YouTube is enhancing the way viewers engage with news content.

The first initiative introduces an immersive news-watch page designed to provide viewers with a comprehensive news-watching experience. This feature will aggregate content from reputable sources, spanning video on demand, live streams, podcasts, and Shorts.

By bringing together a variety of media formats in one location, this watch page will allow viewers to delve deep into news stories, offering multiple perspectives and sources. On this watch page, users will be able to access long-form videos, live coverage, and Shorts, enabling quick and comprehensive news updates.

To access the watch page for a specific news topic, users simply click on a video featuring a newspaper icon on the homepage or in search results. While this feature is initially rolling out for mobile users in approximately 40 countries, YouTube plans to integrate it into desktop and living room platforms in the future.

YouTube’s second initiative, the “Shorts Innovation Program for News”, aims to enhance the short-form video capabilities of news organisations through financial grants and specialised support. With an initial investment of US$1.6 million, YouTube will collaborate with over 20 organisations from 10 countries, all of whom have an established presence in long-form video content on the platform. These organisations are keen to refine and expand their short-form news content creation.

Over the next year, YouTube’s specialists will work closely with these news organisations, including notable names like Univision in the U.S., AFP in France, and Mediacorp in Singapore. Together, they will develop Shorts content strategies and best practices for short-form video production. This initiative aims to stimulate innovation in news publishers and facilitate their transition to short-form content, addressing the resource constraints that may have hindered their progress in this area.

YouTube anticipates that the Shorts Innovation Program will lead to groundbreaking short-form news coverage, as news outlets embrace the potential of short videos to engage their audience.