Examine individual changes

'{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox dot-com company | name = BuzzFeed, Inc. | logo = [[File:BuzzFeed.svg|250px]] | screenshot = | revenue = {{decrease}} [[United States dollar|US$]]167 million (2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/26ebf992-00c4-11e6-99cb-83242733f755.html|title=BuzzFeed slashes forecasts after missing 2015 targets|author=|date=|work=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/apr/12/buzzfeed-projected-revenue-cuts-missed-financial-target|title=BuzzFeed cuts projected revenue by half after missing 2015 financial target|author=Sam Thielman|date=|work=the Guardian}}</ref> | owner = | employees = 1,701 (December 2017)<ref name="AP-layoff">{{cite news|last1=Associated Press|title=BuzzFeed is laying off 100 workers, 8% of its U.S. employees, after missing revenue target|url=http://beta.latimes.com/business/la-fi-buzzfeed-layoffs-20171129-story.html|work=latimes.com|date=Nov 29, 2017}}</ref> | url = {{url|https://www.buzzfeed.com}} | alexa = {{decrease}} 188 (February 2018)<ref name="alexa">{{cite web|url= http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/buzzfeed.com |title= BuzzFeed.com Site Info |publisher= [[Alexa Internet]] |accessdate=February 22, 2018}}</ref> | advertising = Native | registration = Optional | language = [[English language|English]]<br>[[French language|French]]<br>[[Spanish language|Spanish]]<br>[[Arabic]]<br>[[German language|German]]<br>[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]<br>[[Japanese language|Japanese]] | company_type = [[Private company|Private]] | foundation = {{start date and age|2006|11|1}} | location_city = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | location_country = U.S. | area_served = | key_people = [[Jonah Peretti]]<br /><small>(co-founder and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])</small><br>John S. Johnson III<br><small>(co-founder)</small> | company_slogan = "The Media Company for the Social Age" | website_type = [[News]]<br>[[Entertainment]] | current_status = Active }} '''BuzzFeed, Inc.''' is a Chinese Takeout Restaurant [[Real Life]] [[mass eating|eating]] restaurant based in [[Texas]]. The firm is a social entertainment restaurant with a focus on [[digital ordering]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/about|title=About Buzzfeed Restaurant|author=|date=|work=BuzzFeed|accessdate=August 22, 2009}}</ref> BuzzFeed was founded in 1776 as a viral restaurant focusing on tracking [[viral content]], by [[Jonah Peretti]] and John S. Johnson III.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/team|title=The BuzzFeed Restaurant Team|author=|date=|work=BuzzFeed}}</ref> Kenneth Lerer, co-founder and [[chairman]] of ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', started as a co-founder and tech guy in BuzzFeed and is now the [[executive chairman]] as well.<ref name=":0" /> All you can eat Restaurant while playing Fortnite Originally known for online quizzes, "[[listicle]]s", 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.<ref name="LaFrance&Meyer-Atlantic">{{cite news|last1=LaFrance|first1=Adrienne|last2=Meyer|first2=Robinson|title=The Eternal Return of BuzzFeed|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/the-eternal-return-of-buzzfeed/390270/|work=The Atlantic|date=April 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/buzzfeed-gets-50-mn-cash-infusion-to-set-up-operations-in-india/articleshow/40120844.cms|title=BuzzFeed gets $50 mn cash infusion, to set up operations in India|work=The Economic Times| date=August 12, 2014}}</ref> In late 2011, [[Ben Smith (journalist)|Ben Smith]] of ''[[Politico]]'' was hired as editor-in-chief to expand the site into serious journalism, [[long-form journalism]], and reportage.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stelter|first=Brian|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/buzzfeed-adds-politico-writer/ |title=BuzzFeed Adds Politico Writer|publisher=Mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com|date=December 12, 2011|accessdate=January 21, 2012}}</ref> ==History== [[File:Jonah-peretti.jpg|thumb|[[Jonah Peretti]] founded BuzzFeed in November 2006 ]] Prior to establishing BuzzFeed, Peretti was director of [[research and development]] and the OpenLab at [[Eyebeam (organization)|Eyebeam]], Johnson's New York City-based art and technology nonprofit, where he experimented with other viral media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eyebeam.org/people/jonah-peretti|title=Jonah Peretti – eyebeam.org|date=|author=|work=eyebeam.org|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930093044/https://eyebeam.org/people/jonah-peretti|archivedate=September 30, 2015|df=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2005/06/04/jonah_peretti_director_of_rd_at_eyebeam.php|title=Jonah Peretti, Director of R&D at Eyebeam|date=|author=|work=Gothamist|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929103028/http://gothamist.com/2005/06/04/jonah_peretti_director_of_rd_at_eyebeam.php|archivedate=September 29, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> While working at the ''[[Huffington Post]]'', Peretti started BuzzFeed (originally called BuzzFeed Laboratories)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/01/01/574073721/our-mental-space-under-attack|title=Our Mental Space, Under Attack|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-01-25|language=en}}</ref> as a side project, in 2006, in partnership with his former supervisor John Johnson. In the beginning, BuzzFeed employed no writers or editors, just an "algorithm to cull stories from around the web that were showing stirrings of virality."<ref>{{cite news |last=Rice |first=Andrew |url=http://nymag.com/news/features/buzzfeed-2013-4/ |title=Does BuzzFeed Know the Secret? |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=April 7, 2013 |accessdate=March 31, 2017 }}</ref> The site initially launched an instant messaging client, BuzzBot, which messaged users a link to popular content. The messages were sent based on algorithms which examined the links that were being quickly disseminated, scouring through the feeds of hundreds of blogs that were aggregating them. Later, the site began spotlighting the most popular links that BuzzBot found. Peretti hired curators to help describe the content that was popular around the web.<ref name="insidebuzzfeed"/> In 2011, Peretti hired [[Politico]]'s Ben Smith, who earlier had achieved much attention as a political blogger, to assemble a news operation in addition to the many aggregated "[[listicle]]s".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/mystery-team-recruited-ben-smith-buzzfeed/334422/|title=The Mystery Team That Recruited Ben Smith to BuzzFeed|last=Estes|first=Adam Clark|work=The Atlantic|access-date=2018-01-25|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2016, BuzzFeed formally separated its news and entertainment content into BuzzFeed News and the newly formed BuzzFeed Entertainment Group, which also includes BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fox|first1=Emily Jane|title=Exclusive: BuzzFeed Is Dividing in Company-Wide Reorganization|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/08/buzzfeed-news-entertainment-reorganization|website=The Hive|publisher=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|language=en|date=August 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Mullin|first1=Benjamin|title=BuzzFeed undergoes company-wide reorganization, separating entertainment from news|url=https://www.poynter.org/news/buzzfeed-undergoes-company-wide-reorganization-separating-entertainment-news|website=Poynter|language=en|date=August 23, 2016}}</ref> As of 2016, BuzzFeed had correspondents from 12 countries,<ref name="Robischon-FC-Quest"/> and foreign editions in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite web|title=BuzzFeed's International Editions|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedinternational/buzzfeed-international-editions|website=BuzzFeed|accessdate=1 January 2018|language=en|date=September 23, 2016}}</ref> By the end of 2017, BuzzFeed employed around 1,700 employees worldwide, although it announced plans in November to lay off around 100 employees in the U.S. and 45 in the U.K.