Buzzfeed News broke out into the spotlight earlier this year, and not in the way the organization might have hoped.
The online news page reported allegations that Russia had compromising information on President Donald Trump. One of the allegations said a video tape showed the president interacting with prostitutes. The claims were never proven true.
The president took the opportunity to scorn Buzzfeed News and their lack of journalistic integrity, and thus the era of “fake news” began.
Despite the hit, Buzzfeed News persisted as a popular information vessel for younger demographics, specifically millennials. While many, including myself, see the website as slightly less than credible, it is hard to ignore the impact it has had on how the public consumes news.
That’s why CNN, most known for its 24-hour cable news broadcast, has created a competitor to Buzzfeed in the most unconventional way possible.
CNN recruited filmmaker and Youtuber Casey Neistat to lead a project intent on bringing unfiltered news to a new generation.
Neistat made his career by telling stories. In 2010, he and his brother sold a television series titled “Neistat Brothers” to HBO. Neistat then turned his attention to Youtube, where he created off-the-wall videos. Some of his most viewed videos show him snowboarding behind a Jeep in New York City and cliff jumping in South Africa.
A few years back, Neistat started his own social media company. The app, called Beme, resembled Snapchat in that users could film then and there, then share the unedited footage with friends.
Beme was unique in that it used the iPhone’s proximity sensor to record. So, when someone presses the phone to their chest, Beme would start recording and the audience would see whatever was taking place from the user’s perspective.
CNN purchased Beme with the intent to use Neistat and the Beme staff and create sharable news content.
In an interview with Variety, CNN CEO Jeff Zucker explained the thought process behind purchasing Beme.
“We have hundreds and hundreds of reporters and people who can tell video stories, and can stand up there with a mic and trench coat. We don’t need more of those,” Zucker said.
Zucker said Beme’s new look will have multiple facets. To capitalize on Neistat’s Youtube success, Beme will launch a daily news show available on the website, which will each be about 10 minutes long.
The new Beme app will include a feature where users can take 15-second videos to express their thoughts, much like CNN’s panel discussions.
Neistat came under fire back in 2016 after he released a video urging others to vote for Hillary Clinton. Neistat said he wanted to keep Beme’s content away from politics and focus on societal and cultural issues.
It has yet to be seen if Beme can effectively compete with Buzzfeed’s long-running juggernaut news organization. However, if Neistat and his team can keep the content focused on balanced, factual, verifiable news, Beme may have a shot at being the primary information source for the next generation.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill