Heather Dietrick is chief executive of The Daily Beast. Previously president of Gawker Media, she was a key part of the legal team trying to save the company when they were sued by Hulk Hogan. In post at the ‘Beast’ since 2017, she is responsible for growing their reach, which already stands at 20 million. In this in-depth interview, she recalls how a billionaire with a grudge plotted the “litigation assault” on Gawker; discusses the focus on finding new revenue streams, and the first year of their paid membership programme ‘Beast Inside’; and argues how Trump’s war on the media has made ‘news neutrality’ impossible - for everyone.