SPILNEWS launches ‘Hotline’ for the voice of young people
SPILNEWS is launching the Hotline: a new online series in which five creators share their unfiltered opinions on relevant societal issues. In videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, the creators respond to statements and questions formulated by the SPILNEWS editorial team and input from the community. With this series, SPILNEWS aims to make visible what young people care about. The Hotline is the first long-form format developed in collaboration with creators, and the first episode can be watched on the SPILNEWS YouTube channel.
The Hotline is centered around expressing opinions, much like many creators already do online. They respond personally, directly, and often outspokenly to topics that resonate with them. This first reaction to societal issues provides insight into how a generation views the news. In doing so, SPILNEWS positions the Hotline as a contemporary form of opinion journalism.
The first series features creators who actively speak out about societal topics in their own content. For each creator, the editorial team carefully selected which theme best aligns with their profile and audience. The introduction of topics and accompanying questions has also been carefully prepared by the editorial team, based on journalistic sources. Among them is Annemarie Lekkerkerker, who regularly speaks out on her own account about (everyday) sexism, gender equality, and the position of the queer community. Also participating is Noah de Campos Neto, known for his analytical perspective on books and film and his role within the #BookTok community. Melle Schram is also part of the series, reaching a large online audience with personal and societal content. Naiza Helder also shares her views in the Hotline, known for her versatile content about daily life, with a mix of humor, culture, and personal stories. Finally, Stijn Saman contributes as well, who expresses himself in sharp and recognizable videos about the everyday lives of young people.
Young people want to be involved in the news, but do not always recognize themselves in how that news is produced. As a result, news avoidance within this group continues to grow. With the Hotline, SPILNEWS chooses an approach in which the lived reality of young people is central and their voices are given a platform. After the episodes featuring the creators are published online, the Hotline will also be physically brought to the streets. SPILNEWS invites young people to step into the Hotline and share their opinions on the topics presented in the box.
Distribution aligns with the media habits of young people. Short clips will appear on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, while longer episodes on YouTube provide additional context and depth.
According to SPILNEWS, the Hotline marks a next step in how journalism can be shaped for a new generation: with more space for perspective, interaction, and engagement.
“By launching the SPILNEWS Hotline, we as a journalism brand are placing different opinions at the center. Especially in a time when young people want to be heard, a format like the Hotline is more relevant than ever. The younger generation forms one group, but is at the same time extremely diverse. All those different cultures, perspectives, and meaningful stories deserve a platform. That is what makes the Hotline such a powerful format: it is the voice of a generation. For now with creators, but with an eye on the future also to give young people who are normally less likely to be heard a platform to share their views on what is happening in the world,” said Willem Bartelings, Chief Content.
