Media Hall of Shame Series: Buzzfeed

Founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed began as a viral content experiment that combined listicles, quizzes, memes, and pop culture commentary with a growing appetite for “internet-native” news. Its early success was driven by shareable clickbait headlines and social media optimization rather than journalistic rigor. Over time, it attempted to evolve into a serious…