I don't think anyone is silencing Gawker. Nobody is shutting it down. They did something illegal, so they must pay for it. The consequence of the lawsuit is a

I don't think anyone is silencing Gawker. Nobody is shutting it down. They did something illegal, so they must pay for it. The consequence of the lawsuit is a fine. Gawker shutting down may be a consequence of the fine, but it is not the lawsuit's objective.