Comment by briandear | Hacker News Reader

Comment by briandear | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

We are calling BuzzFeed “journalism” now? If a business model based on “immediacy” means that BF can rationalize publishing false, or at minimum uncorroborated news, then good riddance. Even Woodward and Bernstein didn’t rush to publish the first minute of knowing something could have been askew with Nixon. BuzzFeed posted the uncorroborated Steele dossier when even The NY Times wouldn’t. They said Trump told Cohen to lie to congress when even Muller himself has declared that false. The Cohen story could have been a bombshell, but Buzzfeed couldn’t get anyone on the record, just “two people close to the investigation.” Journalism, real journalism isn’t bombastic publishing of stories with unnamed sources. In the Berstein era, secret sources were used as background, not as the only source.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/20/business/media/buzzfeed-t...

As far as “tough day on the industry,” perhaps if the industry gave themselves a strong look in the mirror, they’d figure out why. The NY Times is doing pretty well, as is Reuters. It seems that perhaps the youngsters these days are interested more than listicles and might actually care about legitimate news?

The content of the dossier was extremely newsworthy.

Posting it with some false statement about it being the clear truth or whatever would be bad, but it's sort of hilarious to point to the NYT being chickenshit about it as some sort of evidence that Buzzfeed went off the rails by posting it.

> They said Trump told Cohen to lie to congress when even Muller himself has declared that false.

No, Peter Carr said “BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the special counsel’s office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony are not accurate.”

Which is a long, long way from "false".

> Which is a long, long way from "false".

No it isn't.

> "BuzzFeed’s description... are not accurate"

That is literally saying that their reports were false.

> That is literally saying that their reports were false.

Then why didn't he say "false"? Why did he choose the specific "not accurate"?

It is absolutely shameful that this comment was downvoted. Trump is a big boy, he can take it. I couldn't care less.

What of the thousands whose lives are destroyed by shoddy journalism who aren't famous enough to even be recalled? I sincerely hope all of these yellow journalism outfits go out of business. It won't happen, but one can hope.

Not sure if all of these downvoted comments are just spamming "liburl media" right-wing talking points like is pretty much the norm now for anything critical of Trump, or just out of ignorance, but Buzzfeed was nominated for a Pulitzer on it's Russia reporting and has many award winning reporters on staff.

https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/staff-buzzfeed-news

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuzzFeed_News

Top articles of the moment: > Can You Recognize These Rectangular-Ish U.S. States? > 31 Ways To Make Traveling So Much Less Stressful > People Are Sharing The Nicest Thing A Stranger Has Done For Them, And It's Exactly What You Need Today

I mean, I'm sure they do also sometimes produce journalistic content, and it might be of great quality when they do.

As already pointed out a dozen times in these comments, buzzfeednews.com and buzzfeed.com are distinct.

Well, the news was about "BuzzFeed" in general, but fair enough.

Buzzfeed News current top articles:

Why Bryan Singer’s Latest Scandal May Not Affect Rami Malek’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” Oscar Campaign

This Photographer Captures The Emotional Final Moments Between Pets And Their Owners

Climate Change Is A Top Priority For The New Crop Of Governors — Even One Republican

A Man Allegedly Harassed Parkland Victims' Families On Instagram By Posing As The Shooter

A Woman Mistakenly Showed Up For Her Interview With Microsoft A Month Early. Her Hilarious Exchange With The Company Has Gone Viral.

Buzzfeed != Buzzfeed news

Here are some examples from buzzfeed news:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/poison-in-the-system

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/how-apps-t...

I think Buzzfeed news should rebrand itself so people stop getting the two confused

> They said Trump told Cohen to lie to congress when even Muller himself has declared that false.

The SCO's statement was _much_ narrower in scope than that.

The dossier has been almost entirely corroborated across the board. No parts of it have been proven incorrect so far. Do you have any evidence that any parts of it have been shot down as not factual?

Calling it the 'uncorroborated Steele dossier' is a talking point that has been proven to be a lie over and over. It seems that Buzzfeed New's publishing about the dossier is literally the type of 'real journalism' and 'legitimate news' that you're talking about because it has led to multiple investigations of some of the most influential people in the United States and has led to multiple indictments and guilty pleas, including the former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States. I haven't seen many '10 surprise diet secrets' articles doing the same. Have you?

Even Mother Jones would call it mostly uncorroborated.

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/12/an-updated-lo...

What source are you using to get "almost entirely corroborated"?

Reading comments like this makes me honestly entertain simulation theory. We have to be living in completely different realities, where what you’ve read and what I’ve read literally have different words on the page.

> almost entirely corroborated

Have any of the guilty pleas corresponded to a specific claim from Steele? My understanding is, few if any. For what remains of "almost entirely" the whole dossier, "corroborated" in your book seems to mean "not worth bringing before a court of law, even after 2+ years of highly empowered investigation".

> No parts of it have been proven incorrect so far. Do you have any evidence that any parts of it have been shot down as not factual?

Russell has got an orbiting teacup to sell you.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com