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Future of TV the Young Turks Cenk Uygur

The Young Turks is attempting to be the Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump of political media

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By Adam Flomenbaum, Co-Executive Editor

February 15, 2016 | 3 min read

Outsiders crashing the party, forcing others to take them seriously: with both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump running away with the New Hampshire primary and showing no signs of slowing down, it’s the story of this election cycle.

The Young Turks (TYT), a new media political network founded by Cenk Uygur, is also trying to make the leap this cycle. While it has been streaming an online show for the past ten years, it is doing better than ever. comScore – the online measurement company - shows TYT ranked as the number one News & Politics network online among viewers aged 13-24 and 18-24. More, the network is continuing to pick up steam on caucus days.

During the Iowa Caucus, TYT’s broadcast received 256,000 views over the course of its seven hours of live coverage, the largest audience the network has ever had for a live broadcast. The following week in New Hampshire, the network achieved 236,220 views (its second largest audience ever) over the course of its six hours of live coverage.

What’s increasingly driving viewers to TYT – and what separates it from traditional political news media - is the network’s determination to ‘tell it like it is.’ “In the words of Donald Trump - we're so honest, it'll make your head spin!,” Uygur told Found Remote.

“People who watch TYT election coverage can't believe what we're "allowed" to say and what we do say,” Uygur continued. “If you grew up on TV where all of the on-air people are so fake and have that forced politeness you won't believe what we do on our show. We actually call out the politicians for their bullshit, even if they're on our side. It's our job to be honest with the audience and deliver them what's actually happening behind the scenes. And our passion for the news is so obvious that you can't help but have fun with us as we watch the events unfolding together. No teleprompters, no scripts, no phonies. We are the original godfathers of keeping it real.”

In addition to the studio show, TYT recently hired Jordan Chariton (formerly of The Wrap) to drive its on-the-ground coverage. This has not only resulted in clips that have gone viral, but also in extended, earnest conversations with everyday voters who are more and more seeking candidates on opposite ends of the political spectrum – conversations that are often bypassed by cable news network in favor of rotating cast of talking heads.

Future of TV the Young Turks Cenk Uygur

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