In a new interview on the subject of sexism Silicon Valley, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki described the ways in which sexist dynamics in the workplace tend to emerge in the form of microaggressions — like being cut-off in the middle of a sentence.
“That’s actually become a big pet peeve of mine,” she told CNN. “I enjoy it even more when I see [somebody] interrupting someone else, and then I’ll be like, ‘Wait, she was talking. Don’t interrupt her’.” Wojcicki added that these interruptions are a symptom of a larger problem: that, statistically speaking, women are underrepresented in the tech industry. “Until those numbers get fixed, its going to be a harder place for women to work.”
Wojcicki also outlined ways in which Silicon Valley might combat a proliferating boys’ club mentality — as outlined in a recent Vanity Fair op-ed. “This is a solvable problem,” she said, noting that a desire for diversity needs to come from the CEO of the company and other top executives, and that diversity initiatives need ample funding and resources.
Check out the full interview, in which Wojcicki also addresses the issue of equal pay at Google — following a claim by the Department Of Labor that the company was systemically paying women less than men — below:
Filed under: YouTube by Geoff Weiss Comments Off on YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Discusses Sexism In Silicon Valley, Pet Peeves
On May 4th, Turner hosted a NewFronts presentation for its CNN, Bleacher Report, and Great Big Story brands, and while the event was light on breaking news, it did give us a chance to check in with Casey Neistat. Neistat, as you may know, is a YouTube star who has been working with CNN since last November to build an as-of-yet untitled media company. In a conversation with CNN President Jeff Zucker, Neistat offered up a few more hints about the brand he plans to deliver.
First and foremost, Neistat noted that his forthcoming company — which is expected to launch at some point over the summer — is “definitely not a traditional newscast.” “I’m not a journalist,” Neistat said. “A lot of people who are helping to put together what the media is going to look like are not journalists by design. Instead they’re individuals who really understand how to communicate with an audience.”
After inking his deal with CNN, Neistat met some criticism online, particularly from Gizmodo, which implied the cable news network is “leveraging [Neistat’s] minor cult of online personality.” In his NewFronts chat, however, Neistat rejected the idea that his upcoming collaboration with CNN would only be watched by his existing fans. “I think that from afar people are going to say this is the new thing of young people, but this is for everyone,” Neistat said. “I love to think that we go beyond the audience that I’ve already built my brand on.”
Beyond touting its partnership with Neistat, Turner also used its NewFronts presentation to share a few updates about Great Big Story, which continues to grow 18 months after it first launched as a means for CNN to reach millennials. Its eclectic slate of videos is now available through Apple News, and in the coming months, it will launch Great Big Cuentos, a brand aimed at Hispanic-American viewers. “We need to help other people understand that this is not just a social video company,” CNN SVP of digital video Chris Berend told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re a global media brand.”
Filed under: Articles, Featured, NewFronts, News by Sam Gutelle Comments Off on YouTube Star Casey Neistat Says His Work With CNN Is “Definitely Not A Traditional Newscast”
At its annual NewFront, storied publisher Time Inc. unveiled a new Sports Illustrated SVOD platform, a pact between Essencemagazine and Twitter to stream a weekly talk show, and three all-new social video brands: beauty-themed The Pretty; ReMade, comprising DIY and home hack content; and The Barrel, about all things cocktails.
In 2017, Time — which has clocked more than one billion video views across all of its properties thus far — says it intends to produce more than 50,000 total videos, including 150 new and returning series, and 1,500 live programming hours.
The forthcoming, ad-supported Sports Illustrated Network will feature documentaries, sports analysts, fantasy sports shows, and more. Time also announced this morning the expansion of People Now, its digital celebrity interview show, with an additional half-hour edition airing weekday afternoons. And following the launch of personal finance-themed editorial brand called Coinagein February, Time has unveiled yet another brand called The Fix, which will cover a wide array of lifestyle topics.
Time’s latest video initiatives arrive as the company announced its decision to remain independent amid reports that a sale was imminent.
Check out Time’s full NewFronts slate, courtesy of the company, right here:
American Anthems (from Peopleand Southern Living): A new, unscripted series that celebrates the most moving stories from our nation’s heartland and brings them to life as brand new country songs, written and performed by some of country music’s biggest artists and songwriters. Grammy Award-winning Big Machine artist and Sugarland lead singer, Jennifer Nettles, serves as the series executive producer and will also be the subject of the first episode.
Dirty Laundry (from InStyle): Dirty Laundry is a weekly, tongue-in-cheek celebrity interview series, hosted by InStyle’s editor-in-chief Laura Brown. Currently streaming on PEN, the show is set in a laundromat and each episode documents a light-hearted, witty conversation about the personal significance of a specific article of clothing or accessory.
