12 Nov 2018

Channel 4 News to launch news show on Facebook Watch

Channel 4 News announced today a partnership with Facebook to produce a new weekly news show, ‘Uncovered,’ exclusively for Facebook Watch.

Channel 4 News announced today a partnership with Facebook to produce a new weekly news show, ‘Uncovered,’ exclusively for Facebook Watch.

Due to premiere in the New Year, ‘Uncovered’ is an in-depth and engaging news and analysis programme from Channel 4 News’ award-winning team of correspondents, who will go beyond the headlines to tackle the stories that often go unreported, focusing on one single major international issue each week.

The show marks the latest commission from Facebook as part of its funded news shows initiative announced earlier this year, and will be available to audiences internationally following the recent launch of Watch platform globally. The 10-minute episodes will deliver serious, impactful and revelatory journalism and will be fronted by specialist correspondents from around the world.

The editor of Channel 4 News, Ben de Pear, said: “When the credibility of news is being constantly challenged, never has it been more important to increase the visibility and reach of high-quality sources of news across social network platforms.

“That is why we are excited to work with Facebook Watch, bringing together compelling content on a platform that connects audiences with timely and reliable news videos, produced by serious news organisations and being properly funded.”

The hard-hitting and revelatory ‘Uncovered’ series will produce original content exclusively for Facebook Watch in a made-for-mobile vertical format which can be viewed on phones in portrait.

‘Uncovered’ will follow Channel 4 News’ public service news remit to push new boundaries, challenging expectations with depth, authority and powerful storytelling.

“Channel 4 News has a proven track record for engaging their audiences with investigative reporting,” Shelley Venus, Video Lead, News Partnership, Facebook. “I look forward to seeing how ‘Uncovered’ highlights unreported international issues in a mobile-first format and shows people what else is happening in the world.”

Channel 4 News is an Emmy and Bafta Award winning news producer which has been distinguished by its coverage of the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal, Election Expenses, Inside Aleppo and the Paris Massacre. It is the biggest news programme in the UK on social media with a digital viewership of over 1 billion minutes viewed on Facebook and YouTube so far in 2018.