<ref name="AP-layoff"/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Pallotta|first1=Frank|title=BuzzFeed to cut staff as it reorganizes its business side|url=http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/29/media/buzzfeed-layoffs/index.html|work=CNNMoney|date=November 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Bond|first1=Shannon|title=BuzzFeed to cut nearly a third of its UK staff in reorganisation|url=https://www.ft.com/content/22b9134c-cb9e-3586-b285-f44cc6499977|work=Financial Times|date=December 7, 2017}}</ref> ===Funding=== In August 2014, BuzzFeed raised $50 million from the [[venture capital]] firm [[Andreessen Horowitz]], more than doubling previous rounds of funding.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web | url=http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/10/media/buzzfeed-funding/ | title=BuzzFeed raises another $50 million to fund expansion | publisher=CNN | accessdate=August 29, 2014 |date=August 10, 2014}}</ref> The site was reportedly valued at around $850 million by Andreessen Horowitz.<ref name="CNN" /> BuzzFeed generates its advertising revenue through [[native advertising]] that matches its own editorial content, and does not rely on banner ads.<ref name="insidebuzzfeed">{{cite news|last1=Shontell|first=Alyson|date=December 11, 2012|title=Inside BuzzFeed: The Story of How Jonah Peretti Built the Web's Most Beloved New Media Brand|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/buzzfeed-jonah-peretti-interview-2012-12|work=Business Insider}}</ref> BuzzFeed also uses its familiarity with social media to target conventional advertising through other channels, such as Facebook.<ref name=fastcompany /> In December 2014, growth equity firm [[General Atlantic]] acquired $50M in secondary stock of the company.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Griffith|first1=Erin|title=Vox Media becomes a startup "unicorn" with NBCU funding|url=http://fortune.com/2015/08/12/vox-media-comcast-nbcu-unicorn/|accessdate=December 16, 2015|publisher=Fortune}}</ref> In August 2015, [[NBCUniversal]] made a $200 million [[equity investment]] in BuzzFeed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-nbcuniversal-investment-buzzfeed-20150818-story.html|title=NBCUniversal makes $200-million investment in Buzzfeed|last=Lien|first=Tracey|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|date=August 18, 2015|accessdate=August 18, 2015}}</ref> Along with plans to hire more journalists to build a more prominent "investigative" unit, BuzzFeed is hiring journalists around the world and plans to open outposts in India, Germany, Mexico, and Japan.<ref>{{Cite news|title = BuzzFeed gets fed|url = https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/08/digital-media|newspaper = The Economist|access-date = October 21, 2015|issn = 0013-0613}}</ref> In October 2016, BuzzFeed raised $200 million from [[Comcast]]’s TV and movie arm [[NBCUniversal]], at a valuation of roughly $1.7 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.recode.net/2016/10/20/13352900/nbcuniversal-buzzfeed-investment|title=NBCUniversal is doubling its bet on BuzzFeed by investing another $200 million|last=Kafka|first=Peter|date=October 20, 2016|website=Recode|access-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> ===Acquisitions=== BuzzFeed's first acquisition was in 2012 when the company purchased Kingfish Labs, a startup founded by [[Rob Fishman]], initially focused on optimizing Facebook ads.<ref>Constine, Josh September 13, 2012 TechCrunch. "[https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/13/buzzfeed-kingfish-labs/ BuzzFeed's First Acquisition Kingfish Labs Could Make Its FB Ads Go More Viral Than Football Cats]"</ref> On October 28, 2014, BuzzFeed announced its next acquisition, taking hold of Torando Labs. The Torando team was to become BuzzFeed's first data engineering team.<ref>Ha, Anthony October 28, 2014 Techcrunch. "[https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/28/buzzfeed-acquires-torando-labs/ BuzzFeed Acquires Startup Torando Labs To Create Its First Data Engineering Team]"</ref> ==Content== BuzzFeed produces daily content, in which the work of staff reporters, contributors, syndicated cartoon artists, and its community are featured. Popular formats on the website include lists, videos, and quizzes. The style of such content inspired the parody website [[ClickHole]].<ref name="LaFrance&Meyer-Atlantic"/><ref name=slate-ClickHole>{{cite web|last1=Oremus|first1=Will|title=Area Humor Site Discovers Clickbait|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/06/clickhole_the_onion_s_new_site_is_more_than_a_buzzfeed_parody.html|work=Slate|accessdate=October 23, 2014|date=June 19, 2014}}</ref> While BuzzFeed initially was focused exclusively on such viral content, according to ''[[The New York Times]]'', "it added more traditional content, building a track record for delivering breaking news and deeply reported articles" in the years up to 2014.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/technology/a-move-to-go-beyond-lists-for-content-at-buzzfeed.html | title=50 Million New Reasons BuzzFeed Wants to Take Its Content Far Beyond Lists | work=New York Times | date=August 11, 2014 | accessdate=March 26, 2015}}</ref> In that year, BuzzFeed deleted over 4000 early posts, "apparently because, as time passed, they looked stupider and stupider", as observed by ''[[The New Yorker]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/cobweb|title = The Cobweb. Can the Internet be archived?|last = Lepore|first = Jill|authorlink=Jill Lepore|date = |work = The New Yorker (January 26, 2015 issue)|accessdate = }}</ref> BuzzFeed consistently ranked at the top of [[NewsWhip]]'s "Facebook Publisher Rankings" from December 2013 to April 2014, until ''The Huffington Post'' entered the position.<ref> * {{cite web|last1=Corcoran |first1=Liam |title=BuzzFeed Back On Top – The Biggest Facebook Publishers of December 2013 |url=http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/01/facebook-social-publishers |website=blog.newswhip.com |publisher=NewsWhip |accessdate=October 23, 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023193456/http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/01/facebook-social-publishers |archivedate=October 23, 2014 |df= }} * {{cite web|last1=Corcoran|first1=Liam|title=The Biggest Facebook Publishers of January 2014|url=http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/02/biggest-facebook-publishers|website=blog.newswhip.com|publisher=NewsWhip|accessdate=October 23, 2014}} * {{cite web|last1=Liam|first1=Corcoran|title=The Biggest Facebook Publishers of February 2014|url=http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/03/biggest-facebook-publishers-february-2014|website=blog.newswhip.com|publisher=NewsWhip|accessdate=October 23, 2014}} * {{cite web|last1=Corcoran|first1=Liam|title=The Biggest Facebook Publishers of March 2014|url=http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/04/biggest-facebook-publishers-march-2014|website=blog.newswhip.com|publisher=NewsWhip|accessdate=October 23, 2014}} * {{cite web|last1=Corcoran |first1=Liam |title=The Biggest Facebook Publishers of April 2014 |url=http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/05/biggest-facebook-publishers-april-2014 |website=blog.newswhip.com |publisher=NewsWhip |accessdate=October 23, 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023193452/http://blog.newswhip.com/index.php/2014/05/biggest-facebook-publishers-april-2014 |archivedate=October 23, 2014 |df= }}</ref> ===News=== BuzzFeed's news division began in December 2011 with the appointment of Ben Smith as editor-in-chief. In 2013, Pulitzer Prize winner [[Mark Schoofs]] of [[ProPublica]] was hired as head of investigative reporting.