YouTube Launches Dedicated COVID-19 Homepage News Shelf
Taking a page from WhatsApp’s playbook, YouTube is introducing a coronavirus news shelf on its homepage.
The shelf carries the label “COVID-19 news” and is intended to be a source of trusted information regarding the pandemic. Videos are sourced from various professional outlets (ABC News, Washington Post, CNN, The Guardian, BBC, Sky News), seemingly based on the user’s location. In the US, for example, users should expect to see safety videos posted by the CDC, according to Gizmodo.
“We want everyone to have access to authoritative content during this trying time,” YouTube tweeted. “So we’re launching a COVID-19 news shelf on our homepage in 16 countries. We’ll expand to more countries, as well.” However, if you’re already suffering from coronavirus news overload, it’s easy to remove the COVID-19 news shelf using the three-dot menu in the right-hand corner.
The video-sharing platform recently joined several major tech companies—including Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, and Twitter—to combat coronavirus-related misinformation online.
“We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world,” YouTube said in a joint statement.
WhatsApp is also fighting the good fight with its own coronavirus information hub, providing guidance for health care professionals, educators, non-profits, governments, and local businesses using the messaging service, as well as tips for global users to stay connected and informed.
