Video is a powerful tool for journalists, with the power to generate awareness and spark discussion. It also allows for more depth in story-telling, adding context and analysis that can be beneficial to the audience. However, the speed and ease with which videos can go viral can also have negative effects, if not produced and distributed with integrity and responsibility.
Whether you are interested in global news from a trusted source or want to stay up-to-date with the latest gossip, there is a news channel for everyone. But what exactly makes these channels so popular? We found that the most successful news channels focus on their audiences and provide them with content that they want to watch.
While some channels, like Tomo – Self described as “Your Source for Viral News Video,” straddle the line between News and Infotainment – many are hosted by people who were public figures before creating their YouTube channel (researchers determined this by conducting Google searches on the individuals’ backgrounds prior to starting their channel). These individuals may include entertainers, social media personalities, political figures or other prominent people.
Interestingly, while some channels focused on the positive aspects of their subject, others went to great lengths to highlight the negatives. Specifically, videos that took a predominantly negative tone received a higher average number of views (average of 184,000) than videos with a mixed or neutral tone (average of 117,000). Regardless, both independent and news organization channels seemed to prioritize negativity over positivity.