Gawker 2.0 Implodes as Its Only Reporters Quit
The new site’s only two full-time writers exited Wednesday in protest of editorial director Carson Griffith’s offensive remarks about everything from race to penis size.
...MORE
And at The Wrap:
BuzzFeed to Lay Off 15 Percent of Its Staff
Cuts are expected to happen next week, a person familiar with the matter tells TheWrap
BuzzFeed will be laying off about 15 percent of its workforce, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday afternoon, as the site adjusts to a new digital-focused media landscape.
At least 250 people could lose their jobs, the Journal said, citing “people familiar with the situation.”
The cuts are expected to happen next week, a person familiar with the matter told TheWrap.
BuzzFeed did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But, according to the WSJ, BuzzFeed is looking to invest in more profitable content, such as content licensing and e-commerce.
The site is trying to get on a path to profitability as it positions itself for possible mergers with other digital media players, the Journal said.That's a lot of people losing their jobs.
According to a tweet by former BuzzFeed reporter Steven Perlberg, CEO Jonah Peretti wrote: “Revenue growth by itself isn’t enough to be successful in the long run. The restructuring we are undertaking will reduce our costs and improve our operating model so we can thrive and control our own destiny, without ever needing to raise funding again.”...MORE
But, the fish rots from the head down and Ben Smith is kinda creepy. It's not like this wasn't foreseeable two-three years ago.
I mean, when you are getting sued and plaintiff's counsel decides to ridicule you in their response to your motion to dismiss and the court allows it:
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Best Court Filing This Week: Libel Case Against BuzzFeed Edition
From the
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA MIAMI DIVISION
ALEKSEJ GUBAREV, XBT HOLDINGS S.A., and WEBZILLA, INC. Plaintiffs,
v.
BUZZFEED, INC. and BEN SMITH Defendants.
Case No. 0:17-cv-60426-UU
In a somewhat remarkable Motion to Dismiss, Plaintiffs Buzzfeed, Inc. (“Buzzfeed”) and Ben Smith (“Mr. Smith”) intimate that their ties to Florida are so sparse that, collectively, they can barely find Florida on a map and that, as a result, the present case should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction or transferred to the Southern District of New York........MORE
As noted a couple years ago:
They grow up so fast. It seems like it was just yesterday (actually it was January 11, 2017, 12:52 pm PST) that we were posting:
Breaking--Buzzfeed Considers Itself Media--Breaking
The tweeter is a writer on media at HuffPo and adjunct professor at NYU.
I can't imagine what Andreessen Horowitz and NBC Universal are thinking about their BuzzFeed investments right now.Editor @BuzzFeedBen tells me they're "not going to participate in an attempt to divide the media against each other" following CNN criticism— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) January 11, 2017
Maybe this will cheer them up:
