rely on its editorial voices while layering in more video content.
Gizmodo has had an eye on digital video for years. Back in 2015, when it was still known as Gawker Media, its execs expressed interest in making more videos, and a YouTube channel for the car brand Jalopnik arrived later that year. Two years later, after a lawsuit forced Gawker to sell off its properties to Univision, Jalopnik got its own TV show via the Fusion channel.
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“I’ve been a huge fan of these sites since I was watching Pot Psychology videos with my roommates about a decade ago,” said Reininega in a blog post. “A lot has changed since then—at this company and everywhere else. What hasn’t is that the GMG sites are still a collection of some of the strongest and most unique voices out there. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the next stage of their evolution.”
Beyond the tech-focused Gizmodo and Jalopnik, other brands under the GMG umbrella include feminist hub Jezebel and sports publication Deadspin.
