BuzzFeed Considers Launching Social Media Platform to Counter ‘Masculine Energy’ Shift

NEW YORK — BuzzFeed is exploring the creation of its own social media platform to compete with major tech companies and provide an alternative to what CEO Jonah Peretti describes as the “rightward, masculine drift” of American public culture. The move comes as the company seeks to reduce its reliance on existing platforms for content distribution.

In a Slack message shared with Semafor last week, Peretti outlined his vision for a new platform that would reflect the values of BuzzFeed’s audience. “It’s clear we can’t rely on the platforms to create a positive environment for content creators like us. I’m beginning to think we need to create our own social media platform to give our audience a place on the internet that reflects their values,” he wrote. “It would be a challenging project, but I think there is a huge opening right now that someone needs to fill. Why not us?”

Peretti emphasized the need for a space that counters the cultural shift he attributes to figures like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Joe Rogan. He suggested that Meta’s recent decision to stop algorithmically suppressing political and news content could benefit BuzzFeed-owned HuffPost, which has struggled financially in recent months.

HuffPost, a longtime liberal blog, recently announced layoffs and buyouts for its staff, including its editor-in-chief, who opted to step down to prevent further job cuts. Peretti sees an opportunity for BuzzFeed and HuffPost to play a “big role” in maintaining “truth and joy” in the media landscape, particularly for women who feel excluded by the current cultural trends.

The proposed platform would aim to attract users who feel alienated by the dominant tech platforms and their perceived cultural biases. While the project is still in its early stages, Peretti’s comments highlight BuzzFeed’s ambition to redefine its role in the digital media ecosystem.