During the 2021 Session, users viewed the Legislature’s new YouTube site 93,510 times and logged 26,000 hours of watch time. At less than a year old, the channel has garnered more than 2,300 subscribers and 283,400 views from people logging 66,300 hours of watch time.
“It is impossible for citizens, who have jobs, families, and other responsibilities, to always be present during our debates—but it is imperative we have citizens’ input. When we use collective intellect, the final policy outcome is always better,” Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann said. “Webcasting has made this possible without citizens having to leave their homes, schools, or businesses.”
Hosemann and the Mississippi Senate have led the effort to webcast committee meetings, in addition to floor debate, to increase transparency in the legislative process. After the first emergency order related to the pandemic was issued in March 2020, the Senate began webcasting its meetings in Room 216, the former courtroom of the Mississippi Supreme Court. In January, the Senate added Room 409, the next largest Senate committee room to its webcasted spaces.
Room 210 on the Senate side of the Capitol is currently being equipped with webcasting technology, and will be ready to broadcast by the 2022 Legislative Session.
Almost 158,823 views generated in the past year were from people located in Mississippi, according to analytics from YouTube, with the next highest amount at 17,500 from Georgia. Viewers were from all 50 states. During the 2021 Legislative Session, 77 percent of those watching were under 54 years of age. About 22 percent of viewers were under 34 years of age.
“As we promote the site, we are hopeful viewership among all Mississippians will continue to grow,” Hosemann said.
To visit the Mississippi Legislature’s YouTube site, click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLmAgbQMuI7kLvDNV6LluA/featured. To learn more about Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, visit https://ltgovhosemann.ms.gov.
