Manuel Andre from Augsburger Allgemeine: On the reality of Gen Z

With “Augsburger Allgemeine Original,” you have created a video format that tells unusual stories from Augsburg and the surrounding area – for example, from the Gablingen prison. What is special about this format?

Manuel Andre: Basically, behind each of these videos is simply good journalistic work by the whole team and a strong story. But thanks to the medium of video, we were able to make the content accessible to a wider audience. In addition to the 30-minute YouTube documentary, the story about the Gablingen prison also included reels on Instagram, a podcast episode, and traditional reporting for print and online. Today, it should be a matter of course to tell stories across multiple channels.

Did the videos ultimately reach younger target groups as well?

Manuel: Over 60 percent of viewers of the prison documentary on YouTube were between 25 and 44 years old, with another 12 percent between 18 and 24. That’s significantly younger than our audience on the website. The very young, those aged 16 to 21, are harder to reach. We try to create initial points of contact via Instagram and TikTok – by posting parts of the documentaries in portrait format. That way, they come across them by chance and, in the best case scenario, watch the long version on YouTube later. Recently, TikTok has made it possible to place links directly in videos, allowing users to be directed to specific content in a more targeted manner. But simply repurposing newspaper articles will not bring great success in the long run. Instead, you should check the trends on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms every day and create your own content based on them.

What can local editorial offices learn from content creators?

Manuel: To get to the point. Not to ramble on, but to tell stories in 60 seconds. And, of course, to earn money—creators seem to be able to get rich. Why can’t publishers do the same?

Isn’t there a risk that the content will become too entertaining?

Manuel: I don’t share that concern—on the contrary, we can actually afford to be a little more entertaining at the moment. Our content is often very news-oriented. Maybe we should also pick up on a viral TikTok trend to gain more reach.