HuffPost

Originally launched as The Huffington Post in 2005, the media outlet was co-founded by Arianna Huffington, Andrew Breitbart, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti. Arianna Huffington, a Greek-American author and syndicated columnist, brought her established media presence and political commentary to the forefront of the venture. Kenneth Lerer, a former executive at AOL Time Warner, provided crucial business acumen and initial funding. Jonah Peretti, who would later co-found BuzzFeed, leveraged his expertise in viral content and web dynamics to shape the platform's early growth. Andrew Breitbart, a conservative commentator, was also involved in the initial creation, though he later became a prominent critic of the site's direction.

The platform established itself as a liberal-leaning American news aggregator and blog, quickly gaining traction during a period of digital media disruption. Its business model initially centered on advertising revenue, driven by high traffic volumes generated through a mix of original reporting, aggregated news, and a large network of unpaid bloggers. This approach allowed for a broad scope of content, ranging from politics and business to entertainment and lifestyle, catering to a wide demographic. A significant milestone in its history was the acquisition by AOL in 2011 for US$315 million, a deal that aimed to merge AOL's established internet presence with HuffPost's growing content empire. Following the acquisition, Arianna Huffington remained as president and editor-in-chief.

In 2015, Verizon Communications acquired AOL, bringing HuffPost under its corporate umbrella. The company underwent a significant rebranding in 2017, officially shortening its name to HuffPost and redesigning its website and logo. Another major transition occurred in 2020 when BuzzFeed announced it would acquire HuffPost from Verizon Media in a stock deal. This acquisition reunited Jonah Peretti with the company he helped create. Throughout its history, the publication has expanded internationally, launching various editions for different countries. Its core service remains the free-to-access digital publication, which delivers news and commentary through its website and social media channels, monetizing content primarily through programmatic and direct advertising.

Keywords: digital media, online news, news aggregator, political commentary, advertising revenue, media acquisition, content platform, liberal news, blogging platform, international editions