The Atlantic Launches New Science Web Series As It Bulks Up On YouTube

The Altantic is hoping its erudite brand of journalism can make for a compelling viewing experience. Almost four years after it posted its first YouTube video, the DC-based publication has recently launched several new shows on its official channel. The latest of those programs, You Are Here, offers scientific explanations related to curious subjects.

The first episode of You Are Here, posted on May 25th, looks to explain why Americans smile more than people from other nations. The answer, based off an Atlantic article, is linked to economics, immigration, and several other topics.

As noted by Digiday, which published an examination of The Atlantic’s video strategy, new shows like You Are Here will join the other content already available through the outlet’s YouTube channel, including explanatory animators, short documentaries, and content hosted by The Atlantic’s staffers. That combination of video formats resembles the mix employed by Vox, an Atlantic competitor that has rolled up a sizable following on both Facebook

The Atlantic, for its own part, has noted that it is more interested in the latter of those two platforms, given the stronger revenue opportunities offered by YouTube. “Focusing on YouTube now allows us to bring monetization and high-quality storytelling all together in one place,” Atlantic vp and gm Kim Lau told Digiday. “We’ll continue to dabble on Facebook.”

Other web series delivered through The Atlantic’s YouTube hub include The Atlantic Argument, in which the company’s journalists espouse their takes, and Unpresidented, which launched around the time of Donald Trump’s inauguration and carries a title that is rather self-explanatory. In total, The Atlantic’s presence on the world’s top video site reaches more than 42,000 subscribers.