How BuzzFeed has evolved, Nic Harcourt joins this edition of Tuesday Reviewsday, sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux of 'Bob's Burgers.'
The BuzzFeed effect: How it went from listicles to actual news source
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that BuzzFeed is looking to expand in Southern California — big time.
According to those familiar with the deal being discussed, the rising media star is looking to lease a 250,000-square-foot complex on the edge of downtown L.A. This comes just weeks after a $200 million investment by NBC Universal.
How did a site known for cat videos and listicles become a major media player?
Wall Street Journal media reporter Lukas Alpert says when founder Jonah Peretti started BuzzFeed in 2006, he did so with a firm understanding of the role social media would play in the site's future success.
“What Jonah was really good at was understanding the infrastructure of the internet, how social media works, and how you can disseminate your content using these tools,” Alpert said.
Alpert says 2012 marked a turning point in the life of the young media company.
“They got more investment and started to build out their staff quite aggressively. And -- not to say they were focusing less on cat videos and cute gifs -- but they were bolstering it with more traditional news coverage, and in the last couple years, they really focused in on building a video presence, which is largely what they do in Southern California,” he said.
The media reporter says the company had a good reason for diversifying their content: survival.
“They recognized that there was a limited utility for that--there are a lot of copycats, tons of sites do this now, so they wanted to kinda maybe advance past that … They started building out a more traditional news staff, they do a lot of DC coverage, they do crime, they do international stuff...” he said.
For all of these beats, the site depends heavily on digital social circles for exposure. BuzzFeed is a veritable fountain of distraction and entertainment, but individual stories aren’t always easy to find. But, have you ever wondered why your friends seem to only share articles that are relevant to you? Alpert says BuzzFeed knows why.
“They think that they can get to people with the stuff that they’re interested in in a variety of ways, and that’s sort of how they built this,” Alpert said.
Going forward, Alpert says that BuzzFeed will probably focus on expanding the site’s video components. That’s where -- he says -- the new L.A. office will probably come in.
“They just got this very large investment from Comcast, and part of that investment was that they’re going to focus on how to make BuzzFeed content live in the Comcast universe … So it seems like video is the big area of growth for them now,” he said.
Press the blue play button above to hear more.
Homeschooling: A small but powerful lobbying group fights regulations
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but regulations vary widely across the country.
A recent ProPublica investigation finds that most states have no background check process for parents who choose to homeschool, half the country doesn't require homeschooled kids to be vaccinated, and in 40 states, homeschooling parents aren't required to have a high school diploma, even if they intend to teach kids through 12th grade.
A national story about four severely malnourished brothers led to the introduction of a bill in 2004 to better regulate homeschools. But a small homeschooling advocacy group is fighting tooth and nail to remain autonomous.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- , journalist and fellow with the Teacher Project at Columbia Journalism School
Nic Harcourt and Chris Martins on new music from El Vy, Open Mike Eagle and more
If you love new music, but you don't have the time to keep up with what's hip and new, we've got the perfect segment for you: Tuesday Reviewsday. Every week our music experts bring in their top picks, which we promise, will keep you and your musical tastes relevant. This week music journalists
and
join host A Martinez in the studio to talk about their selections.
Nic Harcourt
Artist: El Vy
Song: "Return To The Moon"
Artist: Mercury Rev
Album: "The Light in You"
Song: "The Queen of Swans"
Artist: Mocean Worker
Album: "Mocean Worker"
Song: "Julius, Irving, Berlin"
Chris Martins
Artist: Destroyer
Album: "Poison Season"
Songs: "Times Square," "Dream Lover"
Artist: Various Artists (Open Mike Eagle, Busdriver, Milo, and friends)
Album: "Catcher of the Fade"
Songs: "Building Gray," "1 of Mine"
To hear what Nic and Chris had to say about their newest picks, click on the audio link embedded above.
Ashker v. California settlement: Thousands of inmates will move out of SHUs
A settlement was reached Tuesday between prison officials and a group of inmates who sued them.
