The transformation of the YouTube interview genre: A typology of experimental formats

Despite its traditional nature, the interview as a journalistic genre shows more active development on YouTube than on TV. Since 2017, when projects of professional journalists began to appear after Yu. Dud's channel, the interview genre has gained popularity among the YouTube audience. Several professional stars appeared (Yu. Dud, I. Shikhman, N. Solodnikov, E. Osetinskaya, et al.), as well as a huge number of imitators. It became difficult for new channels to win an audience in this niche. Therefore, projects emerged that began quite successful experiments in the interview genre: they offered unusual formats that were not typical for television practice, which could attract the spoiled YouTube audience. The article suggests a typology of such formats on the channels Secrets and Zhiza, launched in March 2018: (1) formats “without an interviewer” (interview without a journalist, survey of an experimental nature, interview-confession of an experimental format); (2) dialogical experimental formats (discussion, post-interview, conversation of experimental format). The format of the interview without a journalist goes in sections under the headings “10 stupid questions” (heroes are representatives of various professions), “Stereotypes” (dedicated to the destruction of stereotypes), “Awkward questions” (the predominance of intimate topics). Despite the different concepts of the sections, they are united by the absence of the journalist figure, questions appear on the screen or sound off-screen. The survey of the experimental format is presented in sections under the headings “Pairs” and “One question”. Several people become participants in the interview, they answer the same question. Confessional interviews of an experimental format are published under the headings “About it”, “In the depths of the soul”, “What if”. Here the interviewed openly answer difficult questions, the author of which remains behind the scene. The formats “without an interviewer” create the effect that the viewer is left alone with the interviewed in moments of their frankness. Dialogical formats also bear the stamp of an experiment. For example, the post-interview format (section under the heading “10 other questions”) is repeated interviews with the participants of “10 stupid questions”, in which they reveal their personal, not professional, side. The experimentality of conversation (the section “Age difference” is a conversation between an elderly person and a child) and discussion (the heading “Confrontation” is a polemic of representatives of polar views on the problem) formats in this block lies in the fact that guests do not communicate with a moderator journalist, but exclusively with each other. The effect is created that the dialogue of the guests happens by itself, without external interference. Although many sections were closed after several issues (“Age difference”, “10 other questions”, “One question”, etc.), there are formats that can be considered successful. For example, the section “10 stupid questions” not only has new releases (there are already more than 170), but has also become a prototype of projects on other YouTube channels (“Vekshito”, “Netology”).

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