Despite the result of polls both here and on YouTube that suggested I should concentrate on educational-style videos, I still put out yesterday's on the MAGA.
We got 263,000 views on YouTube yesterday, around 200,000 being for that video. That was our second best-ever day ever.
Sometimes, there is a misalignment between those doing polls and those actually watching videos, I think.
I am, however, thinking about how to reconcile these objectives.
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Nothing you don’t already know, but…
Polls are, of course, only a representation of the votes of people who bother to vote in polls.
The same as I’m sure plenty more people read your blogs than comment on them. That doesn’t mean those people don’t have views on what you write.
You are clearly gathering momentum with videos like yesterday’s and to me it makes sense to work with that. Among the comments below that video, and the others that are more politically oriented, I sense your subscribers have a real hunger for the kind of articulate, non-political, and yes, educational, straight talking you provide.
You already have a large number of videos that address more academic or issues specifically relating to the political economy, and those are available on YouTube; also the huge archive of blogs that address a wide range of issues directly related to the political economy.
You are making a difference, and I believe that is where you should concentrate your efforts.
Thanks
There are occasions when you put half-recognised feelings and thoughts into words. By doing that it makes those thoughts real and relevant. This recognition then allows the individual to move on. The realisation of what is actually happening can then form the basis to decide what actions to take (if any). For many, this will also take take the form of bitter regret.
For most of us, on both sides of the Atlantic, there will be that horrible realisation of impotence. Our role becomes one of just being, or continue being, one of the exploited.
Thus is born the seeds of a new mass movement to be captured and exploited.
I suppose it depends on what you’re trying to maximise… I suggest that it is your political-economic message which can do the most to change the world, but to spread that message you probably need to grow your channels as much as possible. One always needs to measure activity in terms of its resolved progress in the direction of the desired long-term aim.
Perhaps the conclusion is that you need a mix of popular channel-building subjects and the so-far less-popular but more important messages about MMT and inequality.
Thanks
There were over 2,200 new subscribers yesterday
Not that this means much on YouTube
The number if likes does, though – more than 7,600 and almost 4% of viewers is good and helps traffic
You are right to question the results of polls.
Climate change is the biggest issue that civilised humanity has ever faced.
Most of us are poorly informed. We hope that there will be time to deal with it – later.
The vast majority of voters and the ‘politically active’ are members of families that have had at least one motor vehicle since childhood. Significant sums are spent on motorways; very little on footpaths and cycle tracks. Clinics and hospitals assume access by car. They pay little attention to which town one lives in or buses that run only once every 2 hours – or even once a week.
For commercial reasons, the media seek viewers and readers now or at least this week. They cannot be relied on to be balanced.
Politicians are ridiculously controlled by the whips.
The BBC is controlled by a political appointee who has some control over reports etc. Yet, it seems, he is comfortable with, for instance, British participation in genocide in Gaza.
To illustrate a point: Radio 4’s ‘Any Questions?’ usually fields 3 or 4 politicians whose time-horizon generally extends no further than the next UK general election. If the panel includes a scientist or other expert, that person is likely to speak carefully – and within their field of expertise. Politicians commonly appear to speak falsehoods with feigned authority to ‘outvote’ the expert.
Intra-generational considerations may mean that young people are ignored in terms of housing, transport and more.
What UK citizens vote for may be ‘wrong’ internationally. Currently wealthy countries have used vastly more than ‘a fair share’ of fossil-fuel and other resources – from their own territories and from those of others. Colonialism has made matters worse – and it continues.
For example, from 1951 to 1953, the Persian/Iranian Prime Minister, Dr Mossadeq, “introduced a range of social and political measures such as social security, land reforms …” (Wiki) Mossadeq wanted a fair price for Iranian oil. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later known as BP, refused and engineered a coup aided by MI6 and the CIA. An opposition leader returned to power, and negotiated an ‘agreement’ “which split ownership of Iranian oil production between Iran and western companies [11] … In 2013, the US government formally acknowledged its role in the coup … including paying protestors and bribing officials [14]”.
While I have no idea whether the videos appeal (I never watch them but value the transcripts) I can report that your output is gaining traction. I was pleasantly surprised when talking to an acquaintance the other week that he made a positive mention of your name in the context of political economics.
But it might be helpful to distinguish when your writing or video is an expert view (e.g. taxation, macro-economics, company accounting) from when it is more of a political view – recognising that there will always be a crossover. Confusion between the two introduces the risk that your expertise can be dismissed as left-wing bias. If it is the educational videos that are the most successful, use that format primarily for the expert explanations. In any case blogs are probably the best medium for an immediate response to political news.
Thanks Jonathan
Both polotics and education do well on YT, although politics does better and both do better there than the blog. Video traffic is averaging 2.4 million a month and the blog is running at a bit over 700,000 pm right now.
The question is whether to have a separate education channel. I am strongly considering that.
I read you both for the opinions of you and others, and for the educational content. I hope you won’t drop either. They go hand in hand – your knowledge and expertise influences your views in this order which is, I think, most important. Both are necessary and valuable. There are far too many out there spouting opinions which are not backed by either knowledge or expertise.
I don’t watch the videos as I don’t have time – find it easier to remember if I read so transcripts much appreciated. (Probably due to my age and training.)
Thanks, and noted.
Polls are like trying to get one view of a populus by averaging it all out. If Bill Gates is in a football stadium, then everyone is on average a millionaire… go with your gut intuition