YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki this week announced a series of updates to the platform, aimed at targeting current social and racial issues. The company highlighted its efforts in tackling and fact-checking coronavirus news as well as its home learning initiatives. More pertinently, YouTube will start a new series of programs aimed at amplifying the voices of Black creators.
Writing in a blog post, Wojcicki said:
- Today, we’re announcing a multi-year $100 million fund dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists and their stories.
- And one example of the type of content we’d like to elevate on the platform will premiere this Saturday, June 13. We’ll host a live stream fundraising event produced by YouTube Originals (YTO), “Bear Witness, Take Action.” The YTO will bring together creators, artists, influential public figures and prominent activist voices for roundtable discussions and musical performances, with donations benefiting the Equal Justice Initiative.
- Through the month of June, our Spotlight channel will highlight racial justice issues, including the latest perspectives from the Black community on YouTube alongside historical content, educational videos, and protest coverage. This content showcases incredibly important stories about the centuries-long fight for equity.
YouTube’s moves come after the company announced a $1 million donation to the Center for Police Equity about a week ago. Parent company Alphabet will also invest in other racial justice initiatives, donating $12 million to a variety of organizations, the company announced last week.
YouTube pulled down some rule-breaking videos from its platforms, as reported on Variety. These videos were shared on social media and used to raise funds, albeit by essentially artificially inflating views.
“If your video encourages this behavior, it will be removed from YouTube. You won’t be paid for the views,” YouTube said, “We realize some of you kicked off these efforts without a clear understanding of the policies, so YouTube will be donating to racial justice initiatives to acknowledge the efforts over the past week.”
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