richardrushfield:

Sorry to interject personal/career news here, but for the first time in I don’t know how long, I’ve got some I’m genuinely actually really really excited about.

The Hollywood Reporter reports:

Social news website BuzzFeed is going Hollywood, signing up a pair of former Los Angeles Times editors and a high-profile investigative reporter as the cornerstone of a new push to cover entertainment.

Richard Rushfield, who ran the entertainment section of theL.A. Times website from 2005-09, has been tapped to head BuzzFeed’s new Los Angeles bureau and assemble a team of reporters and editors to cover showbiz. And Kate Aurthur, theTimes’ former television editor who was west coast editor ofNewsweek/The Daily Beast, will write about TV, film and celebrities as BuzzFeed’s chief L.A. correspondent.

I had all but given up hope of being excited about things in this media world, but I am beyond thrilled about this opportunity.  I have loved the mix they are pioneering of fun viral content combined with real gumshoe reporting and the chance to bring that to Hollywood is a dream.  And what makes it kind of scarily good is that I’m joining a team of both really smart and really nice, decent people there.  I didn’t know that could happen.  

Anyway, pardon me for sharing but had to share and hope you’ll all be joining me on this new great adventure as we re-imagine the idea of reporting on Hollywood.

And BuzzFeed goes west…