# Media's second pivot to video is already underway > Publishers are mastering short-form vertical video just as platforms push them toward longer, TV-style content. - Title: Media's second pivot to video is already underway · The Verge - Summary: Publishers are mastering short-form vertical video just as platforms push them toward longer, TV-style content. - Keywords: media industry, social video, tiktok, youtube, facebook, instagram, vertical video, news outlets, content creators, pivot-to-video, streaming platforms, The Verge - Source: The Verge — https://theverge.com/column/1026252/video-media-news-tiktok-pivot - Author: Mia Sato - Published: 2026-11-08T13:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: media industry, social video, tiktok, youtube, facebook, instagram, vertical video, news outlets, content creators, pivot-to-video, streaming platforms, technology ## The first pivot failed spectacularly In the mid-2010s, publishers poured money into social video, hiring teams and trusting Facebook with distribution. Facebook had inflated video views. Newsrooms cut writers and editors, then cut video teams when returns didn't materialize. ## Video dominates how people consume content YouTube commands nearly sixteen percent of TV viewing. Twenty percent of Americans regularly get news from TikTok, jumping to thirty-nine percent for people eighteen to twenty-nine years old, according to Pew. ## Audiences prefer personality-driven content Viewers favor stripped-down selfie-style video dispatches from personalities they trust, even if those creators are not reporting and writing news. The barrier to entry has plummeted: anyone with a smartphone can become a video creator. ## TikTok's influence spreads everywhere TikTok's format appears on Meta's Reels, YouTube Shorts, and even LinkedIn.Time spent watching Reels on Facebook was at an all-time high in Q three. ## The Washington Post found early success The Washington Post found notable success on TikTok before many peers created accounts. Dave Jorgenson, the face of the Post's social video effort, left last year and now makes videos under Local News International, showing… ## News outlets adopt vertical video styles CNN partnered with Jubilee to produce debate-style videos on political topics. The New York Times introduced the vertical video series The Call, creating intimacy by having the host make video calls to journalists reporting on… ## Publishers hire creators and build networks The Washington Post spun up creator networks, partnering with influencers to produce content independent from the newsroom. ## Everything becomes vertical video clips Podcasts became videos, which became bite-sized clips. TV shows became web shows, which gave rise to microdramas. News articles and investigations are adapted for vertical video. Individual reporters make talking-head clips explaining their reporting. ## The clippening reshapes all media All media is being reformatted to be legible in a vertical video feed, even if the original work is neither vertical nor video. This phenomenon was called the clippening earlier this year by Mia Sato. > the clippening ## Views don't translate to revenue One misguided belief of pivot-to-video one point zero was that traction on social media would offset the cost of making content.Virality feels nice, but monetizing that attention is not always straightforward.You cannot eat views. > You can't eat views. ## Platforms measure views differently now Social media companies have coalesced around views meaning the number of times a post was served on somebody's feed, whether they watched the whole thing or swiped away immediately. ## Platforms now want longer, TV-style content Just as publishers master short-form video, platforms are shifting. YouTube pitched exclusive shows to creators and advertisers. Instagram announced Features, allowing ninety-minute horizontal video uploads, angling for television viewing. ## The BBC and YouTube strike a deal The BBC struck a deal with YouTube in early twenty twenty-six to create special programming for the platform. The BBC then announced a twenty-four seven YouTube livestream in an effort to reach young people. ## Platforms signal what content to prioritize Tech companies signal to outlets and creators what kind of content they should prioritize, and everyone scrambles to meet new demands.News media have a complicated relationship with platforms: they reach audiences but demand constant adaptation. ## A new barrier to entry looms Just as journalists get comfortable with front-facing selfie videos, they may face a new beast: horizontal videos that are longer, with higher production value and higher barrier to entry, typically associated with TV and streaming. ## Key takeaway News outlets are investing heavily in short-form social video after learning painful lessons from the first pivot-to-video a decade ago, but platforms are already shifting toward longer formats.