YouTube has unveiled a dedicated news-watching experience aimed at helping viewers in 40 countries access the latest stories from reputable sources. The company's goal is to make reliable news more easily accessible through two new features: a watch page and a "Shorts Innovation Program."
The watch page will curate content from what YouTube considers "authoritative sources" and recommend related videos to viewers. The Shorts feature will provide condensed information, allowing users to quickly catch up on the day's news.
To bring relevant news to viewers, YouTube is collaborating with over 20 organizations across 10 countries. However, only those with an existing long-form video presence on YouTube were included in the initiative. Additionally, YouTube is investing $1.6 million into the Shorts Innovation Program for News.
In a news release, Youtube said, “Now more than ever, we remain committed to connecting people to high-quality information they can trust, particularly in times of elections, unrest, and natural disasters.”.
The Shorts Innovation Program aims to support innovative news publishers who are interested in embracing short-form news but lack the necessary resources. YouTube expressed its goal of jumpstarting these publishers in its press release.
This move by YouTube to streamline news features on its platform comes as Meta's Threads app has explicitly rejected actively promoting news. Instagram head Adam Mosseri stated that while politics and hard news may appear on Threads, the app will not encourage those verticals.
In contrast, YouTube is taking steps to combat misinformation by recommending videos from major news outlets such as The Associated Press, Sky News, and CBS Evening News.
YouTube believes that these updates underscore its commitment to connecting viewers with credible, timely, and substantive news content. The platform is dedicated to supporting news publishers in experimenting with emerging video news formats.
As platforms like X (formerly Twitter) face criticism for misinformation, YouTube's efforts to enhance its news features demonstrate its commitment to providing viewers with reliable news and supporting news publishers in adapting to new video formats.
