How we inspired the next generation of YouTube News Creators

YouTube News

News Creator Workshops

Virtual Event, Workshop Series

We were challenged to create a learning experience that would inspire and support the next generation of independent news journalists. We transformed the brief into a global educational programme, using best practice engagement tactics modelled from virtual events to give Creators the foundations for YouTube success.

Our Approach

The target audience were beginner YouTube creators; a really diverse group in terms of their experience, digital skills, confidence, and genre of news they report on. But ultimately they all carried the same ambition – to develop their online presence, improve their content and grow their audiences. We crafted a multi-workshop, bite-sized learning experience that established creator best practice from the ground up.

Six live workshops were supported by an evolving suite of resources that hit key learning moments through different formats. Regular content drops included a motivational film series, bonus backstage footage, challenges and weekly tasks, regular newsletters and downloadable cheat sheets, created to cater to every learning style. 

The programme’s creative identity reflected the largely younger audience – playful, energetic and visually dynamic in a way that came alive onscreen. We took careful consideration to accessible and inclusive design; with closed captions, considerations into colour theory and including all resources translated into eight languages for our global, multilingual audience. 

Impact

By taking part in The YouTube News Creator Workshops, the audience honed essential skills (80%), gained confidence (82%) and felt inspired by the online News community (80%) – fuelling the motivation and drive to continue their own news creator success story.

“The original brief was ambiguous and very ambitious, and with the help of Cheerful Twentyfirst’s creativity, understanding of audience and execution grit, the end product was better than we could have imagined. 

We have since shared these videos as best practices with other internal teams who are consistently astounded by the breadth of detail and production quality of the News Creator workshops, supported by content that is engaging, exciting, and exhilarating for our creators.

My expectations have been completely exceeded and having now worked with Cheerful Twentyfirst for over a year and a half on both the 2021 and the 2022 News Creator programs, I know for certain that they are the right agency to help deliver this project with us.” 

YouTube Partnerships Strategy Operations