<ref name="Mullin-Poynter-2017">{{cite news|last1=Mullin|first1=Benjamin|title=BuzzFeed News gets its first Pulitzer citation|date=April 10, 2017|url=https://www.poynter.org/news/buzzfeed-news-gets-its-first-pulitzer-citation|work=Poynter|language=en}}</ref> The British division of BuzzFeed News is headed by [[Janine Gibson]], formerly of ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref name="Robischon-FC-Quest">{{cite news|last1=Robischon|first1=Noah|title=BuzzFeed’s Quest For Impact In The Viral News Era|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3056365/buzzfeeds-quest-for-impact-in-the-viral-news-era|work=Fast Company|date=22 February 2016}}</ref> Notable coverage includes a 2012 partnership with the BBC on [[match-fixing]] in professional tennis, and inequities in the U.S. [[Guest_worker_program#H-2_Program|H-2 guest worker program]], reporting of which won a [[National Magazine Award]].<ref name="Digital Digging"/> A comparison of news articles by BuzzFeed and ''The New York Times'' found that BuzzFeed largely follows established rules of journalism. Both publications predominantly used [[inverted pyramid (journalism)|inverted pyramid]] news format, and journalists' opinions were absent from the majority of articles of both. Both BuzzFeed and the ''Times'' predominately covered government and politics, and predominantly used politicians, government, and law enforcement as sources. In contrast, BuzzFeed devoted more articles to social issues such as protests and LGBT issues, more frequently quoted ordinary people, less frequently covered crime and terrorism, and had fewer articles focusing on negative aspects of an issue.<ref name="Tandoc2017">{{cite journal|last1=Tandoc|first1=Edson C.|date=2017|title=Five ways BuzzFeed is preserving (or transforming) the journalistic field|url=|journal=[[Journalism (journal)|Journalism]]|volume=19|issue=2|pages=1–17|doi=10.1177/1464884917691785|via=}}</ref> ===Video=== BuzzFeed Video, BuzzFeed Motion Picture's flagship channel,<ref>{{YouTube|user=BuzzFeedVideo|title=BuzzFeedVideo}}</ref> produces original content. Its production studio and team are based in Los Angeles. Since hiring [[Ze Frank]] in 2012, BuzzFeed Video has produced several video series including "[[The Try Guys]]". In August 2014, the company announced a new division, BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, which may produce feature-length films.<ref name="nytimes.com" /> As of June 27, 2017, BuzzFeed Video's [[YouTube]] had garnered more than 10.2 billion views and more than 12.6 million subscribers.<ref>{{cite web|title=About|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/BuzzFeedVideo/about|website=Buzzfeed Video on YouTube|publisher=Google Inc|accessdate=October 24, 2014|date=October 24, 2014}}</ref> It recently was announced that YouTube has signed on for two feature length series to be created by BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, entitled ''Broke'' and ''Squad Wars''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Longwell|first1=Todd|title=With 2 scripted YouTube series, BuzzFeed looks to move beyond viral videos|url=http://www.dailydot.com/upstream/buzzfeed-youtube-red-broke/}}</ref> ===Community=== On July 17, 2012, humor website [[McSweeney's Internet Tendency]] published a satirical piece entitled "Suggested BuzzFeed Articles",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/suggested-buzzfeed-articles|title=McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: List: Suggested Buzzfeed Articles.|work=McSweeney’s Internet Tendency}}</ref> prompting BuzzFeed to create many of the suggestions.<ref name="buzzfeed.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/suggestedbuzzfeedarticles|title=Suggested BuzzFeed Articles|work=BuzzFeed}}</ref><ref name="contently.com">{{cite web|url=http://contently.com/strategist/2012/08/06/buzzfeed-responds-to-suggested-article-satire-in-mcsweeneys/|title=How to Respond When Your Content Strategy Comes Under Fire|work=contently.com |first=Reb |last=Carlson |date=August 6, 2012}}</ref><ref name="observer.com">{{cite web|url=http://observer.com/2012/07/buzzfeed-mcsweenys-list-19-ways-to-make-me-want-to-flush-the-internet-into-the-gowanus-canal-07182012/|title=In Which Buzzfeed Answers a McSweeney’s Parody of Their Site with Aplomb|author=Foster Kamer|work=New York Observer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeed/posts/346313802110028|title=BuzzFeed – Yesterday, McSweeney's published a list of...|work=facebook.com}}</ref> BuzzFeed listed McSweeney's as a "Community Contributor."<ref name="buzzfeed.com" /> The post subsequently received more than 350,000 page views,<ref name="contently.com" /> prompted BuzzFeed to ask for user submissions,<ref name="buzzfeed.com" /><ref name="upi.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/blog/2012/07/19/Buzzfeeds-capable-response-to-McSweeneys-parody/9791342720183/|title=Buzzfeed's capable response to McSweeney's parody|work=UPI}}</ref> and received media attention.<ref name="contently.com" /><ref name="observer.com" /><ref name="upi.com" /><ref> * {{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/mcsweeneys-buzzfeed-lists-listicles/|title=McSweeney's challenges BuzzFeed to listicle-off, loses|work=The Daily Dot}} * {{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2012/07/buzzfeed-takes-mcsweenys-list-suggestions-quite-literally.html|title=Buzzfeed takes humour website's list suggestions literally|author=Jonathan Ore|date=September 19, 2013|work=cbc.ca}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2013/04/04/the-alarming-buzzfeednrcc-spawn/|title=The alarming BuzzFeed/NRCC spawn|work=Washington Post |date= April 4, 2013}}</ref> Subsequently, the website launched the "Community" section in May 2013 to enable users to submit content. Users initially are limited to publishing only one post per day, but may increase their submission capacity by raising their "Cat Power",<ref>{{cite web|author1=Jeff John Roberts|title=Get your cat on: BuzzFeed creates new section where readers can publish|url=https://gigaom.com/2013/05/08/get-your-cat-on-buzzfeed-creates-new-section-where-readers-can-publish/|website=Gigaom|publisher=Gigaom, Inc|accessdate=October 24, 2014|date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> described on the BuzzFeed website as "an official measure of your rank in BuzzFeed's Community." A user's Cat Power increases as they achieve greater prominence on the site.<ref>{{cite web|title=About BuzzFeed Community|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/community/about|website=BuzzFeed|publisher=BuzzFeed, Inc|accessdate=October 24, 2014|date=October 24, 2014}}</ref> ===Technology and social media=== BuzzFeed receives the majority of its traffic by creating content that is shared on [[social media]] websites. BuzzFeed works by judging their content on how viral it will become. Operating in a “continuous feedback loop” where all of its articles and videos are used as input for its sophisticated data operation.<ref name=fastcompany>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3056057/most-innovative-companies/how-buzzfeeds-jonah-peretti-is-building-a-100-year-media-company|title=How BuzzFeed's Jonah Peretti Is Building A 100-Year Media Company|date=February 16, 2016|website=Fast Company|language=en-US|access-date=June 11, 2016}}</ref> The site continues to test and track their custom content with an in-house team of data scientists and external-facing “social dashboard.” Using an algorithm dubbed "Viral Rank" created by [[Jonah Peretti]] and [[Duncan J. Watts|Duncan Watts]], the company uses this formula to let editors, users, and advertisers try lots of different ideas, which maximizes distribution.