NEW YORK –- BuzzFeed, the online news site that burst onto the political scene during the 2012 election, is beefing up Washington coverage and has hired Politico reporter Kate Nocera to cover Capitol Hill.
"Kate is a natural reporter with a gift for sourcing and a great sense both for the big news and the telling detail," BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "Her voice on the page is as sharp as it is on Twitter and we couldn't be more thrilled to have her."
Nocera is the first Politico reporter poached by BuzzFeed since Smith took over the editorial reins in December 2011 with a mandate to add original reporting to the popular social news site. As part of his break with Politico, Smith was not permitted to hire from his former publication until after the 2012 election, as The Huffington Post previously reported. But now he's able to do so, which may increase competition between the scoop-hungry outlets.
Since joining Politico in 2011, Nocera covered the health care debate in Congress and has landed scoops that include Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) raising money for a conservative gun rights group that now targets Republicans.
Previously, Nocera worked at the Daily News in New York, where she "covered murders, fires, state and city politicians, snowstorms, building collapses, plane crashes, defunct city agencies and angry neighbors," according to her staff bio.
"I am thrilled to be joining BuzzFeed," Nocera said in a statement. "The team of reporters and editors at BuzzFeed are shaping the future of online journalism, have a real understanding of the social web and I am excited to be a part of it."
BuzzFeed opened its Washington bureau in June and has quickly made a name for itself in the capital through original scoops, heavy Twitter promotion, and a "BuzzFeed Brews" series featuring Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Nocera starts on April 22.
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