Ben Smith and the BuzzFeed approach

Ben Smith, formerly of the earnest online political rag Politico, certainly raised a few journalistic eyebrows recently when he announced an unexpected defection to Buzzfeed, a site known more for its meme aggregation and LOLcats than serious political coverage. David Carr examines the odd approach:

Before he went to BuzzFeed, Mr. Smith was a force on Twitter, with about 60,000 followers. He was known as a reporter who not only broke news on Twitter but also served as a signal tower, providing links for the news made by others.

Now he is overseeing an editorial world where there are still articles like “The Cutest Boys With Dogs” (not to be confused with “30 Cats Sitting Like Humans”) and “50 Things You Will Never See in Real Life,” which includes a picture of a Chihuahua wearing double cheeseburgers for shoes. That odd numerology is an update of the ancient dark arts in publishing. For some reason, putting a number on something makes it irresistible. For decades, women’s magazines have been telling you about “101 Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Weight” and “18 Secrets to Winning His Heart.”

The site's founder, if I remember correctly, exercised the 'mullet approach' when he was employed as a consultant to the Huffington Post: that time-tested philosophy of business at the front and party in the back. A quick glance at the Post's front page will undoubtedly suffice if you need convincing that they haven't yet abandoned this concept. In fact, if anything, the HuffPo makes no secret of its lowbrow undertones — and I can certainly put up with it, particularly since the high/low universe is the one most intelligent adults now inhabit (the inane columnists, though, must go).