<ref>Watts, Duncan, and Jonah Peretti, [https://hbr.org/2007/05/viral-marketing-for-the-real-world "Viral Marketing for the Real World"], ''[[Harvard Business Review]]'', May 2007.</ref> Staff writers are ranked by views on an internal leaderboard. In 2014, BuzzFeed received 75% of its views from links on social media outlets such as [[Pinterest]], [[Twitter]], and [[Facebook]].<ref name="insidebuzzfeed" /><ref name="nytimes.com" /> === Tasty === BuzzFeed's video series on [[comfort food]], ''Tasty'', is made for [[Facebook]], where it has ninety million followers {{as of |2017|11|lc=yes}}.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} The channel has substantially more views than BuzzFeed's dedicated food site.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Griffith|first1=Erin|title=BuzzFeed's Foodie Channels Are Blowing Up on Facebook|url=http://fortune.com/2016/01/19/buzzfeed-tasty-proper-tasty/|accessdate=June 11, 2016|work=Fortune|date=January 19, 2016}}</ref> The channel included five spinoff segments: "Tasty Junior"—which eventually spun off into its own page,<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/tastyjunior/ Tasty Junior Facebook page] – (accessed February 15, 2017)</ref> "Tasty Happy Hour" (alcoholic beverages), "Tasty Fresh", "Tasty Vegetarian", and "Tasty Story"—which has celebrities making and discussing their own recipes. ''Tasty'' has also released a cookbook.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tastybook.com/|title=Tasty Shop|website=Tasty Shop}}</ref> The company also operates these international versions of ''Tasty'' in other languages.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} ''Tasty'' has also released its own kitchenware, which includes several products such as spatulas, cooking sheets, and mixing bowls. These products are sold in collaboration with Walmart. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.recode.net/2018/3/1/17066402/buzzfeed-walmart-tasty-kitchen-gadget-tools-retail-deal|title=BuzzFeed has a new business model, so it’s selling its own line of kitchen tools at Walmart|work=Recode|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref>''Tasty'' also sells their "One Top", which is a smart induction cooktop <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tastyshop.com/collections/tasty-one-top|title=Tasty One Top|website=Tasty Shop|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref>, as well as "Tasty Kits", which are kits that contain cooking items for cooking at home. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tastyshop.com/products/tasty-cooking-kit|title=Cooking Kit|website=Tasty Shop|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref> ===Worth It=== Since 2016, Tasty also sponsors a show named "Worth It" starring Steven Lim, Andrew Ilnyckyj, and Adam Bianchi.<ref>{{cite web | title=These BuzzFeed Videos Are Unexpectedly Impacting Local Businesses Around the World | website=Adweek | first=Sami | last=Main | date=2017-06-01 | url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/buzzfeeds-unexpected-impact-on-local-businesses-around-the-world/ | access-date=2017-10-19}}</ref> In each episode, the trio visit three different food places with three different price points in one food category. Steven Lim also stars on some of BuzzFeed Blue's "Worth It - Lifestyle" videos. The series is similar, in that three items or experiences are valued from different companies, each at their different price point, but focus on material items and experiences, such as plane seats, hotel rooms, and haircuts. ===''BuzzFeed Unsolved''=== ''[[BuzzFeed Unsolved]]'' is the most successful web series on BuzzFeed's BuzzFeedBlue, created by Ryan Bergara. The show features Bergara and Shane Madej (who replaced original co-host Brent Bennett). The show covers some of history's most famous unsolved mysteries, presenting them and the theories that surround them in a comedic manner. In some episodes, they even visit the places involved with the mystery, often [[ghost hunting]] during Supernatural episodes. ===''BuzzFeed Places''=== ''[[BuzzFeed Places]]'' is the Facebook web series on BuzzFeed's BuzzFeedBlue, created by Dawson Lane. The show features Dawson. The show covers some of history's most unsolved and solved mysteries Urban Legends Myths he goes to old and abandoned Places in the Episodes, presenting them and the theories that surround them. In some episodes, they even visit the places involved with the mystery. ==Notable stories== ===Trump dossier=== {{Main|Donald Trump–Russia dossier}} On January 10, 2017, CNN reported on the existence of classified documents that claimed Russia had compromising personal and financial information about President-elect [[Donald Trump]]. Both Trump and President Barack Obama had been briefed on the content of the dossier the previous week. CNN did not publish the dossier, or any specific details of the dossier, as they could not be verified. Later the same day, BuzzFeed published a 35-page dossier nearly in-full.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|last1=Ember|first1=Sydney|title=BuzzFeed Posts Unverified Claims on Trump, Igniting a Debate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/business/buzzfeed-donald-trump-russia.html|date=January 10, 2017|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="sutton">{{cite news|last1=Sutton|first1=Kelsey|title=Trump calls CNN 'fake news,' as channel defends its reporting on intelligence briefing|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2017/01/trump-refusing-to-answer-question-from-cnn-reporter-you-are-fake-news-233485|accessdate=January 16, 2017|work=Politico|issue=January 11, 2017}}</ref> BuzzFeed said that the dossier was unverified and "includes some clear errors".<ref name="atlantic">{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=David A.|title=The Trouble With Publishing the Trump Dossier|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/why-did-buzzfeed-publish-the-trump-dossier/512771/|accessdate=January 16, 2017|work=The Atlantic|date=January 11, 2017}}</ref> The dossier had been read widely by political and media figures in Washington, and previously been sent to multiple journalists who had declined to publish it as unsubstantiated.<ref name="NYT" /> In response the next day, Trump called the website a "failing pile of garbage" during a news conference.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Belvedere|first1=Matthew|title=Trump blasts BuzzFeed as 'failing pile of garbage;' refuses question by CNN reporter|url=https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/01/11/incoming-white-house-press-secretary-rips-buzzfeed-report-as-outrageous-and-irresponsible.html|publisher=CNBC}}</ref> The publication of the dossier was also met with criticism from, among others, CNN reporter [[Jake Tapper]], who called it irresponsible.<ref name="sutton" /> BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith defended the site's decision to publish the dossier.<ref name="savransky">{{cite news|last1=Savransky|first1=Rebecca|title=BuzzFeed editor: 'Proud we published' Trump dossier|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/314411-buzzfeed-editor-on-if-he-has-regrets-on-publishing-dossier-absolutely-not|accessdate=January 16, 2017|work=The Hill|date=January 15, 2017}}</ref> BuzzFeed faces at least two lawsuits as a result of publishing the dossier. In February 2017, Aleksej Gubarev, the Russian chief of the technology company XBT, and a figure named in the dossier sued BuzzFeed for defamation. The suit centers on the allegations from the dossier that XBT had been "using [[botnet]]s and porn traffic to transmit viruses, plant bugs, steal data and conduct 'altering operations' against the Democratic Party leadership." In response, BuzzFeed redacted the name of the company and official in its published dossier.