In Southern Brazil, the shift to video is no longer a trend. It is where audiences are.

At GZH, Grupo RBS’s main digital news brand, this became clear as  users increasingly consumed journalism through YouTube, often bypassing traditional news destinations altogether.

The challenge was not just distribution; it was relevance.

Instead of treating YouTube as a secondary channel, GZH made a strategic decision: Build a daily live journalism operation designed specifically for the platform.

From distribution to product

The turning point was understanding that YouTube could not be approached as a place to repost content. It had to become a core product.

This meant creating a consistent live programming schedule, with news and sports content available every day. Today, GZH delivers around 80 live broadcasts per week, combining real-time journalism with audience interaction.

The goal was to build habit. Viewers don’t just watch isolated videos. They return for specific shows, at specific times, as part of their daily routine.

Two strategies, one ecosystem

To make this work, GZH structured its YouTube operation around two complementary pillars.

The first leverages Rádio Gaúcha, one of the region’s most traditional news brands. Live radio programming is now simultaneously broadcast on YouTube, with reporters on camera in studios and in the field. This allows GZH to scale video production quickly while maintaining editorial credibility.

The second pillar focuses on native digital formats. These are programmes created specifically for YouTube, based on audience data and platform behaviour.

Shows like Conversas Cruzadas, a daily political debate, and Bate-Bola, focused on post-match football analysis, combine live discussion with strong audience participation. Some episodes reach nearly 150,000 views, indicating demand for in-depth local content in video format.

Building a real-time community

A key part of the strategy is interaction.

Live chat is not a side feature; it is integrated into the editorial experience. Journalists respond to viewers in real time, bring audience questions into the discussion, and create a sense of proximity that traditional formats rarely achieve.

This dynamic has transformed passive viewers into active participants. In 2025 alone, the channel generated more than 5 million chat messages, indicating a high level of engagement and community building.

Reinventing the newsroom for video

This required a structural transformation behind the scenes.

GZH moved from a text-first newsroom to a streaming operation. Multi-camera studios were implemented for daily live production, journalists were equipped for field video reporting, and workflows were redesigned to enable fast editing and distribution across formats.

Every piece of content is now created with distribution in mind, from thumbnail design to clipping strategies and playlist architecture.

Scale, engagement, and business impact

The results show that local journalism can scale on global platforms.

In 2025, GZH’s YouTube channel reached 167 million views and generated more than 31 million hours of watch time. The channel grew to 869,000 subscribers, with a 29% year-over-year increase.

More importantly, engagement goes beyond reach. Each live broadcast generates, on average, over 1,000 interactions, reinforcing the strength of the community being built.

This growth is also translating into business. The operation has attracted dozens of advertising clients and created a scalable monetisation model tied to video and live programming.

A new role for local journalism

GZH’s YouTube strategy is redefining how local journalism operates in a platform-driven environment. By combining credibility, live presence, and platform-native storytelling, GZH has turned YouTube into a space for daily journalism, community interaction, and sustainable growth.

In this model, video is not an extension of the newsroom.

It is the newsroom.

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