With the overload of information available to us every day, it’s hard to choose just one reliable source of news. Audiences today are constantly moving and multitasking. Because of this, many viewers, especially the younger generation, prefer news that is short, to the point, and can be received on the go. With the recent phenomenon that is YouTube, the audience has taken news into their own hands.
While most corporate news channels have created YouTube channels featuring their stories, it is the average Joes that have taken in the largest audience in YouTube news. One user in particular has circulated over one billion channel views. Philip DeFranco, also known by his username sxephil, has managed to accumulate over two and a half million subscribers. That’s more than CNN, NBC, and Fox News combined. The key to DeFranco’s YouTube success is due to his straight to the point delivery and ironic commentary following the news stories. While some people may not agree with his libertarian and agnostic opinions on the stories he presents, his audience must acknowledge that his quick presentation of news updates makes for a convenient way of getting daily news.
“Over six billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube—that’s almost an hour for every person on Earth. One hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.” (1) With close to 150,000 hours of content uploaded each day, it is only a matter of time before more news YouTubers hit their one billion subscriber mark. Perhaps those multimillionaire news stations should take some tips from the average Joes of our generation.