500% Increase in News Views on YouTube

News networks are getting another indication of the power of YouTube. According to Beet.TV, news and politics videos on YouTube increased by over 500% last year. The fact that 2008 saw a drawn-out primary as well as the election and the summer Olympics are no doubt factors in that growth. But it also shows that users are increasingly using YouTube as a search engine for news-related clips.

The Associated Press, which has its own YouTube channel saw 77 million video views last year. An interview with the AP’s Director of Online Video Products here…

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.