Viral News About Vulnerable People: Issues in Nepal's YouTube-Based Alternative Media

Exposing private issues of the poor, vulnerable, and gullible, and creating “viral” stories on YouTube news platforms is a common practice in developing countries, including Nepal. Mimicking TV journalists, YouTube reporters with cameras and boom mics dig into the private lives of underprivileged people and upload news-like videos with colorful narratives and interpretations. This paper presents two Nepalese cases that went viral, mainly across YouTube news channels. The qualitative content analysis of 12 most-viewed videos, chosen from 38 viral videos on eight YouTube news platforms, shows how viral culture helps spread unverified content. The study found that these stories used unverified information, deceptive storytelling, and video editing techniques to attract viewers, often ignoring journalistic ethical standards. This paper adds to the discussion on how alternative news platforms manipulate vulnerable people’s emotions to draw their audience.