6 ms·

I absolutely love VICE News and how they go first hand in dire situations that are under reported. However, their pop culture section is worse than trash, only

I absolutely love VICE News and how they go first hand in dire situations that are under reported. However, their pop culture section is worse than trash, only a step above 4chan. Example: A segment where a kid makes anti-semitic jokes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQKtz4d-QiM&list=UUn8zNIfYAQNdrFRrr8oibKw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQKtz4d-QiM&list=UUn8zNIfYAQ.... Hope VICE will grow up and remove these unnecessarily stupid content that they think are "edgy".

inglor 12y ago
I'm also baffled that on one hand they have their amazing documentaries in North Korea, Syria (in IS) and other places which are absolutely awesome and on the other they have their trashy channel. Moreover over the last year their main Youtube channel has gone rather stale and most good content moved to the "Vice News" and "Motherboard" channels. Can anyone explain the rationale for their awesome content alongside the very mediocre content this comment speaks of? Why not focus on quality content (Which has been working great for them so far?) What's the business idea here?
- Uehreka 12y ago
  My guess is that the trashy content is actually what's making them money, which they then funnel into making quality content.
- salemh 12y ago
  Off the cuff answers, but, driving eye balls, and they engage their audiences. Which is why their valuation is so high, and why most news organizations are seeking investment into them. They have a balance of 'mediocre' (per your comment) but engaging content, as well as very in-depth investigative documentaries. Both drive different eye balls, but they have kept their 'cool' factor for the new generation which is not following traditional news sources [1]. [1] I am at work, can't pull citations.
swombat 12y ago
From the video (for those who can't be bothered to watch it): 5 year old girl: "How do you pick up a Jewish girl? Go to Auschwitz with a dust pan." Camera crew chuckles. Seriously? WTF. Speechless.
schnable 12y ago
Their US politics stories are garbage as well, basically partisan nonsense fleshed out by distorted "facts."
- zarriak 12y ago
  They definitely have biased political stories, but their documentaries often show a relatively unbiased presentation of things that are being debated or brought up currently in politics. Two great examples are the 79+ videos on what is happening in Ukraine, the coup in Thailand, printed guns, and the documentary on the deep web.
ngcazz 12y ago
If it replaces celebrity gossip, I won't mind.
allsystemsgo 12y ago
I agree. Their pop culture section is garbage. They do go into dire situations that are under reported. Not only that, but there doesn't seem to be much of a bias in said reporting. But, when it comes to any sort of opinion piece, pop culture, or something of the like, the bias is overwhelming. I remember there was an article about a woman who went to the Bush Library at SMU. It was obnoxious. Terrible writing.
- hnnewguy 12y ago
  >Their pop culture section is garbage. But probably generates more revenue than their hard-core news. I think all media outlets have struggled with this. A sad state, for sure.
1337biz 12y ago
For me personally that contrast in Vice's reporting hits pretty much my personal taste. Either give me something deep & unique or some weird & fluffy stuff. But then again I consider 4chan as one of the most amazing places on the web. It has this raw, unfiltered inside-out perspective on human life that is a one of a kind.
- desiderium 12y ago
  I just threw up in my mouth. 4chan is mostly visited by gamers, otakus and adolescents. It's hardly any meaningful representation of society. Most people don't know what 4chan is. Twitter is infinitely better than 4chan for what you're saying. On Twitter, even non-anons speak their mind freely. On 4chan only because of their anonymity do they speak freely, but in real life they probably don't have the guts.
Cowicide 12y ago
Oh, geez, I love VICE as well but hadn't seen that kid video before and now I really wish I hadn't. I hope VICE takes it down. Incredibly cringe worthy and not worthy of VICE. Or, at least, I wouldn't have thought it was worthy of VICE before... :(
triplesec 12y ago
Not only that, but Vice's success doesn't translate into decent writers' jobs. They pay their staff appallingly... because they can. This is no Shangri-la for journalists. http://gawker.com/working-at-vice-media-is-not-as-cool-as-it-seems-1579711577 http://gawker.com/working-at-vice-media-is-not-as-cool-as-it...

inglor 12y ago

I'm also baffled that on one hand they have their amazing documentaries in North Korea, Syria (in IS) and other places which are absolutely awesome and on the other they have their trashy channel. Moreover over the last year their main Youtube channel has gone rather stale and most good content moved to the "Vice News" and "Motherboard" channels. Can anyone explain the rationale for their awesome content alongside the very mediocre content this comment speaks of? Why not focus on quality content (Which has been working great for them so far?) What's the business idea here?

Uehreka 12y ago
My guess is that the trashy content is actually what's making them money, which they then funnel into making quality content.
salemh 12y ago
Off the cuff answers, but, driving eye balls, and they engage their audiences. Which is why their valuation is so high, and why most news organizations are seeking investment into them. They have a balance of 'mediocre' (per your comment) but engaging content, as well as very in-depth investigative documentaries. Both drive different eye balls, but they have kept their 'cool' factor for the new generation which is not following traditional news sources [1]. [1] I am at work, can't pull citations.

swombat 12y ago

From the video (for those who can't be bothered to watch it): 5 year old girl: "How do you pick up a Jewish girl? Go to Auschwitz with a dust pan." Camera crew chuckles. Seriously? WTF. Speechless.

schnable 12y ago

Their US politics stories are garbage as well, basically partisan nonsense fleshed out by distorted "facts."

zarriak 12y ago
They definitely have biased political stories, but their documentaries often show a relatively unbiased presentation of things that are being debated or brought up currently in politics. Two great examples are the 79+ videos on what is happening in Ukraine, the coup in Thailand, printed guns, and the documentary on the deep web.

ngcazz 12y ago

If it replaces celebrity gossip, I won't mind.

allsystemsgo 12y ago

I agree. Their pop culture section is garbage. They do go into dire situations that are under reported. Not only that, but there doesn't seem to be much of a bias in said reporting. But, when it comes to any sort of opinion piece, pop culture, or something of the like, the bias is overwhelming. I remember there was an article about a woman who went to the Bush Library at SMU. It was obnoxious. Terrible writing.

hnnewguy 12y ago
>Their pop culture section is garbage. But probably generates more revenue than their hard-core news. I think all media outlets have struggled with this. A sad state, for sure.

1337biz 12y ago

For me personally that contrast in Vice's reporting hits pretty much my personal taste. Either give me something deep & unique or some weird & fluffy stuff. But then again I consider 4chan as one of the most amazing places on the web. It has this raw, unfiltered inside-out perspective on human life that is a one of a kind.

desiderium 12y ago
I just threw up in my mouth. 4chan is mostly visited by gamers, otakus and adolescents. It's hardly any meaningful representation of society. Most people don't know what 4chan is. Twitter is infinitely better than 4chan for what you're saying. On Twitter, even non-anons speak their mind freely. On 4chan only because of their anonymity do they speak freely, but in real life they probably don't have the guts.

Cowicide 12y ago

Oh, geez, I love VICE as well but hadn't seen that kid video before and now I really wish I hadn't. I hope VICE takes it down. Incredibly cringe worthy and not worthy of VICE. Or, at least, I wouldn't have thought it was worthy of VICE before... :(

triplesec 12y ago

Not only that, but Vice's success doesn't translate into decent writers' jobs. They pay their staff appallingly... because they can. This is no Shangri-la for journalists. http://gawker.com/working-at-vice-media-is-not-as-cool-as-it-seems-1579711577 http://gawker.com/working-at-vice-media-is-not-as-cool-as-it...