BuzzFeed, Vice and other outlets slash jobs in a challenging market for digital media

When it debuted in 2006, BuzzFeed quickly became a social media sensation. Its listicles, quizzes and funny videos went viral and created a huge audience online. The New York-based start-up later hired hundreds of journalists to do serious journalism, creating a platform that many saw as the future of the industry.

But the digital media trailblazer confronted some harsh realities in the last week when as many as 250 workers, including roughly 75 employees in Los Angeles, lost their jobs.

Shedding 15 percent of its staff was a bruising moment for BuzzFeed and the latest sign of distress in the once-booming digital media sector, where many outlets have struggled to capture enough ads and digital subscriptions to cover rising expenses.

Some analysts and former employees say BuzzFeed was hurt by its large ambitions, staffing up too quickly and becoming overly reliant on growing its audience through publishing platforms like