Video news releases (VNRs) are short and impactful video clips that cover breaking news, major events or trending stories. They can be created by broadcast journalists, organizations with an interest in promoting their message or private individuals.
YouTube is a popular platform for celebrities and others with an audience to discuss news in video content that often goes viral. These individuals include entertainment stars such as Bill Maher and John Oliver, public intellectuals and independent journalists. Some of these individuals were publicly known before creating a channel on YouTube and are still known for their discussion of news on that site, while other people who have established successful channels on YouTube are not necessarily well-known prior to doing so.
The majority of channels that make videos about news and current events are affiliated with a news organization (blue squares on the map). Some are associated with an organization but also produce original news programming on other platforms or use their channels as a distribution method for television programs and national broadcasts. The remaining channels are independently operated, with many of these focusing exclusively on YouTube.
Both groups of channels tend to cover a wide range of topics, with some of the most prominent being political in nature. However, in terms of a specific focus, channels affiliated with news organizations are more likely to be centered on President Trump, with 28% of their videos addressing the topic. This is nearly double the percentage of videos focusing on the same topic from independent channels, which are more likely to be centered on other political figures such as non-political public figures or Democratic members of Congress.
