YouTube looks to serve you news with a fresh, unified, approach

YouTube has introduced a streamlined news interface, offering a user-friendly news watch page and incentives for authoritative sources to create Shorts.

YouTube streamlined news interface to redefine user experience. (Pexels)

YouTube has been a go-to platform for those seeking to stay informed about the latest happenings around the globe via videos. Its innovative approach to delivering news content has made it a staple for information-hungry viewers. Over the years, YouTube has looked to connect people with trustworthy, authoritative news sources, especially during crucial times like elections, periods of unrest, or natural disasters to varying degrees of success.

News Watch Page

In an effort to further streamline the way news is presented on its platform, YouTube is introducing a new update that promises to be a game-changer. This update aims to offer a more convenient and coherent experience for users, whether they are consuming long-form videos, podcasts, or the increasingly popular YouTube Shorts. The heart of this transformation is a new feature known as the "news watch page."

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Here's How It Functions

When you stumble upon a news video while browsing the homepage or conducting a search, you'll notice a distinctive purple newspaper icon in place of the channel icon. A simple tap on this icon will transport you to the news story page, where the topic is divided into various segments, giving you the flexibility to catch up in your preferred way. YouTube will curate videos related to the chosen topic, covering live updates, in-depth content, podcasts, and Shorts.

This novel layout expands on the concept of a "more like this page" and includes a dedicated section specific to the selected topic. Your choice of story will dictate the content presented to you, enabling you to gather information from various sources on the same subject seamlessly.

To enhance this fresh layout, YouTube is actively encouraging authoritative news sources to leverage Shorts by offering financial grants and specialized support. Essentially, YouTube is simplifying the process for news outlets to create and upload short-form content that is easily digestible and can be found at the bottom of the new news watch page.

These changes come alongside a significant mobile app update on YouTube, packed with numerous new features set to be released in the coming weeks. The news update will be gradually rolled out to mobile users in approximately 40 countries, with plans for integration on desktop and living room devices in the near future. While this may not seem like a major shift, it's a feature that users can eagerly anticipate. YouTube is undoubtedly taking a step in the right direction to offer a more user-friendly news-watching experience.