Talking Politics and YouTube With That Preston Journalist

Building on his early success, Ashley aka That Preston Journalist, has opened up to The Lost Creatives about his journey as a podcaster and journalist in the YouTube sphere.

Since we first talked to you about your You tube channel and political commentary, what has changed for you as a podcaster and how has that affected your channel? 

When we first spoke, my channel was very much in its infancy. Since then, it has grown bigger than I thought and continues to pick up around a thousand new subscribers each month. As a result, it no longer feels like a hobby or a past time, it is now something that is very much part of my daily routine. As the audience grows, the content I put out has to be taken more seriously as well. When I first started, I was talking to maybe 100-500 people, now the channel generates 50,000-100,000 views per day so it has to be good. 

Working to YouTube restrictions on what you can talk about is difficult, but when it comes to politics, most things are OK. I have also been asked by other channels to appear with them as well which I have done on many occasions, but the main passion is always with the daily content. 

“It is also quite nice to be recognised by people in the street, I am by no means a celebrity, nor do I wish to be, but it does happen sometimes and it is always nice to hear that someone enjoys the channel because it takes up so much time and a lot of effort goes into it.”

One of the things that stands out about your work is you talk from a working man's perspective rather than the usual political bubble stance. What do you think makes this important and how can people be more involved in the discussions? 

One of the biggest compliments I get is that I am a working class man from a working class background. I am not part of the establishment, I live and work in the same streets and towns as the people who watch me, this means I am far more relatable than someone sat in a studio in London who knows nothing about life outside the M25. 

I am very lucky to have an active audience who leave thousands of comments on my channel every week. Its fantastic to see so many people engaged, it shows that the content is interesting and thought provoking, which is exactly what I want. Also, in terms of YouTube, the more comments and interaction you get, the more it aids the channel algorithmically.

Are there political aspirations in your future or do you have other goals in mind that you can share with us?  

I have harboured political aspirations in the past, but to be honest, I, like many millions of people in this country, am politically homeless. This, I feel, helps the channel because it gives me some impartiality. I can never say never about maybe standing for a party one day, but it won’t be any of the current parties, they all represent the same things and do not represent me. 

I would like to do further media work, perhaps radio or even TV discussion shows, but they are such a closed shop to anyone who isn’t, or hasn’t in the past been a part of the media scene. I am in no hurry to do either really, my channel gets more views a day than some organisations who spend millions of pounds on presenters etc… such as GB news and Talk TV. IF any opportunities did come my way, there is no way I could sacrifice my YouTube channel, it has taken a lot of dedication and hard work to build it up to the position it is in now and I wouldn’t throw it away for anyone. 

What message would you like to convey to your viewers and potential viewers in terms of what you are doing as a podcaster highlighting the political realm?  

The idea of starting the channel came to me because I was so frustrated with the group-think media we have in the UK. Whoever you watch on the TV, whether it be the BBC, ITV, SKY etc… They all say and think the same things, it's just a big echo chamber. 

I wanted to present a different side to politics in this country, what I would consider to be the opinions of the silent majority who are not represented, but these are the people who decide elections, they deserve to hear news from all different aspects. 

If anyone reading this is wondering whether or not to give it a watch, I would ask them to ask themselves, do you believe everything you are told by the mainstream? Is there not another point of view out there to consider? If the answer is yes, then my channel is the place for you. 

I discuss all sorts of subjects in relation to politics and try to remain impartial most of the time, but I do it with passion, so the impartiality lapses sometimes, but I feel that adds character to the videos and debates. Some people who watch my channel don’t even agree with me most of the time, but they keep watching, so I guess that means I am doing something right, if people keep coming back for more, the content must be worth watching. 

To learn more or to subscribe to “That Preston Journalist” Channel see:

That Preston Journalist YouTube.

That Preston Journalist Twitter.

