Twitch as a platform for journalistic content?

Twitch is best known for its gaming content: Gamers around the world gather on the livestreaming platform to watch their idols play or to pick up the controller themselves. But Twitch can do even more - as demonstrated not least by the IRL streams, which are less about gaming and more about sharing in the everyday lives of the streamers. So why not use Twitch for serious content in general? A pilot project by Deutsche Welle (DW) takes up precisely this point and brings rousing live discussions about the political situation in Iran to the screens instead of entertaining Fortnite gameplays. Livestreaming services like Twitch make it possible to meet users at eye level: They can directly influence the content of the streams through interactive quizzes, polls and through their chat messages. But what should you pay attention to? How much effort does it take? How does Twitch stand out from other livestreaming platforms? Why rely on Twitch when there's YouTube Live? What hacks are there for community management? DW Lab shares its experiences from the three-month pilot project and provides practical tips for implementation.