Are ‘The Young Turks’ the Future of Broadcast News?
“As Bernie Sanders is the political revolution, we are the media revolution,” says Cenk Uygur, host of the self-proclaimed “biggest online news show in the world."
“I think we’re going to topple all the old media,” says Cenk Uygur of “The Young Turks.” (Andy Kropa / AP)
“As Bernie Sanders is the political revolution, we are the media revolution,” Cenk Uygur, host of the self-proclaimed “biggest online news show in the world,” told The Guardian after his 30-minute interview with Sanders topped 1 million online views.
“We didn’t get to be this popular because I’m such a great host. That’s not how something this big arises. We got this big because we believe the same thing that the majority of the American people believe, and we’re almost alone in the media believing it.”
Joe Sandler Clarke reports at The Guardian:
Today, The Young Turks (TYT) is an online news network of 32 YouTube channels, 12 of which they own and operate. The main channel, which deals chiefly with politics, entertainment and hard news stories, has 2.7 million subscribers. …
[Says Uygur:] “There’s no end to this thing. I think we’re going to topple all the old media. Poor CNN doing all their shows based on insiders, appealing to, at most, 2% of the audience: what a horrible, losing strategy. The average age of their audience is 64 years-old. Our average is under-35. Of course, they have a couple of billion dollars, which helps, but I don’t see how they’ll compete with us in the long-run.”
“In the old days you were taught that you should be dispassionate, but I think the opposite. I hire a lot of hosts, reporters, producers and I hire people who care about the news. The old model, of being dispassionate, neutral: it doesn’t work online. That means I’ve got an opinion and I’m sometimes loud. But you can’t do a revolution quietly.”
“Behind all the bravado,” Clarke adds, “Uygur is one of the sharpest and most thoughtful political commentators in the United States.”
—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Labor
Rail workers are fighting for better benefits and wages.
On Tuesday, I cast a joyless vote for the very much politically doomed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Illinois primary, in an elementary school where hushed whispers and fearful glances had replaced the normal din of an election day. There was no one standing just outside the perimeter hustling me to vote for this […]
Bernie Sanders gave form and focus to a left that badly needed it. Where does it go from here?
Sunday’s Democratic presidential debate between former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was extremely disappointing.
The coronavirus is a divine intervention that can yet help Bernie Sanders straighten his course. It’s a total reset in a fast-moving era when a campaign needs to reinvent itself several times over within the same cycle.
Ex-vice president again is strong with working-class and black voters. "Tonight's a tough night," key Sanders supporter Ocasio-Cortez says.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.