The ITV News initiative that’s getting young people engaged with current affairs
The project won in the Editorial Innovation of the Year category at The Drum Awards for Online Media 2023.
ITV's Here's The Story
ITV News has shown great promise in driving news consumption for the youth by launching Here’s The Story, a sub-brand that delivers authentic and engaging coverage on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. With a diverse team and a commitment to covering relevant topics, Here’s The Story has become a trailblazer, capturing the attention and trust of young audiences.
The Brief
ITV News recognized the shifting news consumption habits of younger audiences and made a decisive move to meet their needs. In response, Here’s The Story was launched as a sub-brand, embracing authenticity and breaking free from traditional formats. The goal was to engage 18-24 year olds by covering the stories that mattered to them on the platforms they frequent.
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The Idea
To achieve its aim, ITV News assembled a multi-skilled team of journalists who were not constrained by tradition. This team was able to identify trends quickly and produce mobile-first content specifically tailored to younger audiences. By leveraging new production techniques and devices, they created engaging videos in a vertical format, offering news, original journalism and explainers that stood apart from the traditional ITV News output.
The Results
Since its launch, Here’s The Story has garnered remarkable success in reaching and engaging young audiences. The TikTok account’s followers skyrocketed from 37,000 to 1.8 million, with over half a billion views in a year. The team’s short edits of on-agenda news stories on TikTok gained millions of hits, surpassing 100m views monthly. Moreover, the content transformed the demographics of ITV News’ core Instagram audience, with the 18-24 age group now engaging with the content the most.
This approach has defied the notion that young people are disinterested in news. Instead, Here’s The Story has become the natural home for young audiences, broadening their definition of news and fostering a deep affinity with ITV News.
This campaign won at The Drum Awards for Online Media 2023. Find out more about The Drum’s Global Awards program or head to our case studies hub to read more award-winning stories.