‘It pivoted into oblivion’: BuzzFeed sold off the company behind ‘Hot Ones’ to pay down its debt

Once seen as the future of news and entertainment, BuzzFeed just sold off one of its biggest hit programs. What gives?

A decade ago, BuzzFeed was redefining what news and entertainment on the web meant. The website’s mix of hard-hitting news, in-depth features, and viral listicles offered a vision of the future for journalism that many sought to follow. (I should know: I was a regular freelancer for the company.)