BuzzFeed is known for being a very mainstream website that discusses a large variety of topics which each can get millions of views in a week. They also have a few different channels on YouTube that each focus on different topics. BuzzFeed's content is created by writers, producers, interns, etc. who are interested in strengthening their skills and to one day create something huge. But if you think that BuzzFeed is a good first step to going on to bigger and better things, than think again.
BuzzFeed's content makes it seem like friendly and happy place to work and do something you love. However, when you sign up to be a BuzzFeed employee, you sign away your creative freedom. Two former BuzzFeed employees, Brittany Ashley and Jenny Lorenzo, have brought a light to this issue after being fired from BuzzFeed. The two were fired from BuzzFeed due to being in an episode of "Gente Fied", a web series created by America Ferrera.
According to Ze Frank, the President of BuzzFeed Motion Pictures,
Brittany Ashley and Jenny Lorenzo were both content creators for BuzzFeed, creating videos like You Do You and When Grandma Curses in English. Ashley focused her videos on LGBTQ subjects, while Lorenzo focused her videos on people of color. Because of the contract with Buzzfeed, all of the content that they created over the years does not belong to them and cannot be used to help them in any way.
One other former BuzzFeed employee spoke up about the issue.
Gaby Dunn was a very loved BuzzFeed employee with her strong stance on LGBTQ rights and strong opinions on serious topics having to do with gender equality in men and women. Gaby, although was not fired from BuzzFeed, also does not receive credit for videos she has made for the company.
BuzzFeed not only doesn't give credit to everyone, but some do not even get compensated for ideas. One woman named Kat Blaque, a transgender woman who has appeared in two BuzzFeed videos, brought up more darkness from BuzzFeed. On July 2, she posted a YouTube video talking about how BuzzFeed would not compensate her because she was transgender. She talks about how she and a few other transgender people were asked to come in to think of new topics. When someone in the e-mail asks if they will be compensated for ideas, BuzzFeed explained that usually, trans people would work for very little or nothing at all because they just wanted to be heard. BuzzFeed also explained that they did not have the budget for consultants.
BuzzFeed may be a good idea if you plan on working for them for the rest of your life, but if you are someone who just needs a step up, better luck working on your own than with BuzzFeed.
