BuzzFeed
 | |
| Type of business | Private |
|---|---|
Type of site | News & blogging |
| Available in | English |
| Founded | October, 2006 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owner | BuzzFeed Inc. |
| Key people | Jonah Peretti, CEO Peggy Wang, Senior Editor Ze Frank, Advisor, Jason Kottke, Advisor |
| URL | BuzzFeed.com |
| Advertising | partner websites |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | October, 2006 |
| Current status | Active |
BuzzFeed is a website that combines a technology platform for detecting viral content with an editorial selection process to provide a snapshot of "the viral web in realtime." Cofounded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti (who is also cofounder of The Huffington Post), BuzzFeed is located in SoHo, New York.
In 2012, Ben Smith of Politico was hired as editor-in-chief.[1]
Homepage content
The BuzzFeed homepage consists of a time-sequential list of posts from users and staff members. The content of the posts is usually either a video, image, or link. These posts are the site's attempt to capture the essence of viral media currently resonating on the web. On Fridays, the website hosts a battle, where users are challenged to post the best, most time-wasting Flash game. Other posts are compendiums of memes or images that are all similar to each other in some way. Occasionally there are quizzes, but these posts are infrequent.
User profiles
Every registered user of BuzzFeed has a homepage that contains links to their most recent contributions to the site. There is also a brief bio section and a scoreboard of how many times these users posts have been featured on the homepage or awarded "Gold Stars" by the staff.
BuzzFeed labs
BuzzFeed Labs are an ongoing effort on the part of the BuzzFeed editors to track, test, and to sometimes create viral media. Past efforts have included: attempting to break a beer bottle in half for use as a shiv in a bar fight, citizen journalism investigating a fire on the Manhattan Bridge, and the creation of a giant energy malt liquor drink using a forty ounce beer and a can of Red Bull. These labs are conducted sporadically and have no set release schedule.
Badges
A key component of Buzzfeed's ongoing mission to sort, certify, and promote the viral web is the use of "Badges". Tags like "LOL" "Eww" "Old" "WTF" "TRASHY" "GEEKY" "CUTE" are available for users to award to posts that they feel merit them. If enough users feel the same way, then a visual badge is tacked-onto the edge of the thumbnail image for that post, alerting others to its content.
References
- ^ Stelter, Brian (2011-12-12). "BuzzFeed Adds Politico Writer - NYTimes.com". Mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
- Jenna Wortham. "Staying Informed Without Drowning in Data", New York Times, December 17, 2008
- Jenna Wortham. "Has Google Found a Stairway to Heaven in Brooklyn?", Bits Blog, New York Times, August 4, 2009