Critical Political Thinking Using YouTube as a Platform for Information Evaluation and Synthesis.
YouTube: Now for Political Junkies The video site is ... · 9/23/2014 YouTube: Now for Political...
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9/23/2014 YouTube: Now for Political Junkies | Adweek http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/youtube-now-political-junkies-143303 1/3 JOBS EVENTS TALENT GALLERY SUBSCRIBE TO ADWEEK NEWSLETTERS Follow @adweek 304K followers HOME Follow Brand Genius: The Honorees Our 25th crop of marketers will be feted Sept. 30 Readers' Choice Awards Vote for your favorite magazines, shows, digital media Project Isaac Award Winners The coolest inventions in advertising and marketing Headlines: Press: The Wire Gets Folded Back Into… TV: Dancing Miscue by Olympian Top… Tech: Marketing Software Company Rad… Ads & Brands: Cadillac Will Move Its Global … E ven as YouTube pumps $100 million into original content, it's unlikely that every one of its 100 new channels can or will succeed. Take it's recently launched Politics channel. Despite the heavy interest in political video among consumers and advertisers, and despite lining up eight major media partners including ABC News and The New York Times, the early returns have been decidedly hit or miss. For example, YouTube pundit Philip DeFranco’s channel often sees tens of thousands of views, while BuzzFeed, the Times and ABC News sometimes garner no more than a few hundred. “Basically, [YouTube] is not driving any views at all,” said a staffer from one of the Politics channel partners. “The real problem is that [YouTube] has no editorial sensibility at all. It’s a bureaucracy. They need the minutes; they don’t care about content.” Digital video analysts pointed out that YouTube is still in an experimental stage as it curates content that’s produced on a daily, even hourly basis. “There is very good content but also bad, homegrown content,” said Eric Frenchman, chief Internet strategist, Connell Donatelli. “At the end of the day, I think people will still go September 3, 2012, 7:41 AM EDT Technology YouTube: Now for Political Junkies The video site is jumping on the election coverage bandwagon, with mixed results By Charlie Warzel Search ALSO FROM ADWEEK Food Porn Campaign Gives Applebee's a Social Lift 289k Like
Transcript of YouTube: Now for Political Junkies The video site is ... · 9/23/2014 YouTube: Now for Political...
9/23/2014 YouTube: Now for Political Junkies | Adweek
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/youtube-now-political-junkies-143303 1/3
JOBS EVENTS TALENT GALLERY SUBSCRIBE TO ADWEEK NEWSLETTERS Follow @adweek 304K followersHOME Follow
Brand Genius: The HonoreesOur 25th crop ofmarketers will be fetedSept. 30
Readers'Choice AwardsVote for your favoritemagazines, shows,digital media
Project IsaacAward WinnersThe coolest inventions inadvertising andmarketing
Headlines: Press: The Wire Gets Folded Back Into… TV: Dancing Miscue by Olympian Top… Tech: Marketing Software Company Rad… Ads & Brands: Cadillac Will Move Its Global …
E ven as YouTube pumps $100 million into original content, it's unlikely that everyone of its 100 new channels can or will succeed. Take it's recently launched Politicschannel. Despite the heavy interest in political video among consumers and
advertisers, and despite lining up eight major media partners including ABC News and TheNew York Times, the early returns have been decidedly hit or miss.
For example, YouTube pundit Philip DeFranco’s channel often sees tens of thousandsof views, while BuzzFeed, the Times and ABC News sometimes garner no more than a fewhundred.
“Basically, [YouTube] is not driving any views at all,” said a staffer from one of thePolitics channel partners. “The real problem is that [YouTube] has no editorial sensibility atall. It’s a bureaucracy. They need the minutes; they don’t care about content.”
Digital video analysts pointed out that YouTube is still in an experimental stage as itcurates content that’s produced on a daily, even hourly basis.
“There is very good content but also bad, homegrown content,” said Eric Frenchman,chief Internet strategist, Connell Donatelli. “At the end of the day, I think people will still go
September 3, 2012, 7:41 AM EDT Technology
YouTube: Now for Political Junkies The videosite is jumping on the election coveragebandwagon, with mixed results By CharlieWarzel
Search
ALSO FROM ADWEEK
Food Porn CampaignGives Applebee's a SocialLift
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9/23/2014 YouTube: Now for Political Junkies | Adweek
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Topics: Abc, Election 2012, New York Times, News, Online, Politico, Tablet, Video, Youtube
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directly to their favorite sites, but it is a good exercise for them to take advantage of thedollars and eyeballs moving online.”
Overall, YouTube video views are climbing steadily, partly due to the inclusion ofnonmedia partner videos from heavyweights like President Obama (TV ad “The Do-Over”has scored nearly 850,000 views) and viral videos like that of Congressman Todd Akin’s (R-Mo.) “legitimate rape” apology, which has racked up 244,000 views and counting in oneweek.
A YouTube spokesperson said that YouTube was “very happy” with how the politicseffort was going, stressing that it would continue to promote the hub with viewers. “It’s along-term play that we hope is a great resource for people between now and November 6,”the rep said.
YouTube isn’t alone in its quest for more video views from politics. From livestreamingto Google Hangout chats, digital natives and traditional media alike are lavishing time andeffort on a slew of new platforms to grow their audience and attract advertisers.
“There’s been a big movement across the board in the political online space as prerollads have reached a tipping point in the last year and advertiser interest has escalated,” saidJosh Marshall, publisher of Talking Points Memo.
Most digital political video is lacking in entertainment value and rarely goes viral, butanalysts said it would be foolish to dismiss YouTube’s digital effort, with all the election-night exposure there is to be gained.
“Online viewing of the debates and election coverage overall will break every record onevery device,” predicted media consultant Bernard Gershon, formerly of ABC News. “It’ll beastounding.”
Charlie Warzel was a staff writer for Adweek.
Follow @cwarzel
9/23/2014 YouTube: Now for Political Junkies | Adweek
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