Buzzfeed News, an online news source awarded the Pulitzer Prize, is set to shut down due to a lack of staff. Often recognized for its celebrity gossip and personal interest articles, BuzzFeed News has created a name for itself since the 2010s as a popular source of news for millennials and Gen-Z exclusively.

   BuzzFeed chief executive Jonah Peretti explained the reasons for the shutdown in an interview with CNN. 

   “While layoffs are occurring across nearly every division, we’ve determined that the company can no longer continue to fund BuzzFeed News as a standalone organization,” Peretti said.

   As a personal fan of BuzzFeed and their news since my tween years, I have to say I’m disappointed. However, it’s understandable with the lack of staff concerns. When I first read the headlines I was concerned because I thought BuzzFeed as a whole was in danger. I think BuzzFeed will not suffer a huge loss.

   BuzzFeed’s appeal comes largely from its quizzes. What kind of bread are you? Are you more of a tomboy or a girly girl? Can you tell the difference between these two photos? These quizzes not only kept me on the website for hours, but many others, too. BuzzFeed is also not considered to be a “reliable” news source for serious issues due to the nature of BuzzFeed in general.

   Berlin’s Jocelyn Lawson ‘24, an avid BuzzFeed user, shares her thoughts.

   “I mostly just use it for their quizzes, the news just isn’t that interesting, just gossip,” Lawson said. “They’ll be okay without it.”