How YouTube video essays demonstrate investigative journalism techniques on a small scale and how they can encourage media literacy in non-academic co

This research aims to explore how investigative journalism techniques are used by self-contained communities on platforms such as YouTube, where creators investigate each other often with regards to integrity and plagiarism, and how they can be used to improve general media literacy and critical thinking within those subcultures.

Stuckey-French (2012:14), discussing the video essay as the form first begins to make its way onto YouTube, notes that the site 'has led to the proliferation of the short video.' Since then, video essays have become longer, more detailed, and far more heavily researched. On December 3rd, 2023, YouTuber Harry Brewis (hbomberguy, 2023) posted a four-hour video essay ostensibly about plagiarism in the YouTube video essay ecosystem.

Halfway through, he reveals that the true subject of the video is James Somerton, another content creator known for popular media analysis, often focusing on queer themes. As of January 11th, 2024, the video has 13 million views and 91,000 comments. The video, and its reaction, demonstrate a particularly interesting aspect of the YouTube ecosystem: when it comes to media integrity, its members are more than willing to regulate not only themselves but also each other.

The research aims to explore how and why this environment has developed, what motivates these creators to focus on topics like plagiarism, and how the techniques they use have developed from more formal investigative journalism techniques. Plattner (2012:63) argues that now is 'an especially appropriate moment to open a broader inquiry about the relationship between democracy and the media,' as communications technologies continue to evolve in unforeseen ways.

This research seeks to do just that, covering an otherwise-ignored aspect of how media can inform political thoughts, opinions and actions.