Why is BuzzFeed’s business coverage successful?

Meg Garner writes for the American History of Business Journalism website about the success of BuzzFeed’s business news coverage.

Garner writes, “A large majority would hedge their bets by saying readers going to BuzzFeed to find out which Disney ride they are are probably not interested in JPMorgan’s latest earnings. That same majority might also say business news is boring.

“So why mix something as boring and old-fashioned as business news with the young, hip, fast-paced reputation of BuzzFeed?

“The answer really is simple.

“What this great majority continually gets wrong is that business news can be both. They do not recognize that a business story can be engaging solely on how the writer presents it.

“For this reason, the business reporters at BuzzFeed are encouraged to do just that, fill their stories with solid, compelling business reporting with a bit of uniqueness thrown in. Furthermore, they are told not to just tell the day’s stories, but tell them in a way that differs from everyone else’s coverage.

“And to BuzzFeed editor in chief Ben Smith that is the not-so-secret secret to the business section’s success.

“We’ve hired great, ambitious reporters, and always tried to tell original stories rather than to chase the (giant) crowd or to be all things to all people,” Smith wrote in an email.

Read more here.