The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Jonah Peretti Media BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed restructures news and entertainment divisions to become 'cross-platform media company'

Author

By Rebecca Stewart | Trends Editor

August 24, 2016 | 3 min read

BuzzFeed is to split into two distinct divisions in a bid to separate its news content from its entertainment offering.

buzzfeed_badges.png

BuzzFeed is restructuting its news and entertainment division

The media giant will now operate BuzzFeed News as well as a newly-created entity dubbed BuzzFeed Entertainment Group (BFEG).

The move is designed to cement the publisher's position as a dominant player in the digital video space, and was brought to light after Vanity Fair published a memo sent to staff from BuzzFeed chief executive Jonah Peretti.

The note read: "In this new structure, video won't be the job of just one department. Having a single 'video department' in 2016 makes about as much sense as having a 'mobile department'.

"Instead, it will be something we expand and embed across the organization. As digital video becomes ubiquitous, every major initiative at BuzzFeed around the world will find an expression as video, just like everything we do works on mobile and social platforms. Instead of organizing around a format or technology, we will organize our work to take full advantage of many formats and technologies," he continued.

BuzzFeed's film studio BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, and content like quizzes and 'listicles' will fall under the BFEG umbrella.

The memo also reveals that BuzzFeed News will expand under BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith "to encompass the work that is rooted in reporting and journalistic independence — on topics both serious and fun."

buzzfeed news

In order to build on audience trust, Peretti said that BuzzFeed News will add some existing editorial groups, including its health team, to the global news operation that includes beat reporters, breaking news team, investigative reporters, and foreign correspondents under BuzzFeed News.

"Our recent expansion of video news under Henry Goldman will also become part of the BuzzFeed News organization, and we will continue to expand that news video team. In this new structure, Ben will focus primarily on news, his first and enduring love," added the chief.

In the UK at least, BuzzFeed's news team has been looking to establish itself as a "consistent top tier, scoop-getting, disruptive, serious investigative part of people's lives," for some time.

Peretti, told staff that he believes a renewed focus on news and video will complete BuzzFeed’s “shift to becoming a cross-platform media company”.

Jonah Peretti Media BuzzFeed

More from Jonah Peretti

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +