BuzzFeed is facing an $11 million lawsuit filed by a British news agency for defamation. Digital media giant Central European News (CEN) is complaining about Buzzfeed's article entitled 'The King of Bullsh*t News."
Nowadays, a lot of people are complaining about 'viral' news. There are thousands of websites who offers heartwarming stories and often bizarre tales of life, however, some of these stories or news are proven to be false. In August, BuzzFeed took a punch at Central European News' by writing an article that was entitled as 'The King of Bullsh*t News.' BuzzFeed concluded that many of CEN's stories or articles were entirely or at least partially fake.
According to New York Magazine, among the articles deemed fraudulent were ones that write about a Russian fisherman saved from a bear attack because of a Justin Bieber ringtone, a lonely Chinese teenager walking cabbages instead of dogs, and a man who chopped off his genitals after being teased that it was too small.
BuzzFeed divulged that stories of Central European News are utterly questionable, and it's only copying from other reliable websites like Daily Mirror and New York Daily News. Fast Company reported that Buzzfeed accused CEN's click bait as fake news. However, BuzzFeed also noted that not all news from CEN is false and that some are also legitimate and valid.
BuzzFeed investigated 41 CEN stories that stuck out as too crazy and bizarre. BuzzFeed found out that 32 of the news were suspected to be fake. Central European News did not comment and declined to reveal its methods of reporting. CEN denied such allegations and cited that BuzzFeed is a competitor, thus, it's normal for them to behave like this.
Journalist Michael Leidig and Central European News filed a defamation lawsuit asking for more than $11 million in damages over BuzzFeed's article which was published back on August 24, 2015. Leidig stated that BuzzFeed harmed his credentials in many ways, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Central European News lost many clients, and ad sales have spiraled down by about 30%.
The lawsuit continues, and many followers of CEN and BuzzFeed are eager to know who will win the case as this trial will prove what news agency is making up false stories. A spokesperson working for BuzzFeed said that they were aware of the lawsuit but will not comment on potential litigation.
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