BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City,[2] BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Kenneth Lerer, co-founder and chairman of The Huffington Post, started as a co-founder and investor in BuzzFeed and is now the executive chairman.
Originally known for online quizzes, "listicles", and pop culture articles, the company has grown into a global media and technology company, providing coverage on a variety of topics including politics, DIY, animals, and business.[3][4] In late 2011, BuzzFeed hired Ben Smith of Politico as editor-in-chief, to expand the site into long-form journalism and reportage.[5] After years of investment in investigative journalism, by 2021 BuzzFeed News had won the National Magazine Award,[6] the George Polk Award,[7] and the Pulitzer Prize,[8] and was nominated for the Michael Kelly Award.[6] BuzzFeed generates revenue by native advertising, a strategy that helps with increasing the likelihood of viewers read through the content of advertisement.[9]
Despite BuzzFeed's entrance into serious journalism, a 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that in the United States, BuzzFeed was viewed as an unreliable source by the majority of respondents, regardless of age or political affiliation.[10] The company's audience has been described as left-leaning.[11] BuzzFeed News later moved to its own domain rather than existing as a section of the main BuzzFeed website.[12]
On April 20, 2023, Peretti announced that BuzzFeed Media would be shuttering BuzzFeed News and focusing on The Huffington Post, laying off about 180 workers.[13]