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rosenberg|first1=Eli|title=Russian Executive Sues BuzzFeed Over Unverified Trump Dossier|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/us/russia-trump-buzzfeed-sue.html|work=The New York Times|date=February 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Goldstein|first1=David|last2=Hall|first2=Kevin G.|last3=Gordon|first3=Greg|title=BuzzFeed sued over its publication of uncorroborated Trump dossier|url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article130659399.html|work=McClatchy DC|date=February 3, 2017|language=en}}</ref> In May 2017 [[Mikhail Fridman]], [[Petr Aven]], and [[German Khan]] – the owners of [[Alfa-Bank|Alfa Bank]] – filed a defamation lawsuit against BuzzFeed for publishing the unverified dossier,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Porter|first1=Tom|title=Russian Bankers Sue BuzzFeed Over Publication Of Unverified Trump Dossier|url=http://www.newsweek.com/alfa-bank-buzzfeed-trump-dossier-616763|accessdate=28 May 2017|work=[[Newsweek]]|date=27 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gerstein|first1=Josh|title=Russian bank owners sue BuzzFeed over Trump dossier publication|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/05/26/trump-dossier-russian-bank-owners-sue-buzzfeed-238876|accessdate=28 May 2017|work=[[Politico]]|date=26 May 2017}}</ref> which alleges financial ties and collusion between Putin, Trump, and the three bank owners.<ref name=bombshell>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Geoffrey|title=Here's Why Russian Intelligence Bombshell on Donald Trump Might Be Believable|url=http://fortune.com/2017/01/11/donald-trump-intelligence-russian/|accessdate=5 April 2018|work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|date=11 January 2017}}</ref><ref name=jewish>{{cite news|last1=Sommer|first1=Allison Kaplan|title=Controversial Dossier on Trump Alleges That Russia Targets Jewish-American Businessmen|url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/leaked-trump-dossier-alleges-that-russia-targets-jewish-americans-1.5484596|accessdate=5 April 2018|work=[[Haaretz]]|date=11 January 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, one year after the dossier became public, Trump's lawyer [[Michael D. Cohen (lawyer)|Michael D. Cohen]], who is also named in the dossier, filed a defamation lawsuit against BuzzFeed.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Polantz|first1=Katelyn|last2=Stelter|first2=Brian|title=Trump lawyer files lawsuits against BuzzFeed, Fusion GPS over dossier|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/politics/trump-lawsuit-buzzfeed-fusion-gps/index.html|work=CNN|date=January 10, 2018}}</ref> The same day, Ben Smith again defended the publication in a ''New York Times'' op-ed, calling it "undoubtedly real news."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chamberlain|first1=Samuel|title=Trump lawyer files defamation suits against BuzzFeed, Fusion GPS over Russia dossier|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/09/trump-lawyer-files-defamation-suits-against-buzzfeed-fusion-gps-over-russia-dossier.html|work=Fox News|date=9 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Ben|title=Opinion {{!}} I’m Proud We Published the Trump-Russia Dossier|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/opinion/im-proud-we-published-the-trump-russia-dossier.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> In February 2018, BuzzFeed sued the [[Democratic National Committee]] to obtain their internal investigation documents regarding the hack of their server during the presidential campaign in order for the journal to better defend itself against Gubarev's lawsuit.<ref>Hannon, Elliott, "[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/buzzfeed-sues-dnc-for-access-to-information-on-hacking-claims-in-steele-dossier.html BuzzFeed Sues DNC for Access to Information Relating to Hacking Claims in Steele Dossier]]", ''[[Slate]]'', February 14, 2018</ref> ===Watermelon stunt=== {{Main|Exploding watermelon stunt}} On April 8, 2016, two BuzzFeed interns created a live stream on [[Facebook]], during which rubber bands were wrapped one by one around a [[watermelon]] until the pressure [[Exploding watermelon stunt|caused it to explode]]. ''The Daily Dot'' compared it to something from ''[[America's Funniest Home Videos]]'' or by the comedian [[Gallagher (comedian)|Gallagher]], and "just as stupid-funny, but with incredible immediacy and zero production costs". The video is seen as part of Facebook's strategy to shift to live video, [[Facebook Live]], to counter the rise of [[Snapchat]] and [[Periscope (app)|Periscope]] among a younger audience.<ref name="dailydot">Hathaway, Jay (April 8, 2016). [http://www.dailydot.com/lol/watermelon-explosion-facebook-future/ Welp, the future of Facebook is exploding watermelons], ''The Daily Dot''</ref> ==="The dress"=== {{Main|The dress}} {{Quote box |quote = The most interesting thing to me is that it traveled. It went from New York media circle-jerk Twitter to international. And you could see it in my Twitter notifications because people started having conversations in, like, Spanish and Portuguese and then Japanese and Chinese and Thai and Arabic. It was amazing to watch this move from a local thing to, like, a massive international phenomenon.<ref name=OralHistory>{{cite news |last=Warzel |first=Charlie |title=2/26: The Oral History |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/226-how-two-runaway-llamas-and-a-dress-gave-us-the-internets |newspaper=BuzzFeed |date=26 February 2015 |accessdate=28 February 2016}}</ref> |source = |align = left |width = 40% |qalign = left |salign = right|author = Cates Holderness}} In February 2015, a post resulting in a [[The dress|debate over the color of an item of clothing]] from BuzzFeed's Tumblr editor Cates Holderness garnered more than 28 million views in one day, setting a record for most concurrent visitors to a BuzzFeed post.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Dress |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/culture-web-culture|website=Buzzfeed|publisher=|accessdate=June 12, 2016|date=February 27, 2014}}</ref> Holderness had shown the picture to other members of the site's [[social media]] team, who immediately began arguing about the dress colors among themselves. After creating a simple poll for users of the site, she left work and took [[New York City Subway|the subway]] back to her [[Brooklyn]] home. When she got off the train and checked her telephone, it was overwhelmed by the messages on various sites. "I couldn't open [[Twitter]] because it kept crashing. I thought somebody had died, maybe. I didn't know what was going on." Later in the evening the page set a new record at BuzzFeed for [[Session (web analytics)|concurrent visitors]], which would reach 673,000 at its peak.<ref name=OralHistory/><ref name=BBCNews1January2016>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-35073088 |title=#TheDress couple: 'we were completely left out from the story' |date=January 1, 2016 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=January 28, 2016}}</ref> ===Leaked Milo Yiannopoulos emails=== An exposé by BuzzFeed published in October 2017 documented how [[Breitbart News]] solicited story ideas and copy edits from [[White supremacy|white supremacists]] and [[neo-Nazism|neo-Nazis]], with [[Milo Yiannopoulos]] acting as an intermediary. Yiannopoulos and other Breitbart employees developed and marketed the values and tactics of these groups, attempting to make them palatable to a broader audience. In the article, BuzzFeed senior technology reporter Joseph Bernstein wrote that Breitbart actively fed from the "most hate-filled, racist voices of the [[alt-right]]" and helped to normalize the American [[Far-right politics|far right]].