• by Sara Guaglione , May 26, 2017

The Atlantic is launching an original weekly series on YouTube called “You Are Here.” It is the first in a series the magazine will distribute on the video platform as part of its shift to a "YouTube-first" strategy.

All of The Atlantic’s original video can now serve direct-sold pre-roll, both on its site and on The Atlantic’s YouTube channel.

“This change allows us to align what has historically been dueling strategies -- one aimed at direct monetization (streams on our site) and one aimed at extending our reach and audience,” Anna Bross, senior director of communications at The Atlantic, told Publishers Daily via email.

Total video streams for The Atlantic are up 120% year-over-year, and 283% on YouTube alone.

“You Are Here” will feature The Atlantic’s science writers, who will explore “what science can tell us about where we are and where we’re going,” Bross said.

The tagline for the new series on YouTube: “the incredible science behind everyday life.”

The first episode of “You Are Here” is hosted by health writer Olga Khazan, who discusses the science behind why Americans smile so much. Other videos will cover topics from the biology behind murder to the sociology behind friendships.

The Atlantic’s YouTube channel includes explainer videos and animations, as well as other weekly series, such as the news commentary show featuring its reporters called “The Atlantic Argument,” and U.S. politics-focused “Unpresidented.”

The magazine hopes these regular series, showcasing its staff, will help build a large audience for its short documentaries, including the recently released “Agent for Hire” and “Church Militant.”