[9] In 1975, Finke joined the Associated Press (AP) and covered Koch's successful 1977 New York City mayoral campaign.

[9] She also wrote for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, The Washington Post, Salon, Premiere and Los Angeles.

[9] Finke joined the New York Post in 2001, but was fired in early 2002, after she reported that The Walt Disney Company was destroying documents related to a licensing dispute.

[9][10] She then sued Disney and the Post for $10 million, alleging the companies had colluded to suppress coverage of the story; she received an out-of-court settlement.

The New York Times described Finke as "a digital-age Walter Winchell" with an "in your face"[11] writing style, who is "feared by [Hollywood] executives".

[13] Finke claimed to have worked "almost around the clock" during the strike; in 2009, the Los Angeles Times noted her announcement of a five-day vacation.

The New York Times said: "Ms. Finke finds herself facing a daunting new chapter in her career: a plan to leave journalism and write and publish fiction about the entertainment industry".

"When I started Deadline Hollywood Daily, as it was called way back in 2006, I needed a quicker way to report breaking entertainment news than my weekly newspaper column.

Or an internet journalist who created something out of nothing that put the Hollywood trades back on their heels, and today, under Penske Media ownership, is a website worth $100+ million.

Or a woman with brass balls, attitude and ruthless hustle, who told hard truths about the moguls and who accurately reported scoops first.