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Buzzfeed's $15 million makeover - Tech Tonic

Monday, January 09, 2012 - 02:19

BuzzFeed wants to go from silly to serious. Will $15.5 million from venture capital firms, an old school media house and a japanese telecom company launch BuzzFeed into journalism legitimacy? Anthony DeRosa visits BuzzFeed's NYC headquarters to find out.

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We're here bugs feed that has received fifteen point five million dollars in cash investment. Leading the way in funding is -- -- capital firms. You enterprise associates and we're talking to -- -- founders -- operatives. General what do you do with this new investment. One of the things that finding -- to do it simultaneously and that's technology. And in reporting and editorial and it's it's hard it's hard to vote in this funding allows. Again so we're here with Ben Smith formerly a Politico and he's now -- Fuzzy and everyone's wondering what made you decide to come over here is -- I guess that's really totally -- Genesis and with the way journalism is moving really has already in the news is that I'm getting off my information from the social web operating for an audience very much on Twitter on FaceBook. And I am as a consumer. You putters elements are split on this. Do you think there's a risk that you'll and -- your core audience you built it must be that kind of always gone there. For more the light hearted. And means -- culture we have a very very Smart audience. And although it in about me for pro life art stuff. Hey are people who seem serious news elsewhere so it. A lot of them I think we'll file be excited crafted now and get their music act format that and they love about it provided what he's playing that do. You know moving on through this election season to differentiate yourself from the Huffington Post resentment. And that in I think I think -- any differences so it's really some network were fluent web culture and writing for and obviously as soon as -- Except for them that story abstaining and stuff and readers telling it like that yeah these -- little things visitors stale forms of journals. We'll have a lot more on the ground Corning and please we've had a great experience. It's our and him and mixes -- -- -- we don't ever we don't feel that we need to cover everything and -- -- One username and that you have to cover everything in the world is over we wanted to focus on things that. We think are important news that's possible development and then when they're you know. We know that our readers -- injury often play well.