Comments on: YouTube Fails Us Politically (or is it vice versa?)

By: Kate Redburn

Kate Redburn — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:36:21 +0000

Not to fall into the trap you set in the first paragraph, but I think you’re miscounting something here. You’re right that conventionally popular candidates are also the most popular on youtube, but the non-frontrunners have arguably been given a huge boost through the service. For example, Ron Paul is being called the most tech savvy of the republican candidates, and his online following (youtube included) is huge.
That said, you’re point is well taken. Youtube is an interesting piece of the puzzle, but has yet to prove itself as more than a vehicle for “political theater.” Come 2008 we’ll know more. In the meantime, it’s fun to watch non-politically minded friends get hooked on citizenKate (no relation:) and prezvid.

By: Philip de Vellis

Philip de Vellis — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:14:51 +0000

The use of internet video in politics is in its very early stages. People complained about the content on blogs at first — some still do — but most people now agree that type of conversation is helpful to the political process.

Internet video is general is a hot medium. You’re never going to see much calm conversation. If you want that, watch Meet the Press or PBS News Hour.

I doubt if you’ll ever see great video from the campaign’s directly. But who cares? That isn’t their job. A politician should focus on reaching voters and presenting their platform.

Regular voters, commentators, journalists and entertainers will ultimately create the best content online.

I think it is also helpful to realize that clips like the McCain “Bomb Iran” song shouldn’t be analyzed on their own. Video clips are often embedded into blogs which makes them part of a larger conversation. They are a visual aid to illustrate a point or spark discussion.

By: Marshall Kirkpatrick

Marshall Kirkpatrick — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:10:14 +0000

Had another thought after leaving the above comment. This reminds me of Om’s recent post on the failed promise of iTunes podcast directory – ultimately rewarding existing big players. Not to be cliche – but what does the long tail of YouTube political video views look like though?

By: Marshall Kirkpatrick

Marshall Kirkpatrick — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:21:55 +0000

good post steve. would love to see your thoughts on jarvis’s prezvid experiment too

By: Politics As Usual On YouTube »Technology News | Venture Capital, Startups, Silicon Valley, Web 2.0 Tech

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:00:23 +0000

[...] an article for NewTeeVee, Steve Bryant explains how criticizing YouTube is a no-win situation. “If you deride [...]

By: YouTube President: negative ads more popular than candidate ads « The Utube Blog

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:05:12 +0000

[...] Analysis: This confirms something that we probably already knew: “Swift boat” attack ads work, at least in terms of generating views. Negative ads are decried, but they still capture much attention. With YouTube, now anybody with a computer can make a negative ad. That’s probably not a good thing. Steve Bryant at the NewTeeVee blog has some insightful comments. [...]