YouTube Creators Hub How Clayton Morris Built Redacted to 3M Subscribers
Jan 23, 2026
Clayton Morris, a former Fox News anchor turned independent journalist, shares his journey of building the Redacted News channel to nearly 3 million subscribers. He discusses the challenges of navigating YouTube's shifting policies, particularly during COVID and the Ukraine crisis. Clayton highlights his strategy for leveraging evergreen content and the importance of diversification in revenue streams. He also offers advice for new creators on authentic content and emphasizes the role of live streaming in community engagement.
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Channel Origin Story
- Clayton rebranded his morning show to Redacted after seeing heavily redacted documents and realizing mainstream media omitted key facts.
- His wife Natalie joined as researcher and co-host, turning it into a long-running independent news show.
YouTube Policy U-Turns
- YouTube's terms of service about COVID content shifted dramatically over time, affecting many creators' ability to publish.
- Clayton notes YouTube reversed some bans and allowed previously blocked experts back on the platform.
Formats Are Being Squeezed
- Shorts are being aggressively promoted on YouTube, but audience appetite for longer lean-back viewing remains strong.
- Clayton sees the middle ground squeezed between shorts and long-form TV-like content.