Buzzfeed – Bias and Credibility

These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias.  They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes) to favor liberal causes.  These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Left-Center sources.

• Overall, we rate Buzzfeed strongly Left-Center Biased due to story selection favoring the left and Mostly Factual in reporting based on the occasional use of poor sources and sensationalized content.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT-CENTER (-4.6)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.6)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY

History

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York, Buzzfeed is a media news company delivering social news and entertainment. They provide a mix of breaking news, entertainment, and shareable content. Jonah Peretti and John Johnson are the founders of Buzzfeed, and the editor-in-chief is Ben Smith. In 2016, BuzzFeed split the News operation off from the BuzzFeed Entertainment Group, focusing more on BuzzFeed’s video unit. The Buzzfeed brands are Tasty, Nifty, Goodful, and more.

In 2018, BuzzfeedNews.com became a separate website.

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

BuzzFeed, Inc. is a publicly traded digital media company primarily controlled by media entrepreneur Byron Allen. In May 2026, Allen Family Digital, an affiliate of Allen’s family office, acquired approximately 51% of BuzzFeed’s outstanding shares for $120 million. The transaction consisted of $20 million paid at closing and a $100 million promissory note due in five years. Allen subsequently became chairman and CEO, while co-founder Jonah Peretti retained a minority interest, remained on the board, and transitioned from CEO to president of BuzzFeed AI.

BuzzFeed’s brands include BuzzFeed, HuffPost, Tasty, and BuzzFeed Studios. The company generates revenue primarily through digital advertising, sponsored and branded content, content licensing, commerce, and other media-related services. Its sponsored content frequently takes the form of videos, quizzes, articles, and social media campaigns created for advertisers. Because BuzzFeed remains publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker BZFD, it regularly discloses financial and ownership information through filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Analysis / Bias

BuzzFeed often publishes “Listicles” with images or GIFs and short content with links such as “100 Pictures That’ll Make You Pee Yourself Laughing”  or “42 Cat GIFs Guaranteed To Make You Laugh Every Time”.  They also publish viral videos and political news on their news website.

In a review of their reporting of news stories, Buzzfeed utilizes emotionally loaded language in their headlines “Trump Excluded Democrats From A Lunch Meeting On The Shutdown” and “The US Envoy On ISIS, Brett McGurk, Quit In Protest Over Trump’s Withdrawal From Syria.”  They typically source to themselves when it comes to sourcing; however, they also utilize credible sources such as the Des Moines Register and Associated Press. Further, they do not clearly label opinion pieces, making it difficult to distinguish between straight news content and editorials. In general, most Buzzfeed stories favor the left.

In January 2017, Buzzfeed published the Steele Dossier about alleged Russia collusion, which caused former President Donald Trump to criticize them by saying Buzzfeed is a ‘failing pile of garbage. In December 2018, according to Politico, “The libel case over the dossier it published before Trump took office gets tossed.”

As of this update, Buzzfeed continues to publish sensationalized stories like this: Canadians, Tell Us Your Thoughts On Donald Trump Threatening To Use “Economic Force” To Make Canada Join The US. Generally, Buzzfeed is fact-based but sensational in its approach.

Failed Fact Checks

• None in the last 5 years.

Overall, we rate Buzzfeed strongly Left-Center Biased due to story selection that tends to favor the left and Mostly Factual in reporting based on the occasional use of poor sources and sensationalized content. (6/30/2016) Updated (M. Huitsing 07/29/2026)

Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/