YouTube investing $5 million on 47 creators trying to make platform more positive

Nearly 50 creators will participate in YouTube’s “Creators for Change” program this year, the company announced today.

47 creators, 31 of whom are new members of the program, will use $5 million pledged by YouTube earlier this year to share positive videos about serious global issues. These creators come from around the world to shed more light on problems close to their heart or specific to their region. These include hate speech, extremism and xenophobia as it appears in different countries.

“The 2018 Creators for Change Ambassadors will kick off projects addressing hate speech, xenophobia and/or extremism through different creative forms, such as a series celebrating the Black community within Brazil and a video project that creates awareness about the negative impact that hate speech can have on mental and physical well-being,” according to a blog post published today.

YouTube’s Creators for Change program isn’t widely popular in comparison to some other areas of the platform, but it’s clear that YouTube is looking to invest in more positive voices. The company announced in January that it was investing $5 million into the program, just a couple of weeks after Logan Paul’s controversy. Juniper Downs, YouTube’s head of public policy, said at the time that the decision was made to encourage more creators to join the program and use their influence on the platform for good.

“We will engage more creators in the program, arm the wider YouTube community with new tools and education on how to create change, and empower more young people to use their voices to encourage positive social messages,” Downs said.

Although Creators for Change was introduced in 2016, it seems like many people still aren’t aware it exists. Three creators who were in the program last year spoke about their experience at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival in 2017, and addressed visibility concerns. That’s especially true when other YouTubers known for their more problematic content rack up millions of views with each video, one creator said.

“It’s disheartening to see those types of streamers earning those types of views,” Sam Saffold, an aspiring filmmaker and program member, said during the Tribeca talk. “They’re the top bowers, and that’s ... it’s just really disheartening. It’s our duty to not promote just the negative, but the positive. There are so many positive YouTubers who don’t get the attention they deserve.”

YouTube didn’t address any of those visibility concerns in the blog post, but said all of the creators have a combined audience of 26 million subscribers. The full list of participating creators can be read below.