EW REUNITES (from Entertainment Weekly/PEN): The popular series is built on exclusive interviews with classic and beloved television and film casts including Who’s The Boss, Gilmore Girls, Twin Peaks, Thelma And Louise, and more. Each reunion special engages and amazes as former castmates come together to share memories, reminisce, and captivate us with their untold stories.
Family Portrait (from People): Family Portrait is a docuseries that explores the evolution of the modern American family and how our definition and understanding of it remains vibrantly in flux. Produced in partnership with Rainn Wilson‘s award-winning production company Soul Pancake, Family Portrait takes a close look at the family unit in today’s society.
Firsts(from TIME): Firsts is a sweeping portrait of women who broke barriers and reshaped the world for all of us. From sports to politics to business, from science to the arts, this groundbreaking multimedia project — featuring world-class photography, short-form documentary videos, and exclusive interviews — will bring to vivid life the journeys of these pioneers.
The Boss Lady Project (from Essence): In its new series, The Boss Lady Project, Essence will give young girls around the country a chance to live like their idols. From a Chicago native who longs to be an urban farmer to the Oakland teen who wants to be the next Misty Copeland, these young girls will spend a day with successful black women to find out what it really takes to be a boss.
Filed under: Sports Illustrated, Time Inc. by Geoff Weiss Comments Off on Time Inc. To Launch ‘Sports Illustrated’ SVOD Service, Slew Of Social Video Brands
On June 4th, MTV Latin America will honor the top content creators in the Hispanophone world, and two of the top influencers in that category will serve as masters of ceremonies. Lele Pons and Juanpa Zurita will co-host the MTV Millennial Awards (MTV MIAW) in Mexico City.
Now in its fifth year, the MTV MIAW show honors tastemakers who have large fanbases among Latin American millennials. Recent winners have included social media stars, such as Zurita and Sebastian Villalobos, as well as traditional media standouts like Fall Out Boy and Colombian musician J Balvin.
In selecting Pons and Zurita as co-hosts, MTV MIAW is turning to two creators — whose careers have been on the rise of late. Pons, a Venezuelan who has successfully transitioned from a Viner to an all-around digital star, recently received a lengthy profile in New York Magazine. Zurita, a Mexican best known for his work on Snapchat, recently inked a deal with talent agency CAA. On YouTube alone, both Pons and Zurita have more than four million subscribers.
“I grew up watching MTV and to now be able to be part of a show where they award and celebrate the best and most successful talent of our generation is truly exciting,” said Pons. “I’m counting down the days until I get to meet with my fans across Mexico and Latin America!”
The 2017 edition of MTV MIAW is expected to draw a big audience in Latin American territories. Leading up to the event, fan voting is open through the MTV Latin America website.
Filed under: Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle Comments Off on Social Media Stars Lele Pons, Juanpa Zurita Tapped To Host MTV’s Latino Awards Show
It’s a brand new era for 25-year-old Dan Howell, the massively popular British vlogger whose flagship YouTube channel counts roughly 6.4 million subscribers, and who has also launched apps, tours, and other business ventures alongside frequent collaborator Phil Lester.
In a new video, Howell announced his decision to part ways with his now-synonymous, eight-year-old YouTube moniker DanIsNotOnFire. His channel will henceforth be known as Daniel Howell. (Howell has also updated his Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram handles). The reasons for the change are myriad, including the fact that it’s better suited for professional endeavors. Howell also said that the username, which he created as a teenager, no longer gels with his current identity.
“No one knows how to say it or spell it,” he adds. “I’ve actually seen comments from people who read my name as ‘Dani Snot On Fire’.” Howell insists, however, that despite the name change, his content will remain the same. “I do really care about being authentic and want to try to put myself out there in a way that I think really reflects who I am inside.”
Check out his explanation in full below:
In other life changes in the Dan and Phil sphere, the duo announced last week that they’re moving out of the London apartment that they’ve shared for more than five years and into a bigger space.
Filed under: News, YouTube by Geoff Weiss Comments Off on Dan Howell Ditches ‘DanIsNotOnFire’ Username, Citing Personal Evolution
In its latest earnings report, Facebook shared news of a strong first quarter, which should embolden the social giant’s video-centric strategy. The company’s quarterly revenue surpassed $8 billion, which beat Wall Street expectations. In addition, its video impressions rose by 32% as it continues to eye the world of long-form content.
Variety notes that the 32% impressions jump is lower than previous quarters, but Facebook’s emphasis on longer videos (and therefore, more watch time) is raising the value of individual views. “We are looking at kickstarting an ecosystem for longer-form content on Facebook,” company CFO David Wehner said during the recent earnings call. While there are still very few hints about what Facebook’s long-form shows will look like, CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered one idea for a broadcast his company could distribute. “Sports is probably something that we will want to try at some point,” he said.
