I mentioned yesterday that I am launching a YouTube channel, with the active assistance of Mark Cooney of SpottedinEly. This is the introductory video:
The channel will cover four main themes:
- Economics
- Tax
- The Green New Deal
- Accounting
Within those there is ample room to develop a whole host of material.
The aim is to be educational.
There will be politics, because all of those issues are intensely political.
That said, party political comment will be avoided. There's also no plan to do day-to-day reaction to events . That will be staying here.
Next week there will be an introductory video to each of the main themes. Then I will be launching out into more detailed topics.
I am, of course, open to suggestions as to topics. Those that are likely early on are:
- Modern monetary theory
- Tax after coronavirus
- Funding the Green New Deal as a way to beat the coronavirus crisis
- Sustainable cost accounting.
That said, if there is demand for it I may also do some introductory material on each issue as well. These will have the aim of setting out why these issues are important by looking at their real significance within society. This fits with the idea that what the whole series is going to be about is finding the new normal.
And there may also be a Scottish theme develop, since I will be working on some Scottish related issues this summer.
The aim is that no video should be more than about 4 minutes. That improves accessibility. This will require a little judgement as I will be making them all unscripted: I find it easier that way. As a result the videos will not always be perfect deliveries to camera: that I can live with. I am keener to create content than absolute perfection.
If you like the idea please subscribe to the channel. We can't even name it until we get 100 subscribers. And please do provide feed back, comments and requests. I will be noting all reasonable ones.
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Great stuff Richard….this is an important initiative. As you develop the content you could start organising the videos into playlists, grouping the videos by theme. You can also use what You Tube call ” cards” embedded into a video to recommend other content, either other videos of your own or from other channels. Looking forward to watching and will be sharing with others. I have subscribed so should get notifications whenever you upload new content.
All that is planned – Mark seems to know his stuff on all this. Thanks
Subscribed! Great idea, Richard
Well done to all involved. An excellent initiative that will synergistically complement your other platforms. In addition to its potential reach, one particular advantage of YouTube is that it’s easy to share via email, twitter, etc. in that people will more eagerly watch a 5 min video than read a page of type or even listen to a 15 min podcast. While 4/5 mins is a good average to aim for, depending on content, I think you could allow yourself up to 12 mins on occasions . The addition of simple graphics (even charts, graphs etc.) also help to retain viewer attention. And because YouTube is owned by Google you need to employ a range of well-established tactics to maximise SEO (e.g. https://searchengineland.com/youtube-seo-101-289416). I don’t know why I’m even writing this. As you say, you’re in good hands with Mark so you’ll know all this stuff and much much more.
Never has there been a more urgent need to inform the wider public about these fundamental issues that affect their everyday lives. You will become the popular go-to guru for all matters political/economic. Good luck with the project and long live the KISS principle!
Mark manages sites with up to 70 million views a year
He rebroadcast a talk I gave for the Ely Cathedral Business Groupo recently (not what you’d expect to be a hotbed of interest, to be honest) and it got to more than 1500 people
Charts are planned
It will not all be my mug (thankfully)
I’ve even had to buy some new shirts – on the advice of a ‘friend’ 🙂
There is a bug in your donation programme.
Having put in all the details for £10 per month by PayPal it returned “You must donate more then £0.00”
Just click ‘donate’ and ignore that and it carries on….
I’ll have my IT guy look at it
Thanks!
I will subscribe – welcome to your new role as educator to the masses – it’s the Stephanie Kelton method.
Very much needed. So many people will find this accessible.
How do you subscribe to the channel? It needs to be obvious.
You actually have to go to YouTube
So, when watching hit the Youtube words in the bottom right corner
Then in YouTube you will see an option just below the video
Thanks!
Done.
Thanks
Great Stuff, Richard!
A great, and much needed initiative.
And I have subscribed as well!
Thanks
Can’t wait.
Friendly advice: That “Big Brother” face right up to the camera is a bad idea — it gives the impression of ramming your thoughts down people’s throats. The shots showing your head and shoulders are much more conversational and likely to be more persuasive.
I prefer the longer shot
Anyone else got an opinion?
The lighting seemed a bit odd. Your face was very much in shadow.
I think people like to see a presenter clearly. If they can’t see you properly you might as well be doing a podcast…
Apart from that, excellent. Thanks for your work on this.
Noted
I will discuss for the next batch….
Jack and Maggie pre-empted my comments which echo theirs..
You need front lighting.. ring light perhaps??
Close up facial is quite dramatic on my 12 foot projector 🙂
Both comments have been passed on for the next session
Excellent. These will be instructive for the UK politics sub-reddit, which at 266k members must be one of the biggest UK politics forum going.
This is not an audience I know….should I?
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/ I guess. Another social network.
