I didn't know buzzfeed put out articles of substance.
Many if not most of the major websites have this dual identity where they put reams of fluff, then the occasional substantive piece.
It still seems like there's a need for a different funding model. But it's interesting that one still hasn't emerged, given that the erosion of the old one has gone as far as it has.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon's_law
More seriously, anything that produces a lot of work is going to produce a smaller amount of excellent work. Anecdotally, one of the primary indicators of webcomic quality (overall!) is how often it updates.
It's a very weird mix of horrible surface-level junk and in-depth, interesting articles. Gotta be a weird business/cultural mix.
That's why in addition to their actual journalism they have clickbait that makes them money.