Nikki Finke Wiki
Nikki Finke Biography
Who was Nikki Finke ?
NIKKI Finke, the journalist behind the creation of Deadline, has died at the age of 68.
The longtime entertainment reporter was suffering from a prolonged illness to which she succumbed on Sunday morning in Boca Raton, Florida.
Death
Nikki Finke, founder of Deadline, dies at 68.
Journalist Finke launched her site under the name Deadline Hollywood Daily in 2006 as an online version of her Deadline Hollywood column in LA Weekly, according to Deadline.com.
She revealed little-known Hollywood happenings, making her the voice of the powerless in the entertainment industry and the enemy of those used to having high-powered secrets kept from her.
Her exclusives were highly appreciated for her cunning truths and, after they were confirmed with her acknowledgment signature “TOLDJA!”
Infamously, Finke held “live-snarking” during some of Hollywood’s biggest award shows.
Penske Media Corporation Founder, Chairman and CEO Jay Penske said, “In her prime, Nikki Finke embodied the spirit of journalism and she was never afraid to tell the hard truths with incisive style and an enigmatic spark. .
“She was brash and honest. It was never easy with Nikki, but she will always remain one of the most memorable people in my life.”
Before Deadline, Finke worked around the world with multiple huge media outlets, Deadline wrote.
While from Long Island, New York, she traveled to Moscow and London to act as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press.
For Newsweek, Finke served as a correspondent in both Washington DC and Los Angeles.
She was also a staff writer covering the entertainment and reporting sections of the LA Times.
On radio, Finke was the host of an entertainment industry insider show in California.
The New York Observer and New York Magazine also featured Finke.
Deadline Hollywood
In 2002, Finke joined the LA Weekly staff and her column was called “Deadline Hollywood.”
Her focus for the column was the inner workings of Hollywood.
For just $14, Finke purchased the domain name Deadline on the Internet and started her website to share breaking news in a more timely manner.
She was even named “Media Mensch of the Year” by the New York Observer.
The 2007-2008 writers’ strike was covered extensively by Finke, and she triggered the success of her site and her column.
Penske would purchase the site in 2009 and become its editor-in-chief.
The Forbes list of the world’s most powerful women named Finke 79th in 2010.
Finke would launch a second site in 2015.
This site, called HollywoodDementia.com, would focus on fictional tales from Hollywood.
For ten years, from 2011 to 2021, Finke judged the Mirror Awards, which award a nod to media reporters.
Wellesley was Finke’s alma mater, and she was a long-time benefactor and speaker at the school.
