WhatsApp Channels allow for one-way updates to be sent to a group of followers, similar in look and feel to a group chat, but operating more like a short-form newsletter. Users can react to messages with emojis and respond to polls, but can’t respond in text form.
With changing social media algorithms and shrinking reach on platforms like Facebook, more publishers are turning to WhatsApp to connect directly with their audiences. In 2024, the ABC launched its own WhatsApp Channel, joining a growing number of global newsrooms experimenting with this new way of distributing news.
How are global newsrooms using it?
With 12 million WhatsApp users in Australia, the app is a great way to meet users on a platform they’re already checking in often to contact friends and family.
Andrés Krom from La Nación in Argentina says his strategy is to “speak to followers in a plain and friendly language,” because “WhatsApp is a rather informal space where you chat in confidence with your best friend, mom, or partner.”
Vox’s editor Nisha Chittal says they’ve been leaning into longer form content: “We think that helps us stand out compared to other publishers and helps meet our audience where they are, as opposed to always needing to drive back to a homepage.”
Meena Thiruvengadam from Nieman Lab says “the design of WhatsApp Channels is particularly good for covering fast-moving or breaking news stories,” because the app allows publishers to edit messages for up to 30 days, meaning it’s possible to update facts in real-time or provide further clarification.
What this means for local and independent newsrooms
You don’t need a huge team to start using WhatsApp effectively, just keep your updates personal, consistent and human; something local publishers excel at.
Consider:
- Using it for emergency alerts, weather warnings, or council updates.
- Delivering behind-the-scenes content, local stories, or newsletters straight to followers’ phones.
- Testing voice notes or video explainers as a point of difference.
- Sharing your best stories directly, rather than hoping readers find them on social media or through your website.
- If you create video content on YouTube, consider sending your videos into WhatsApp. The platform allows your audience to view videos in-app, which contributes to your YouTube ad revenue.
- You can also create private channels for niche audiences, like parents in a specific suburb, or fishing updates for a coastal community.
LINA member newsroom In the Cove has an active WhatsApp channel, sending ‘week in review’ article round-ups, newsroom achievements, as well as links to major news updates like the recent Sydney train network crash with information about train lines specific to In the Cove readers. Manly Observer also posts regularly in WhatsApp, sharing links to key articles every day.
The bottom line
A chance to communicate with your readers in a direct, frictionless way can only be positive. Using WhatsApp, you don’t need to worry about comment moderation, and you can be a little more personal with your audience.
It’s still early days for WhatsApp channels, but early adopters are already seeing the benefits of reaching readers in a space that feels both immediate and intimate without having to fight algorithms or invest heavily in new tools.
