Buzzfeed states itself as a digital media company "providing trusted, quality, brand-safe news and entertainment to hundreds of millions of people." Buzzfeed has claimed their company to be a jack of all trades as well as a vital journalism magnet, but 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.
So what happened to the credibility and popularity of the company? Over their decline, journalists were hired to produce easily consumable content, and articles with flashy titles to gain high traffic for revenue. Using a formula of curiosity exploitation, the Buzzfeed article titled "17 Facts You Won't Believe Are True" deceptively incites people to turn clicks into profit. While editor-in-chief, Ben Smith, claims Buzzfeed does not use clickbait titles, research suggests a full "63% of BuzzFeed’s last 1,500 posts were clickbait." Their content strategy remains deceitful, with less substance than an independently produced article. At this time, it is not only Buzzfeed that faces the negative side in its plan of action.
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