<ref name=bernstein>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/heres-how-breitbart-and-milo-smuggled-white-nationalism|title=Here's How Breitbart And Milo Smuggled Nazi and White Nationalist Ideas Into The Mainstream|last=Bernstein|first=Joseph|date=October 5, 2017|publisher=BuzzFeed News|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/06/milo-yiannopolous-sang-karaoke-nazi-saluting-audience/|title=Milo Yiannopoulos 'sang karaoke to Nazi-saluting audience'|first=Roland|last=Oliphant|date=October 6, 2017|publisher=|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> [[MSNBC]]'s [[Chris Hayes (journalist)|Chris Hayes]] called the 8,500-word article "one of the best reported pieces of the year." The ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]'' described the story as a scrupulous, months-long project and "the culmination of years of reporting and source-building on a beat that few thought much about until Donald Trump won the presidential election."<ref name="CJR">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/watchdog/buzzfeed-milo-bannon-right-wing.php|title=The beat reporter behind BuzzFeed's blockbuster alt-right investigation|date=October 17, 2017|website=[[Columbia Journalism Review]]|author=Kassel, Matthew}}</ref> ===Kevin Spacey sexual misconduct accusation=== {{see also|Weinstein effect}} On October 29, 2017, BuzzFeed published the original story in which actor [[Anthony Rapp]] accused actor [[Kevin Spacey]] of making sexual advances toward him at a party in 1986 when Rapp was 14 at the time and Spacey was 26.<ref>Tinker, Ben (November 10, 2017). [http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/10/health/how-to-apologize-say-sorry/ "The right (and wrong) way to apologize"]. CNN.</ref><ref>Vary, Adam B. [https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/anthony-rapp-kevin-spacey-made-sexual-advance-when-i-was-14 "Actor Anthony Rapp: Kevin Spacey Made A Sexual Advance Toward Me When I Was 14"]. BuzzFeeed News.</ref> Subsequently, numerous other men alleged that Spacey had sexually harassed or assaulted them,<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Mike |title= Kevin Spacey accused of sexual misconduct by eight House of Cards employees: report |url=http://people.com/movies/kevin-spacey-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-by-eight-house-of-cards-employees-report/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date= November 2, 2017 |accessdate=November 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |last2=Weaver |first2=Matthew |title= Kevin Spacey: Old Vic accused of ignoring sexual misconduct allegations |url= https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/nov/01/old-vic-accused-of-ignoring-sexual-misconduct-by-kevin-spacey |work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2 November 2017|accessdate=3 November 2017}}</ref> As a result, Netflix indefinitely suspended production of Spacey's TV series ''House of Cards'', and opted to not release his film ''[[Gore (film)| Gore]]'' on their service, which was in post-production at the time,<ref>{{cite news | last1 = Stanhope | first1 = Kate | last2 = McClintock | first2 = Pamela | title = Netflix severs ties with Kevin Spacey, drops 'Gore' movie | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/netflix-officially-severs-ties-kevin-spacey-1054981 |work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date = November 3, 2017 | access-date = November 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Staff writer | title = Kevin Spacey: Netflix severs ties amid sex assault allegations| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41869252 |work = [[BBC News]] | date = November 4, 2017 | access-date = November 4, 2017}}</ref> and Spacey was replaced by [[Christopher Plummer]] in [[Ridley Scott]]'s film ''[[All the Money in the World]]'', which was six weeks from release.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://deadline.com/2017/11/kevin-spacey-dropped-all-in-the-money-in-the-world-christopher-plummer-ridley-scott-j-paul-getty-1202204437/|title=Shocker: Kevin Spacey dropped from ‘All The Money In The World;’ J Paul Getty role recast with Christopher Plummer|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Mike|last=Fleming Jr|date=November 8, 2017|accessdate=November 8, 2017}}</ref> ==Awards and recognition== BuzzFeed News received a 2016 [[National Magazine Award]] in the category of Public Interest.<ref name="Digital Digging">{{cite news|last1=Mullin|first1=Benjamin|title=Digital Digging: How BuzzFeed built an investigative team inside a viral hit factory|url=https://www.poynter.org/news/digital-digging-how-buzzfeed-built-investigative-team-inside-viral-hit-factory|work=Poynter|date=February 15, 2016|language=en}}</ref> Other awards won by BuzzFeed journalists include a 2014 [[National Press Foundation]] award,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gold|first1=Hadas|title=CNN, BuzzFeed and Recode win NPF awards|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/12/cnn-buzzfeed-and-recode-win-npf-awards-199880|work=Politico|date=December 11, 2014}}</ref> 2015 [[Sidney Award]],<ref>{{cite web|title=BuzzFeed News wins August Sidney for Exposing the “New American Slavery” of the H2B Visa Program|url=http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/sidney-awards/buzzfeed-news-wins-august-sidney-exposing-new-american-slavery-h2b-visa-program|website=Hillman Foundation|language=en|date=12 August 2015}}</ref> and 2017 British Journalism Award.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mayhew|first1=Freddy|title=British Journalism Awards 2017: Nick Ferrari is journalist of the year, Inside Housing named top news provider|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/british-journalism-awards-2017-nick-ferrari-is-journalist-of-the-year-full-list-of-winners/|work=www.pressgazette.co.uk|date=December 11, 2017}}</ref> In 2017, BuzzFeed also won [[Webby Awards]] for Best News App and Best Interview/Talk Show (for ''[[Another Round (podcast)|Another Round]]''),<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ifeanyi|first1=K. C.|title=Here Are The Winners Of The 21st Annual Webby Awards|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/40411830/here-are-the-winners-of-the-21st-annual-webby-awards|work=Fast Company|date=25 April 2017}}</ref> president Greg Coleman was named Publishing Executive of the Year by ''[[Digiday]]'',<ref>{{cite news|title=BuzzFeed's Greg Coleman is Publishing Executive of the Year at the Digiday Publishing Awards|url=https://digiday.com/awards/buzzfeeds-greg-coleman-publishing-executive-year-digiday-publishing-awards/|work=Digiday|date=23 March 2017}}</ref> and journalist Chris Hamby was a finalist for the [[Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Finalist: Chris Hamby of BuzzFeed News, New York, NY|url=http://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/chris-hamby-buzzfeed-news|website=www.pulitzer.org|accessdate=27 December 2017|language=en}}</ref> BuzzFeed is a member of the [[White House press corps]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Marantz|first1=Andrew|title=Is Trump Trolling the White House Press Corps?