YouTube is now serving up the latest video content with the launch of a new Breaking News carousel for both its mobile app and desktop website. The latest move by the Google platform is part of its recent drive to tailor custom content playlists with the most relevant clips for its users.
Google’s search engine and YouTube were traditionally portals for people to look for and find the content that they wanted to consume, but the tech giant has made several changes this year to put the latest written articles and engaging videos front and centre so that users remain logged in and active across various platforms.
Google’s homepage got a revamp earlier this summer with the aim of delivering a more personalised experience using an individual’s viewing history and preferences, and now YouTube will make it easier to source important and breaking content with a carousel of clips at the top of the page. It is not yet known whether a team of editors will curate the news or if the playlist is being populated using an algorithm.
Around 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every 60 seconds, so it makes sense for the platform to highlight certain topics and news that are likely to interest users. This could make YouTube a go-to resource for people who want the latest news in visual form, and it will also allow them to see stories evolve over time.
The arrival of a Breaking News section also suggests that Google wants to position YouTube as more of a real-time platform, which would see it rival sites such as Twitter, which pivoted towards news and establishing a “world conversation” where everyone can participate last year. Google’s homepage push also adds weight to this theory.
Google has yet to comment on its new addition, but YouTube has been cycling through the latest news effectively in recent days, as reports on the Barcelona terror attack and Steven Bannon’s dismissal from his position at the White House have both featured heavily. It appears that traditional networks are being used as sources for now, though that could potentially change in the future depending on viewing habits.
