YouTube, which was launched by Steve Chen, Jawed Karim and Chad Hurley in 2005, has become an important part of broadcasting these days. Even newspapers, television channels, companies, political parties and digital platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon have official accounts in order to reach the people. But what makes YouTube a bigger broadcasting platform than television channels and newspapers? “Like many YouTube clips, this one not only had wit and originality; it was also highly intertextual. The folksy Spanish guitar music took me back to “Yes We Can”, but now it was jazzier. Obama’s smile and signature reminded me of the moveon.org clip sent by 12 million people in the last forty-eight hours of the 2008 election.” (Vernallis, 2013) So, it can be seen that in YouTube, presidential election campaigns can be more viewed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fZHou18Cdk

What is the reason for people to be eager to broadcast their videos, advertisements, music clips or short films in YouTube rather than television channels? Because YouTube is very simple and easy. An account is enough to broadcast. But in television or even in digital platforms, certain amount of money is needed and a systematic production work has to be done. Of course, some YouTube videos are also done with big budgets and a production work but YouTube gives the opportunity to a 10-year-old child with only 5 dollars to put a video and become popular because of the DIY practices of it. That is why YouTube has more audience and subscribers than television channels, newspapers and digital media platforms.

So, Vernallis’ example of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign video “Yes We Can” shows the power and the convenience of YouTube in media. Because, in order to show that video on television channels, lots of money would be paid and lots of agreements would be signed. But in YouTube, it is enough to click the button of “publish”. 

References

• Vernallis, Carol (2013) Unruly Media: YouTube, Music Video and the New Digital Cinema. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, Cop.

Kaan Cakir

24.11.2022