Frederick Edward Social Commentator and Youtuber

We wanted to look at other elements of the media including Youtube commentators and a prime example of this would be Frederick Edward who took the leap into the world of social and historical commentary giving his viewers a unique insight into the world at large. Already a respected writer with articles featured in The Conservative Woman, he is taking steps in this new direction and bringing a new perspective to the public dialogue.

Frederick Edward Social Commentator and Youtuber

Can you start by telling us a little more about your background and what led you to set up a youtube channel?

Starting a YouTube channel is something I had intended to do for years. However, I never quite got round to it. I was always interested in issues surrounding politics and ideas but had been a consumer of content rather than a producer. Perhaps I lacked confidence or was just busy with other things. For example, I spent thousands of hours in my twenties learning Chinese – an unforgiving task which I’m still trying to find a post hoc justification for.

As strange as it may sound, the thing that made me decide to become more active was the death of Roger Scruton – the finest conservative philosopher of our age. Very suddenly, one of the most robust defenders of Western civilization was no longer around. While I am in no way suggesting that I in any way fill the vast gap left by his death, it made me realize that it is ultimately up to us all as individuals to speak plainly and enter the realm of debate. It is too easy to leave it to others to do the heavy lifting!

Tell us more about your target audience and what makes your channel unique?

I’m not sure whether I have a specific target audience in mind. My guiding principle is to make videos or write articles on topics that I find interesting; hopefully, this cathartic endeavor will resonate with people. My worry would be that if I try and target myself specifically to anyone niche I would end up adopting a style or lines of argument that aren’t necessarily mine. Putting on an act in that way is ultimately self-defeating.

In terms of uniqueness… that is hard to say. There are many incredibly erudite, talented, and insightful people who put out content online. I leave it to my audience to decide in what ways my endeavors create value-added in that realm. Nevertheless, over the last few decades, mainstream media has become victim to an intellectual and cultural monoculture that fails to speak to a majority of people, meaning appetite has grown for people who will say things that would certainly be unwelcome in an issue of The Guardian. I most definitely fall into that category – I’m yet to receive an invitation to write a column for that esteemed publication.

As a “YouTuber” are you a solo worker or do you have a team?  What has been your biggest challenge in creating your content?

Other than my mum making me the odd cup of tea, I’m a one-man-band. There were a few hurdles to overcome when I started producing videos – specifically that I had never used a video editor – but the process has not been as technically difficult as I first envisaged.

The greatest hurdle for me, instead, was the very act of speaking in front of a camera. Feeling comfortable, sounding natural, and cogently expressing thoughts when just speaking to the camera on your phone is something I still have to try and get used to. Going through all this, I definitely have a newly discovered respect for people who can deliver pieces in one, seemingly effortless, take. I’m quite not at that point myself. 慢慢来！

What is the future of your channel?  What is the longterm plan for your work?

I will continue to make videos alongside all of life’s other commitments. I think the next stage would be to learn how to make more visually engaging content: when you see a video that has unique and interesting visuals it can be hard to take your eyes off it. There are some YouTube channels that do this incredibly well and deserve their large audiences.

Otherwise, I will try and write more articles as well. While YouTube is a good platform, one wonders what may be at work behind the scenes in the website’s algorithms. As such, getting my articles and videos out there on other platforms is something I will increasingly try to do.

What advice would you offer to anyone looking to set up a channel?

Get ready to put in a lot of work and don’t be disappointed if you don’t strike gold immediately. It is peculiar to see some people’s attempts immediately translate into stardom, but the reality is more likely to involve a great deal of effort and long hours staring at your YouTube channel’s statistics and worrying about SEO.

More broadly, I would advise people in general – but also those who are thinking of starting a channel – to speak plainly and not to be cowed by the opinions of others. Be honest and speak truths as you see them. Honesty is a commodity that is increasingly in short supply today, and the truth is our greatest weapon in combatting the madness we see around us.

To learn more about Frederick or to follow his channel and social media see:

Frederick Edward Youtube.

Frederick Edward Facebook.

Frederick Edward Twitter.

Frederick Edward Parler.