The case, known as Ashker v. California, was first filed in 2012 on behalf of a group of inmates who had spent 10 years or more in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison.
As a result of the settlement, thousands will be moved out of Security Housing Units, or SHUs.
is a reporter and producer for Reveal, a radio series and podcast produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting. He has also been covering this story from the beginning.
Montgomery says this all started back in 2011, when prisoners launched a hunger strike at Pelican Bay. Montgomery describes the HSUs there as "windowless" and "very stark." Some prisoners had been in solitary for 10 years, while others had been there since Pelican Bay opened in 1989. But the hunger strike did its job.
"It fueled this lawsuit, and the lawsuit got the backing of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and some high-powered lawyers got involved. It set in motion these legal developments," Montogmery said. "There were subsequent hunger strikes -- there were two more -- and that really did focus attention on not just these facilities, these segregation units, but the fact that California was holding men in these facilities far longer than any other state -- as we've said, 10 years, 20 years -- and often with very flimsy evidence."
What Ashker v. California has changed
Montogmery says the settlement has brought about several changes, some of which include:
- The "immediate" transfer of any inmate who has been in an HSU for more than 10 years to regular prisons
- Limits to how long any inmate can be held in a HSU
- Restricted custody, or developing alternative facilities within general population yards to house inmates that are considered dangerous, but who won't be locked down in solitary.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above
Funny sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux of 'Bob's Burgers' on female comedy duos
Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Schumer have teamed up to write a comedy screenplay about two sisters.
But funny sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux, writers for Fox's "Bob's Burgers," have no advice for them.
"The great thing about both of them," says Wendy, "is they just don't apologize."
The Molyneux sisters write for "Bob's Burgers," a show where sisters Tina and Louise have their own sibling bond that gets them into misadventures.
The history of comedy is filled with many duos, but most are men: Laurel and Hardy, The Smothers Brothers, Cheech and Chong.
Only more recently have female pairs, like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, made waves.
The Molyneux sisters say part of that success – and their own – is because they avoid the debate about whether women are funny.
"They're not even entering into the discussion of, 'Are we as good as the guys?' Well, yes!" says Wendy.
The sisters gravitated towards each other early in their writing careers, and working together has become part of their natural rhythm.
"I've always enjoyed writing with a partner," says Lizzie. "For both of us, it's always been easier for us to have someone there to work out issues and jokes."
"We have all the same inside jokes that literally go back 30 years," adds Wendy. "It would be very awkward for Lizzie and I to go back our separate ways!"
They don't see themselves as oddities in comedy, however.
"As more women get into the field, it's just going to naturally evolve," says Wendy.
"There are so many female performers that are duos, too," Lizzie chimes in. "I feel like that will help other women see that it's great to work with someone."
There is more from the Molyneuxs on the way, too. They've been tapped to write for a female "21 Jump Street" by Sony.
NPR's Ari Shapiro shakes up the stage to sing with Pink Martini
The Portland-based band Pink Martini takes the stage at the Hollywood Bowl Wednesday night.
They'll be joined by a special guest, a singer whose voice you've probably heard before on Southern California Public Radio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft-UWTxVEJM
, soon-to-be host of All Things Considered, first has a gig to sing with his friends in Pink Martini.
He debuted as a soloist with them at the Hollywood Bowl in 2009.
"At first it was kind of a novelty," he remembers, "but somehow the journalism life and the music life stopped being separate lives and just became different facets of what I do."
The irony, however, is that despite being a venerated journalist who has reported from the White House, the Supreme Court and overseas, Shapiro says singing on-stage in front of thousands is one of the most nerve-racking things he has ever done.
"Perhaps millions of people listen to NPR, but they're not all there in the room while you're doing it," he says.
"Doing those shows," he adds, "is an incredible inoculation against the fear that might prevent you from doing other things."
Ari Shapiro performs with Pink Martini on Wednesday, September 2nd at 8 p.m.