Journalist YouTubers: How Platformization Transforms Journalism in an Authoritarian System

This article examines the rise of “journalist YouTubers” in Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian media environment, where traditional journalism faces heavy government control. Drawing on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 prominent journalists who transitioned from mainstream media to YouTube, we explore how platform dynamics reshape journalistic practices and identities. Many of these journalists, formerly anchors and editors, now produce critical political commentary and often attract larger audiences than traditional outlets. While YouTube offers greater autonomy amid ongoing political surveillance and repression, it also imposes new constraints through opaque, algorithm-driven monetization pressures and nonnegotiable platform rules. Many interviewees reported practicing self-censorship and adjusting content to maintain visibility and financial sustainability. This study reveals how journalists adapt to and interpret YouTube’s opaque systems while redefining journalism outside institutional confines. It contributes to debates on media platformization and journalism in authoritarian contexts, emphasizing the tension between independence and control, and raising urgent questions about journalism’s future in illiberal systems.