Visual columns

At a time when audiences are increasingly consuming content through social media and less through websites, online news medium De Wereld Morgen (translated literally as Tomorrow's world) faced a challenge.

The editors asked Docwerkers to create videos for their social media channels, with an overarching strategy.

But how do you generate visibility without losing sight of the individuality of De Wereld Morgen?

We analysed viral news videos from leading online news media such as AJ+ and Vox. What makes their formats successful?

Then we rolled up our sleeves and tried to emulate their successes. After experimenting with different formats, we discovered something that was not only successful but could also be efficiently serialised: the visual column.

In each video, an opinion maker shares a surprising 'inconvenient truth' on major topics such as labour, drug policy or war. We chose themes with great evergreen content to ensure long-term relevance, an essential aspect for a news medium with limited resources.

For recognisability, we focused on a consistent look that was easy to replicate, even in ever-changing locations.

Last but not least, we perfected the storytelling with a strong opener and a smooth alternation of information and emotion to keep the viewer enthralled.

Despite its seemingly simple appearance, De Wereld Morgen's videos became an outright ratings hit.

Most videos easily reached 100,000 viewers, with peaks over the million.

During the two years in which docwerkers produced these videos for De Wereld Morgen, the number of followers on their Facebook page doubled from 20,000 to 40,000.