UK House of Lords heads to YouTube to reach out to youngsters

Melbourne, June 14 : Britain's House of Lords is trying to update its slightly worn-out image with the launch of five new YouTube videos.

The short, informal videos will air on YouTube's Parliament channel, which currently offers virtual tours of the Houses of Parliament. They will try to soften the institution's often stuffy reputation by making it more accessible to youthful viewers, said Baroness Hayman, the Lord Speaker.

"The videos we have placed on the YouTube channel reflect the diversity and expertise in the House of Lords and its relevance to young people and we hope that they will help to combat some of the outdated stereotypes of members of the Upper House," she said.

The relatively low-budget videos made by Agile Films for about 5000 pounds emphasise the diversity of the House of Lords in an effort to alter its long-standing reputation as a haven for elderly, affluent gentlemen.

Instead of emphasising tradition, wisdom and the Lords' place in British history, the videos use contemporary music and short, quick interviews in an effort to move the Lords into the digital age.

Many teenagers appear on the videos, often expressing negative views about politicians or admitting they are confused about what the Lords does, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The straightforward videos refrain from boasting about the Lords' place in British society and avoid the temptation to create a logo or slogan to sum up the Lords' work.

The House of Lords has already established a "Lords of the Blog" website that allows Lords to share their thoughts with the public.

Recently, for example, Lord Norton blogged about how quickly rumours spread through Parliament.

ANI