TOGETHER WITH

It’s Friday and if you’re not on the North Sea side of TikTok yet, just wait. At some point or another, this haunting sound comes for all FYPs.

MONETIZED MISINFORMATION

A new report says YouTube makes up to $13.4M/year by monetizing “climate denial” channels

Since 2021, climate change deniers have faced strict demonetization rules on YouTube—but according to a new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), those misinformation policies might not enough.

Old rules, new loopholes: Three years ago, YouTube established a policy designed to demonetize content that contradicted “well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.” That prohibition worked reasonably well for a while—until climate deniers switched tactics.

• According to the CCDH (which used an AI model to review 12,058 videos uploaded over six years across 96 channels), most climate deniers have ceased arguing that climate change doesn’t exist.
  
  

• Instead, 70% of the examined channels challenge the efficacy of proposed climate solutions, speculate that the effects of climate change are overblown, and/or criticize environmental science altogether.
  
  

• Five years ago, those same tactics only dominated around 35% of channels.

The money trail: Despite YouTube’s demonetization policy, the CCDH’s report found that YouTube makes up to $13.4 million a year from ads run on the 96 analyzed channels.

• In other words: Climate-denying channels are falling through the cracks of YouTube’s misinformation policy. Does the platform have enough incentives to change its rulebook?
  
  

• After all, this isn’t the first time researchers have raised concerns about YouTube’s monetization of climate denial content; a similar report was published by Climate Action Against Disinformation (aka CAAD) last spring.

The official statement:

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Artlist is giving creators $100,000 to film a once-in-a-lifetime video from space

A few months back, Artlist asked creators to share their wildest dreams for the chance to win $100,000. 

Now, after receiving thousands of inspiring submissions from creators worldwide, Artlist has selected their $100K Fund winner: Sent Into Space.

Sent Into Space is a visionary team with one core mission: capturing Earth's wonders from the edge of space. Their project aims to provide an immersive experience, allowing viewers to witness the beauty of the northern lights through a 360° production shot at the edge of space.

The creators behind Sent Into Space have always been fascinated by the universe beyond our atmosphere. Now, they’re ready to share that fascination with viewers from all over the globe. 

The team’s genuine excitement shines through as they discuss their plans—a passion that demonstrates not only innovation, but also the power of creators to inspire the next generation.

Hit the link below to find out more about Sent Into Space’s groundbreaking project—and don’t forget to keep an eye out for Artlist’s next creator contest.

Learn more →​

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 🗞️

• Beloved reptile expert Brian Barczyk has passed away of pancreatic cancer just one week after posting a farewell video addressed to his 5.3 million YouTube subscribers. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Former Fourthwall Head of Strategic Partnerships Zach Ferraro has signed on to lead Famous Birthdays Pro, a premium subscription that offers users access to more creator data. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Hachette Children’s will publish How to SHINE at Primary School: Build Classroom Confidence and Playground Positivity, an upcoming title by TikToker-slash-teacher Kit Brown. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Meta is reportedly restructuring its AI research teams as part of a push to develop artificial general intelligence (a form of AI designed to possess human or beyond-human intelligence). (The Verge)

COLUMNS • STREAMERS ON THE RISE 📈

This gaming streamer is ready to dive head-first into the vlogging world

In 2016, JoeWo kicked off his freshman year of college with “no idea what streaming was.” By graduation, he was on the precipice of becoming a full-time Twitch creator.

How it started: Growing up, JoeWo spent most of his time on the basketball court. College was a different story: without a competitive sport to occupy his time, the creator found himself looking for a new passion.

• Gaming was the obvious choice—especially once JoeWo fell in love with Call of Duty—but it wasn’t until the creator’s junior year that streaming came into the picture. By that point, he’d gained enough familiarity with Twitch to know that a multiplatform approach was the way to go. So, he went all in: in addition to streaming on Twitch, JoeWo started posting on platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
  
  

• Viewers began streaming in almost immediately—to the point that JoeWo was faced with a massive decision upon graduating: should he go to grad school, or start streaming full-time?

How it’s going: Fast forward to 2024, and JoeWo’s leap of faith has paid off in a big way. His audience now includes 730K Twitch followers and 530K YouTube subscribers, and he’s built up a “great, great team” that helps keep his workload under control

What’s next: After years of chatting with fans and being an all-around “open book” on Twitch, JoeWo is ready to fully embrace the vlogging world. Find out more about his plans for IRL content here.

STAY THE COURSE

Colin and Samir are launching a $1,797 “live-cohort series” with Kajabi

YouTube experts Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry are gearing up to share exclusive business insights through a 30-day online course.

The collaboration:  Rosenblum and Chaudry’s “live-cohort series”—called Creator Startup—is the result of a partnership with Kajabi, a creator economy company that has paid out more than $6 billion to creators through its suite of marketing, ecommerce, and audience development tools.

• Over the last few months, Kajabi has focused on launching “digital knowledge products” with notable creators. That’s where Rosenblum and Chaudry (and Creator Startup) come in.

The course: According to Kajabi, Creator Startup will cover value prop, process, and monetization—the kind of subjects rising creators often have to tackle independently through trial and error. That business-oriented focus is a key aspect of the course, which Chaudry says he and Rosenblum made “for our younger selves.”

The cost: The first Creator Startup cohort launches February 5, with enrollment priced at $1,797—but that paid course isn’t the only way creators can reap the rewards of Colin and Samir’s industry know-how. The duo is also offering free access to an Idea Generation Framework that they use for their own videos.

The context: Colin and Samir are the latest in a long line of veteran creators who have opened new revenue streams by sharing their hard-earned knowledge. Marques Brownlee, Jay Shetty, and Ninja have all released their own courses through MasterClass, providing an otherwise inaccessible level of guidance to the next generation of creators.

WATCH THIS • SAM’S PICK 📺

Anthony Hopkins’ TikTok account is already the best part of 2024

Anthony Hopkins may have played Hannibal Lecter, but the 86-year-old actor himself is more comedian than cannibal.

Oscar-worthy performances: Since 2020, Hopkins has successfully charmed 3.4 million TikTok followers with goofy dance moves, poignant recitations, and well-wishes to other members of the sober community. Check out his wholesome account here.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.