YouTube News
Critical Analysis
What portion of Americans get their news from YouTube?
Describe how YouTube news differs from traditional news such as cable news, local TV, and newspapers?
What is one consequence of this portion of Americans getting their news from YouTube?
How differently does YouTube news cover conspiracy theories?*
Is this information bad news (and will it be covered on YouTube)?
How do you think the YouTube news affected the most recent presidential election?
Generation Z (you and your classmates: “Zoomers!”) have different news media habits from older generations like Boomers (born 1946-1965). How do you think age impacts the likelihood of YouTube news usage?
I have a confession to make. I like YouTube for entertainment (hello John Oliver! Hello Key and Peele!) but until recently, I didn’t know people watched YouTube for news. (Yes, I am old.) On election day I was a poll greeter, working with lots of Trump enthusiasts. They kept talking about how liberal Fox News is and how the only real news is on YouTube. I didn’t know this was a thing. Do you ever watch YouTube for news, and if so describe what it is like.
YouTube was born on February 2005. Fifteen years from now, how differently do you think news will be broadcast and shared?
Why do you think YouTube news has a more negative tone than other news and how do you think that impacts YouTube news watchers?
Learning Extension
Don’t snooze. Read this short Pew Report about YouTube news.
Action Extension
Get news on YouTube for fifteen minutes and then get news on traditional media the next 15 minutes. Compare the topics covered, the depth of coverage, and the style of reporting from these two sources and report your findings to class.