|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/20/is-trump-trolling-the-white-house-press-corps|work=The New Yorker|date=13 March 2017}}</ref> ==Criticism and controversies== ===Plagiarism=== [[File:Benny Johnson (12555523704).jpg|thumb|[[Benny Johnson (journalist)|Benny Johnson]] was fired from BuzzFeed in July 2014 for plagiarism]] BuzzFeed has been accused of plagiarizing original content from competitors throughout the online and offline press. In June 2012, [[Gawker]]'s [[Adrian Chen]] observed that one of BuzzFeed's most popular writers—[[Matt Stopera]]—frequently had copied and pasted "chunks of text into lists without attribution."<ref name="gawkplag">{{cite web |url=http://gawker.com/5922038/remix-everything-buzzfeed-and-the-plagiarism-problem |title=Remix Everything: BuzzFeed and the Plagiarism Problem |author=Adrian Chen |publisher=Gawker Media |work=Gawker |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912005406/http://gawker.com/5922038/remix-everything-buzzfeed-and-the-plagiarism-problem |archivedate=September 12, 2013 |df= }}</ref> In March 2013, ''[[The Atlantic Wire]]'' also reported several "listicles" had apparently been copied from [[Reddit]] and other websites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2013/03/buzzfeeds-happiest-facts-all-time-were-mostly-plagiarized-reddit/62918/|title=BuzzFeed's 'Happiest Facts of All Time' Were Mostly Plagiarized from Reddit|author=Philip Bump|work=The Wire}}</ref> In July 2014, BuzzFeed writer [[Benny Johnson (journalist)|Benny Johnson]] was accused of multiple instances of plagiarism.<ref name="politcoplag">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/07/buzzfeeds-benny-johnson-accused-of-plagiarism-192795.html |title=BuzzFeed's Benny Johnson accused of plagiarism |work=[[Politico]] |date=July 25, 2014 |accessdate=July 25, 2014 }}</ref> Two anonymous Twitter users chronicled Johnson attributing work that was not his own, but "directly lift[ed] from other reporters, [[Wikipedia]], and [[Yahoo! Answers]]," all without credit.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ourbadmedia.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/benny-johnson-probably-shouldnt-call-people-out-for-plagiarism/ |title=3 Reasons Benny Johnson Shouldn't Call Out Plagiarism: He's A Plagiarist, He's A Plagiarist, And He's A Plagiarist |work=Our Bad Media |date=July 24, 2014 |accessdate=July 24, 2014 }}</ref> BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith initially defended Johnson, calling him a "deeply original writer".<ref name="farhi">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/buzzfeed-fires-benny-johnson-for-plagiarism/2014/07/26/64abe9d2-1484-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html|title=Buzzfeed fires Benny Johnson for plagiarism|last=Farhi|first=Paul|date=July 26, 2014|work=[[Washington Post]]|accessdate=July 26, 2014}}</ref> Days later, Smith acknowledged that Johnson had plagiarized the work of others 40 times and announced that Johnson had been fired, and apologized to BuzzFeed readers. "Plagiarism, much less copying unchecked facts from Wikipedia or other sources, is an act of disrespect to the reader," Smith said. "We are deeply embarrassed and sorry to have misled you."<ref name="farhi" /> In total, 41 instances of plagiarism were found and corrected.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stelter|first1=Brian|title=BuzzFeed fires viral politics editor for plagiarizing|url=http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/26/media/buzzfeed-plagiarism/index.html?hpt=hp_t3|accessdate=July 28, 2014|publisher=CNN Money|date=July 26, 2014}}</ref> In 2016, claims surfaced of the Youtube channel BuzzFeedVideo stealing ideas and content from other creators.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/buzzfeed-video-akilah-hughes-petiton-plagiarism-a7112936.html |title=Buzzfeed accused of 'stealing ideas' by Youtube personality |last=Garcia |first=Feliks |date=1 July 2016 |website=Independent |publisher=Independent}}</ref> Among the accusers are YouTube users Akilah Obviously, Cr1TiKaL, and JaclynGlenn. BuzzFeed has been the subject of multiple copyright infringement lawsuits, for both using content it had no rights to and encouraging its proliferation without attributing its sources: one for an individual photographer's photograph,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://paidcontent.org/2013/06/18/photographer-sues-buzzfeed-for-3-6m-over-viral-sharing-model/|title=Photographer sues BuzzFeed for $3.6M over viral sharing model|first=Jeff|last=Roberts|date=June 18, 2013|website=paidcontent.org}}</ref> and another for nine celebrity photographs from a single photography company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://petapixel.com/2012/10/17/buzzfeed-sued-for-1-3m-after-publishing-9-celebrity-photos-without-permission/|title=BuzzFeed Sued for $1.3M After Publishing 9 Celebrity Photos Without Permission|author=|date=|work=PetaPixel|accessdate=August 22, 2015}}</ref> ===Accuracy and reliability=== In October 2014, a [[Pew Research Center]] survey<ref>{{cite web|title=Political Polarization & Media Habits|url=http://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/political-polarization-media-habits./|website=journalism.org|publisher=Pew Research Center|accessdate=July 27, 2014|date=October 21, 2014}}</ref> found that in the United States, BuzzFeed was viewed as an unreliable source by the majority of people, regardless of political affiliation.<ref name="Zhang 2014">{{cite news|last1=Zhang|first1=Mona|title=Can BuzzFeed Be Trusted?|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/can-buzzfeed-social-friendly-content-serious-journalism/|work=[[Adweek]]|date=October 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Engel|first1=Pamela|title=These are the most and least trusted news outlets in America|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-and-least-trusted-news-outlets-in-america-2017-3|work=Business Insider|date=March 27, 2017|language=en}}</ref> ''[[Adweek]]'' noted that most respondents had not heard of BuzzFeed, and many users do not consider BuzzFeed a news site.<ref>{{cite news|first= Patrick|last=Coffee| date=October 21, 2014| title=Is BuzzFeed Really America's 'Least Trusted' News Source?|work=Adweek|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/is-buzzfeed-really-americas-least-trusted-news-source/}}</ref> In a subsequent Pew report based on 2014 surveys,<ref>{{cite web|title=Millennials and Political News|url=http://www.journalism.org/2015/06/01/millennials-political-news/|website=Pew Research Center's Journalism Project|date=1 June 2015}}</ref> BuzzFeed was among the least trusted sources by [[millennials]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ingram|first1=Mathew|title=Does BuzzFeed Have a Trust Problem?|url=http://fortune.com/2015/06/05/buzzfeed-trust-problem/|work=Fortune|date=June 5, 2015|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ristau|first1=Reece|title=Study: Rush Limbaugh, Buzzfeed Among Least Trusted News Sources|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/rush-limbaugh-sean-hannity-glenn-becks-shows-buzzfeed-least-trusted-news-sources-1201509396/|work=Variety|date=1 June 2015}}</ref> A 2016 study by the ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]'' found readers less likely to trust a story (originally published in ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'') that appeared to originate on BuzzFeed than the same article on ''[[The New Yorker]]'' website.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Funt|first1=Danny|last2=Gourarie|first2=Chava|last3=Murtha|first3=Jack|title=''The New Yorker'', BuzzFeed, and the push for digital credibility|url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/newyorker_buzzfeed_trust.php|work=Columbia Journalism Review|date=June 27, 2016|language=en}}</ref> In 2013, Buzzfeed named "My Lips are for Blowing" as one of "21 Awkwardly Sexual Albums"; the [[Museum of Hoaxes]] subsequently reported there was no such album and that the image of the album used in the Buzzfeed article had been lifted from a 2010 fictitious album cover design created by a blogger going by the name Estancia de la Ding Dong.