Buzzfed Persuasive Essay

For starters, in order to best understand Vice and BuzzFeed in their present circumstances, it is first necessary to examine their pasts. In regards to Vice, it is the older of the two, having originated in 1994. Founded in Montreal, Canada by three friends, the project was originally known as the “Voice of Montreal”. These friends, being: Shane Smith, Suroosh Alvi, and Gavin McInnes originally launched the “Voice” as part of a government-funded “community-building welfare programme” (Philby). Eventually, the magazine became Vice and its headquarters were relocated from Montreal to New York City, where it still remains today. As of 2008, Vice Magazine has 900,000 readers, among 22 countries. This rampant growth did not slow, and only skyrocketed

Its 2006 birth year, means that BuzzFeed came about just as social media was beginning to become a prominent platform, which greatly assisted the growth of the company. Specifically, by 2009, Twitter had gained a huge influence and BuzzFeed capitalized on this, transforming seemingly-miniscule tweets into the equivalent of “long form writing”. This inherent interest in all things viral, led BuzzFeed to acquire a huge first client to promote, Tosh.0. Although an internet-fueled business model was bringing in astronomical success, BuzzFeed still decided to modify their genre and expand to include a focus on journalism. This decision could not have come at a better time, since the 2012 presidential election followed soon after, and this new coverage contributed greatly to the new readers BuzzFeed was gaining. The growth did not cease, continued to inflate with the addition of “BuzzFeed UK” in 2013. Within a year, BuzzFeed was valued at $850 million

With some positions, like interns, there is little variety with them earning $10.50 an hour. Whereas, a generic writer can earn anywhere between forty to eighty-six thousand annually. Those working in creative social media forms tend to earn a bit more, and a senior creative director can earn up to $210,000. As far as benefits go, Glassdoor reports that freelancers are entitled to basic health insurance coverage, and full-time staffers gain medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options. With paid vacation time depending on department, 401k opportunities, and reduced transportation costs, many do not complain about the benefits. Additionally, there are claims that for those who recommend someone who becomes an employee at Vice, there is a thousand dollar bonus ("Working at Vice