Video is enjoying a golden age. Again. Supercharged by social platforms, video’s power to distill complex issues in engaging, accessible formats is a hit with audiences.
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report found two-thirds of audiences watch short form news videos weekly, and over half engage with longer form video. No wonder publishers are chasing opportunities. Take for example The Sun identifying video as a key driver for growth. Or the welcome, if overdue, announcement that BBC News plans to double down on YouTube and TikTok.
Successful video meets audiences where they are. Nearly half of the U.K.’s internet users access YouTube daily. More than half (54%) of the U.K. population use TikTok at least once a month. (Newsflash: they are not all under 35.)
YouTube, in particular, is coming for the broadcaster’s lunch. In the U.S., YouTube has reported the most popular device for consuming its content is — drum roll — the television. The U.K. will not be far behind. Smart TVs with built-in apps have been a game changer.
So how can news publishers prepare for this video era?
Meeting audiences where they are is not just about the platforms. It is about understanding the storytelling techniques that work. How story selection, language, production styles shift in this space. Good YouTube is not the same as good television.
The successful video publishers have taken an understanding of audience behaviors, needs and interests. They have built formats that work for how audiences consume content today. This will not be achieved by a “lift and shift” of legacy production values. It is a time to be bold.
When we launched The News Movement (TNM) in 2021, we pioneered TikTok explainers with lo-fi “green screens” and rough edits that would have made my former BBC colleagues wince. But we were deliberately targeting younger audiences, using the language of social media.
It worked: 61% of the TNM audience is under 35. In 2025, the format is rarely used. TNM content has evolved. But that’s the point. Agility is essential.
Success on social depends on understanding the audience and the algorithms. Take Piers Morgan. He ditched a television network for YouTube, targeting top YouTubers like Megyn Kelly (3.5m subscribers) for his news making interviews — not just for content but for her audience too. It paid off, and is now arguably the U.K.’s most successful news YouTuber (3.8m subscribers)
Recognizing where the algorithms challenge the values of broadcasting is important. Masters of the political explainer, TLDR News, offers another model. It has built a 2.5m subscriber base across all its topical channels. Smaller, but more engaged audiences, getting exactly what they came for. Take note BBC News.
by
Related posts
Magazine Training International’s mission is to encourage, strengthen, and provide training and resources to Christian magazine publishers as they seek to build the church and reach their societies for Christ.