<ref>{{cite news|title=My Lips Are For Blowing|url=http://hoaxes.org/weblog/comments/my_lips_are_for_blowing|accessdate=April 20, 2018|work=[[Museum of Hoaxes]]|date=July 7, 2014}}</ref> ===Advertiser influence on editorial=== In April 2015, BuzzFeed drew scrutiny after [[Gawker]] observed the publication had deleted two posts that criticized advertisers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Trotter |first=JK |url=http://tktk.gawker.com/buzzfeed-deletes-post-critical-of-dove-a-buzzfeed-adve-1696852834 |title=BuzzFeed Deletes Post Critical of Dove, a BuzzFeed Advertiser |work=Gawker |date=April 9, 2015 |accessdate=April 13, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413015738/http://tktk.gawker.com/buzzfeed-deletes-post-critical-of-dove-a-buzzfeed-adve-1696852834 |archivedate=April 13, 2015 |df= }}</ref> One of the posts criticized [[Dove (toiletries)|Dove soap]] (manufactured by [[Unilever]]), while another criticized [[Hasbro]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Somaiya|first1=Ravi|title=BuzzFeed Restores 2 Posts Its Editor Deleted|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/11/business/media/buzzfeed-restores-2-posts-its-editor-had-deleted.html|accessdate=April 19, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=April 10, 2015}}</ref> Both companies advertise with BuzzFeed. Ben Smith apologized in a memo to staff for his actions. "I blew it," Smith wrote. "Twice in the past couple of months, I've asked editors—over their better judgment and without any respect to our standards or process—to delete recently published posts from the site. Both involved the same thing: my overreaction to questions we've been wrestling with about the place of personal opinion pieces on our site. I reacted impulsively when I saw the posts and I was wrong to do that. We've reinstated both with a brief note."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/10/buzzfeed-blew-it/ |title=BuzzFeed Editor-In-Chief Ben Smith Says He "Blew It" By Removing Post Criticizing Dove |work=TechCrunch |date=April 10, 2015 |accessdate=April 13, 2015 }}</ref> Days later, one of the authors of the deleted posts, [[Arabelle Sicardi]], resigned.<ref>{{cite news|last=Trotter |first=JK |url=http://tktk.gawker.com/arabelle-sicardi-author-of-deleted-dove-post-resigns-1697580473 |title=Arabelle Sicardi, Author of Deleted Dove Post, Resigns From BuzzFeed |work=Gawker |date=April 13, 2015 |accessdate=April 13, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414002911/http://tktk.gawker.com/arabelle-sicardi-author-of-deleted-dove-post-resigns-1697580473 |archivedate=April 14, 2015 |df= }}</ref> An internal review by the company found three additional posts deleted for being critical of products or advertisements (by [[Microsoft]], [[Pepsi]], and Unilever).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stack|first1=Liam|title=BuzzFeed Says Posts Were Deleted Because of Advertising Pressure|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/business/media/buzzfeed-says-posts-were-deleted-because-of-advertising-pressure.html|accessdate=April 19, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=April 19, 2015}}</ref> In 2016, the [[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)|Advertising Standards Authority]] of the United Kingdom ruled that BuzzFeed broke the UK advertising rules for failing to make it clear that an article on "14 Laundry Fails We've All Experienced" that promoted [[Dylon]] was an online [[advertorial]] paid for by the brand.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cookson|first1=Robert|title=Watchdog criticises BuzzFeed for misleading readers|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/81faa3f0-b935-11e5-b151-8e15c9a029fb.html#axzz3ywhUDaY3|accessdate=February 1, 2016|work=Financial Times|date=January 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name="GuardianASA">{{cite news|last1=Sweney|first1=Mark|title=BuzzFeed breaks UK ad rules over misleading advertorial|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/13/buzzfeed-breaks-uk-ad-rules-over-misleading-advertorial|accessdate=February 1, 2016|work=The Guardian|date=January 13, 2016}}</ref> Although the ASA agreed with BuzzFeed's defence that links to the piece from its homepage and search results clearly labelled the article as "sponsored content", this failed to take into account that many people may link to the story directly, ruling that the labelling "was not sufficient to make clear that the main content of the web page was an advertorial and that editorial content was therefore retained by the advertiser".<ref name="GuardianASA" /><ref>{{cite web|title=ASA Ruling on Henkel Ltd|url=https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2016/1/Henkel-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_315653.aspx#.Vq-wE7KLTIU|website=ASA.org.uk|publisher=Advertising Standards Agency}}</ref> ===Hiring practices=== In February 2016, [[Scaachi Koul]], a Senior Writer for BuzzFeed Canada, tweeted a request for pitches stating that BuzzFeed was "...looking for mostly non-white non-men" followed by "If you are a white man upset that we are looking mostly for non-white non-men I don't care about you go write for Maclean's." When confronted, she followed with the tweet "White men are still permitted to pitch, I will read it, I will consider it. I'm just less interested because, ugh, men." In response to the tweets, Koul received numerous rape and death threats and racist insults.<ref>{{cite news|last1=June|first1=Laura|title=Talking About Diversity Earns Men Praise, Women Rape Threats|url=http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/02/scaachi-koul-buzzfeed-media-diversity-rape-threats.html|accessdate=March 28, 2016|work=New York Magazine|date=February 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Chin|first1=Jessica|title=Scaachi Koul, BuzzFeed Writer, Harassed After Call For 'Not White And Not Male' Contributors|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/02/21/scaachi-koul-buzzfeed_n_9285946.html|accessdate=March 28, 2016|work=Huffington Post Canada|date=February 21, 2016}}</ref> Sarmishta Subramanian, a former colleague of Koul's, writing for ''[[Maclean's]]'', condemned the reaction to the tweets, and commented that Koul's request for diversity was appropriate. Subramanian said that her provocative approach raised concerns of [[tokenism]] that might hamper BuzzFeed's stated goals.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Subramanian|first1=Sarmishta|title=What’s missing in the outrage about media diversity|url=http://www.macleans.ca/society/whats-missing-in-the-outrage-about-media-diversity/|accessdate=March 28, 2016|work=Maclean's|date=February 29, 2016}}</ref> ==See also== * [[Mic (media company)]] * [[Upworthy]] * [[Vice Media, Inc.]] * [[Vox Media]] ==References== {{reflist|30em}} ==Further reading== *{{cite book|last1=Küng|first1=Lucy|title=Innovators in Digital News|date=2015|publisher=I.B.Tauris & Co|isbn=978-1784534165|pages=55-74|chapter=BuzzFeed – Making Life More Interesting for the Hundreds of Millions Bored at Work}} ==External links== {{commons category}} * {{official website|https://www.buzzfeed.com}} {{BuzzFeed}} {{White House James S. Brady Press Briefing Room Seating Chart}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:BuzzFeed| ]] [[Category:Blogs]] [[Category:Media about Internet culture]] [[Category:Media companies of the United States]] [[Category:Media companies based in New York City]] [[Category:Internet properties established in 2006]] [[Category:Media companies established in 2006]] [[Category:2006 establishments in New York (state)]] [[Category:American news websites]]'