News outlets are chasing social video again
Publishers are pushing into short video a decade after the first attempt flopped, and platforms are already moving on to longer shows, according to The Verge.
The facts
- According to The Verge, media firms are in a second pivot to video, a decade after the first one faded when Facebook was found to have inflated video views.
- The column cites Nielsen putting YouTube at nearly 16 percent of TV viewing, and Pew finding 20 percent of Americans regularly get news from TikTok (39 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds).
- Outlets are trying new formats: the New York Times launched a vertical series called "The Call", and some publishers are partnering with creators.
- Platforms are shifting again: Instagram's new "Features" effort allows 90-minute horizontal uploads, and YouTube is pitching exclusive shows.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
The first pivot to video failed because views were treated as revenue. They aren't. A view only means a clip was served up in a feed, not that anyone watched it, read the story or paid for anything. The same trap is open again, and the platforms keep moving the format under publishers' feet. Reach is easy to count. Income is harder.
For builders
If you make content or tools for creators, the gap is measurement. Show what a view turns into: a subscriber, a reader, a paying customer. Don't build your whole business on one platform's format, because it will change.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from The Verge's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.