Facebook’s video efforts are succeeding not just on its own platform, but also on those of its subsidiaries. Facebook confirmed that Instagram’s Stories feature now has more than 200 million users, and another Snapchat competitor from a Facebook-owned company — WhatsApp’s Status — is close behind with 175 million users. Clearly, even if Facebook’s long-form designs don’t turn out as planned, it has a strong foothold in the short-form world as well.
Filed under: Articles, Facebook, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle Comments Off on Facebook Sees Video Views Rise By 32% In Q1 2017, Doubles Down On Long-Form Content
At its second-ever NewFront event, Hearst‘s digital division announced production partnerships with actress and activist America Ferrera, Black-ishstar Yara Shahidi, and fashion savant Carine Roitfeld. The publisher behind storied titles like Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Esquire — and the proprietor of 22 total digital brands — also announced the launch of Glo, a new video-first brand that will take an irreverent approach to health and wellness.
Ferrera will headline a docu-series across Cosmo, Elle, and Marie Claire that will encourage activism and celebrate female role models, Shahidi will host a 10-episode series on Cosmo’s Snapchat Discover channel this fall about about self-care, and Roitfeld will launch her new media brand, CR Fashion Book, this month on Hearst.
Hearst continues to build on its social media acumen as the largest publisher on Snapchat with six total Discover titles, including Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Popular Mechanics, Road & Track, and Sweet. To this end, the company is also slated to premiere an original video series about beauty and fashion on lip-sync app Musical.ly this summer created in collaboration with Seventeen.
“Across our portfolio, we produce, package and distribute 500 pieces of content each day,” said Troy Young, president of Hearst Magazines Digital Media — which reaches 80 million visitors every month and counts 132 million social followers. “While we can brag that last month we delivered more than 1.5 billion video views, the most important thing to us is not the view count, but the viewers. Everything we do is with them in mind.”
Filed under: Musical.ly, NewFronts, Snapchat by Geoff Weiss Comments Off on Hearst Announces America Ferrera Docu-Series, Content Pact With Musical.ly
It’s been a little over a month since the so-called YouTube ‘Adpocalypse’ began in earnest. And, while a boycott of YouTube by major marketers — who were aghast to discover last February that, in some cases, ads were running against videos promoting hate speech and terrorism — does not seem to have affected Google’s bottom line just yet, certain creators are feeling the burn.
Commentary channels — including Philip DeFranco, h3h3productions, and Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg — were particularly vocal about lost revenues in the wake of the boycott. Though, to be fair, earnings seem to be improving slightly today as certain marketers resume their YouTube spend. DeFranco, for instance — who moved further away from his reliance on YouTube ads earlier this week with the launch of a crowdfunded news network — says ad earnings on his channel fell 80% at the outset of the boycott, then leveled out to a less ominous 30% decrease by mid-April.
Ethan and Hila Klein, meanwhile, who helm h3h3productions, said last week that they are making 15% of pre-boycott earnings. Like Kjellberg, who has also complained of plummeting revenues, the Kleins have decided to harness more programming muscle toward Twitch.
In addition to outright demonetization, what’s most notable about the ‘Adpocalypse’ is that videos are now losing ad revenue in less obvious ways. Last month, YouTube introduced new safeguards whereby marketers can opt out of running ads against certain videos by category. Brands can reportedly choose, for instance, to remove ads from videos that feature ‘tragedy and conflict’, ‘sensitive social issues’, ‘sexually suggestive content’, and more.
While these tools are intended to protect advertisers, the result has been diminished ads — and some degree of confusion — for creators, who claim they aren’t being notified by YouTube about how their videos fit into the above classifications. A top executive at a leading multi-channel network, who asked to remain anonymous, said that this kind of fractional demonetization is responsible for a lion’s share of the network’s current losses. RPMs at the network — or revenue per thousand impressions — were down 30% in April year-over-year, the executive said.
To be clear, the newly-implemented categorization algorithms will presumably improve over time, and not all creators are being affected. “While RPM is down, it isn’t statistically significant,” says Melissa Hunter, founder and CEO of Family Video Network, which represents kid-friendly creators. In order to assess how other channels are being affected by the new regulations, YouTube luminary Hank Green is asking creators to submit their analytics to the Internet Creators Guild as outlined below.
“We know this has been a frustrating time and we’ll continue to update you as quickly as we can as things evolve,” wrote a YouTube employee on one of the company’s help forums last Friday — which also encouraged impacted creators to review their video thumbnails, titles, and descriptions to ensure that they meet advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
And, at the end of the day, there does seem to be a sense of hope that things could turn around. Kjellberg, who has never been shy about his gripes with YouTube, said last week that he had been in touch with executives at the company about the situation. “Feeling a lot better about it,” he tweeted, “and confident it will improve over time.”
Filed under: advertising, Uncategorized, YouTube by Geoff Weiss Comments Off on Here’s How The YouTube ’Adpocalypse’ Is Affecting Top Creators
