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What 40,000 Videos Tell Us About The Trending Tab

Coffee Break · 1.6M views · 2019-05-21 · 13:50

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Overview

Coffee Break analyzes about 40,000 videos from seven months of YouTube's trending tab. It examines whether trending is biased toward mainstream media and late-night shows.

On Hacker News

Cited in threads on YouTube algorithms and creator complaints as a data-driven look at the trending tab.

Recommended by 3 HN people across 3 months · HN mentions 2019–2020

Topics

Data science & statisticsInternet culture & memesMedia, journalism & propaganda
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youtubetrending tabdata analysiscreatorsmedia bias

What people said

khawkins · 2019-08 · Strong recommendation

Here's an excellent video breaking down with extremely compelling data how the "trending" tab is very heavily manipulated in favor of mainstream media sources: [VIDEO] What's interesting is that extreme bias in the US is not seen in Canada. Though I'm not sure it's stated in the video, I think that Youtube has been propping up MSM sources so that they can make themselves seem more relevant in the eyes of the MSM. They're doing this so that they can partner with the MSM and expand their YoutubeTV service. They desperately want some sort of service model to make money, and they're willing to destroy the goodwill of the community to achieve it.

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symplee · 2020-07 · Recommendation

Another excellent analysis of what Trends on YouTube [0] "Is the trending tab rigged against creators? Is late night dominating the charts? Why does it feel your favorite controversial creator never trends. All of that and more, in the first ever data-driven look at the trending tab." What 40,000 Videos Tell Us About The Trending Tab: [0] [VIDEO]

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aphextim · 2019-07 · Recommendation

This is a video I recall watching recently that backs up your point. Not sure if anyone has refuted this person's points but they are pretty alarming no matter what side of isle you sit. [VIDEO] (What 40,000 Videos Tell Us About The Trending Tab)

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Sources

Video by Coffee Break, played through YouTube.

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