Videos don’t really do it for me – I’d rather read a page or listen to a podcast – but I can see it may appeal to the younger generations. Good luck.
It’s taken some persuading to get me to do it
But I am keen on reaching audiences
Exciting news.
Personally I prefer a longer format as I tend to have these things on as background while doing something else but perhaps I’ll pay more attention to a shorter format.
Best of luck with the channel. I guess you can start calling yourself an “influencer” now!
Once they build up they will be designed to flow….
The unfortunate fact is that young people and also lecturers (and I hope there may be an audience there) like short segments
I am going to where the market is
Best wishes with the video venture Richard. May I also suggest a little more distance from the camera?
I noticed that the four concepts, Green new deal, Accounting, Tax, and Economics provide the acronym GATE (I am sure it may have occured to others); an entry into something new. I wonder if playing with that idea may offer something more striking than ‘the new normal’ logo, even if only as ‘the GATE to the new normal’. The acronym ties the four legs of your proposition together; and like your 4-minute visual/sound-bites, it is crisp and short.
We did actually wonder about that but decided against it as it’s to some extent the reverse order of priority
BUT….minds can be changed
You wrote in another response “I am going to where the market is”.
I think the ‘market’ may find the acronym more compelling than the rather dry subjects covered (for many people who do not naturally come to your Blog, that I presume you are trying to reach); then, I think the Green New Deal is a more persuasive entry point than the other terms.
I suspect a commitment to some rational order of precedence that would not intrinsically interest the ‘market’ (why should it?), perhaps a little earnest? That is my case.
Your persistence is noted…. 🙂
Aye Aye Captain..
Very good. But as Sting once said, don’t stand so close to me.
I’ll pass that on
Great idea! I’m an artist (and semi retired teacher) and I’ve long enjoyed your articles on a subject I once knew little about. I’m glad to be able to sign up to your new channel and make a small donation to your valuable contribution to the current debate, and look forward to the programmes. (Btw The new beard looks good on you!).
Bill
Thanks
I was quite pleased with the haircut….had to finally buy some clippers…..
Very pleased that you are doing this.
I will be subscribing. Think it will be very interesting and that I will learn a lot.
That said, I’m concerned that you are “preaching to the choir”. I am sure that the readers of this blog will find it interesting. That said, in my opinion, we desperately need to reach a wider audience.
Every time I read a remotely economics related article in the press and read the comments below the line I see the endless “How are we going to pay for it”, “Hyperinflation, Weimar, Zimbabwe, Venezuela”, Taxpayers money”, “Live within our means” etc etc etc.
Not sure an “Academic Talking Head” is the answer to this. I will wait to see what you produce and I am sure I will find it interesting. Unsure that my friends will be engaged though. I have seen some animations that I thought would engage a wider audience. Maybe that is the way forward – an animation with you as a voice-over?
Sorry to be a bit of a downer on a resource that no doubt you are working hard on and that I personally would greatly value.
If it develops let’s see what is possible….
I have no idea how many people will subscribe as yet
“I have no idea how many people will subscribe as yet”
I guess that was my point. The nature of the content will determine the number of subscribers.
I want you to reach as wide an audience as possible. I think that is critically important for all our futures.
As I said I think I personally will learn a great deal and I wish you the best of luck with your endeavour.
A 4-minute talk seems quite short, but playlists would help for organising topics and for those who wanted to delve into a topic in greater detail. Maybe you could consider a playlist as a mind map and each talk as a branch or sub-branch?
Separately, might you consider threading your morning thoughts on Twitter? So they are in a collection as you show them on your website.
Thanks
Topics will be organised….
As to the morning thoughts….this is all down to time
I have much more than a blog to write in a day….sorry
This is going to work very well or me – many thanks.
I urge you never to talk about ‘your’ Green New Deal, or to claim any sort of ownership or credit whatsoever.
(It came from the States anyway – but I don’t want to argue the reasoning).
Nothing is more off putting for engendering support for it.
Linda
It can from here. The US lifted it from us
And I co-wrote it
So stop being your usual petty and incorrect self
Richard
Excellent! I wasn’t sure what to expect but very pleasantly surprised it was amazingly very smooth and articulate! My only niggle whether the Accounting Section should have covered government accounting as well as private business.
Miracles are beyond me!
I could get these perfect and work fo0r most of the week on one. But I’d rather get a move on…
This is great, Richard. I’m subscribing, having I’ve followed you for several years and you’ve helped me understand more of what’s behind the news and the realities we’re facing ( or not). I know you’ve worked with Kate Raworth, ( eg on GND) and believe you share understandings. She also has wonderful animations in Doughnut Economics on line . If you want to follow David Rautghter’s suggestion above, would it be worth asking her for advice`?
The issue is time – and I have to fit this in….