HYPERBOLE

In recent years, the demand for so-called journalism channels in the German YouTube scene has increased more and more. Thus, such channels have been on the rise in recent years and continue to be in demand and popular with a great many viewers. However, this field is now also very competitive, which is why many channels of this kind try to stand out from the crowd by their own characteristics and changes. A channel which succeeds very well is the channel “HYPERBOLE”.

However, the channel is not a traditional journalism channel as known from other channels on YouTube or even the traditional media. This channel describes the content on the channel itself as “NEW JOURNALISM” as can be seen from the channel banner. The concept is very clever and at the same time highly cunning. Even the channel name explains a little bit the concept of the channel. In the name “HYPERBOLE” hides the word hyperbole which stands for an exaggeration in the literary sense. This stylistic device, long known and used by many writers, is exploited here by the founders and operators of the channel. In their “journalism” videos, they consciously and clearly use exaggeration to exaggerate their topics, which often extend into the political realm, especially for teenagers and young adults, and thus convey facts and encourage further research. Thus, they only hint at topics, present them in an exaggerated way and thus bring them to the attention of their viewers.

The channel “HYPERBOLE” was already established on December 10, 2013. At that time, however, the channel was still called “HyperboleTV” and was changed over time. The first video on the channel was published on 06 February 2014 and was titled: “ONE VOICE – Markus Beckedahl (netzpolitik.org)”. This was also the first, then only and still today, rare but still existing format on the channel, which has an interview-like character. Later, the format “FRAG EIN KLISCHEE” was added, in which individuals and/or groups of people are confronted with clichés about their “grouping” and then their reactions to them are captured. Mostly the clichés come from the viewers of the channel or are taken from society. This format first appeared on 07 February 2014.

The next following and also still existing format on the channel was “DISSLIKE”. This first appeared on 06 March 2014 and includes public figures who are confronted with so-called “hate comments” towards their person. Here, too, the reactions of the respective persons are captured. In addition to these formats, some other formats are also published today, including on other channels related to the channel.

The channel “HYPERBOLE” is also part of the Funk Mediengruppe and thus of the youth service of ARD and ZDF.

Nowadays, new videos appear weekly on the channel “HYPERBOLE” alone, which all fit into the numerous formats of the channel and the channel concept. With these videos, the channel has already managed to attract well over 464,000 subscribers.