There was an article on BusinessWeek a while ago (I think it was posted here, not sure though) that discussed Upworthy's techniques and methodology: http://www.

There was an article on BusinessWeek a while ago (I think it was posted here, not sure though) that discussed Upworthy's techniques and methodology: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-01/upworthy-goes-viral-by-optimizing-optimism http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-01/upworthy-goe... 'Manipulative slime' is pretty spot-on. Upworthy tries to change political viewpoints but it doesn't do it in most cases by presenting facts, by challenging assumptions, or by trying to elevate the level of discourse. Instead, it's all low-quality viral content, reshares, and stuff explicitly intended to induce warm fuzzies within its viewers first and foremost. From the linked article: "One Upworthy post carried the headline “Watch A Preacher Attack Gay Marriage And Totally Change His Mind On The Spot” without mentioning that the entire speech was a hoax by the pro-gay rights preacher, who was making fun of the other viewpoint."