Local website uncovers secret Haringey Council You Tube channel

You'll forgive the slightly puerile headline I hope. But, in looking for a response to new member Joe's question about the five a side consultation, I stumbled across a Haringey Council YouTube channel. And, that's good news. It's great that Haringey have a channel on YouTube. Well done Haringey.

But now a gripe, I'm afraid.

"Stumbled across". Yes, stumbled across. Barmy ain't it. Between Liz and I and the three and a half thousand members on this site we keep a pretty close watch on what's going on locally and we let each other know. We have councillors telling us that they find out stuff here first. We're well known to Haringey's Comms team, we're on their press list and we meet them from time to time. We're also probably the best known online presence in the borough, yet we have to stumble across the fact that Haringey have a YouTube channel!

Come on Haringey. What's the point of having it if you don't promote it.

The channel started on the last day of last year. It has had 341 views (though videos within it have gathered 1,236 views). That's a shame. It has two subscribers: the Asset Transfer Unit and, now, Harringay Online. And that shouldn't be the case. It has 21 videos. Two, about the holocaust, have over 200 views. Three have been viewed between 100 and 200 times. Seven have received between 11 and 50 clicks and eight have received fewer than 10. And that's a pity.

I made a very quick check on what's happening in other neighbouring councils and found:

• Camden started early in November 2007 and their channel has had 53,600 views.
• Barnet started in February 2008 and have had 11,472 views on their channel.
• Hackney's running just about on a par with Haringey and, having started a few months earlier, their channel has had 431 views.
• Enfield started in April last year and have had 139 views.
• I could find no trace of either Islington or Waltham Forest channels.

Whilst a Council YouTube channel is never going to be gripping viewing, it does contain valuable public info and we should regard it as a good thing. Boroughs like Camden and Barnet show that there is an appetite

So, dear Council, your YouTube channel is a good thing. Please keep it going and beef up your use of video and other social media. But, above all, please stop keeping your forays into 2.0 a secret and, if you need help shouting it out, let us know, we can help you.