To devour the information is now not a easy matter of opening the newspaper or turning on the tv. Now, greater than ever, America’s primary information supply is social media. However in a sea of infographics, how is one to search out trusted sources?
V Spehar, maybe higher identified by their deal with UnderTheDeskNews, supplies thorough and informative information in a comforting bundle.
Whereas V used to take information hits from below the protection of their desk, they’ve come out from below the desk and are encouraging their viewers to do the identical. To now not be frightened of the world and as an alternative come out of hiding. As each a journalist and a content material creator, V made a promise to their viewers to ship the information in a secure strategy to shield everybody’s emotional well being. Almost 5 years on the job, they’re nonetheless holding up their finish of the discount even because the information cycle will get heavier every day. At VidCon 2025, we sat down with V to debate how they’ve grown their platform with out shedding viewers belief.
In 2020, V Spehar pivoted from culinary to information content material and UnderTheDeskNews was born.
Credit score: V Spehar / Røde / Mashable
I might like to know what freedom content material creation has given you as a journalist?
My entire life, I assumed that if I might simply get this job within the business, then I would be set for all times, and I would be comfy. I would have achieved one thing. And once I was the director of impression for the James Beard Basis, I felt like I had achieved that. However I did not. After I acquired the massive lady job, I did not really feel tremendous comfy or taken care of. After I began making content material, I had no expectations. I simply did it for enjoyable to begin off. And now I’ve really created the life for myself and the monetary construction for myself that no quantity of doing it the fitting means was giving me.
I hear that from many creators. I feel content material creation provides individuals a way of empowerment.
It’s simply as exhausting for me to be a content material creator and personal Spehar Leisure, which is the LLC that the whole lot goes by. And we selected leisure, deliberately mocking the Fox Leisure, as a result of I used to be afraid to be like, “I am not gonna set up myself as a media firm. That is so scary. I will simply be leisure.” I work simply as exhausting, however I’ve extra management of myself and my time. And I come to search out out I really like working with individuals. I do not love being in a company construction.
You are a necessary information supply for thus many younger individuals. How does that have an effect on your method to content material creation?
As a result of I got here into this a little bit bit older, and I had already established profitable companies earlier than, I knew the factor I wanted to begin with was a promise to the viewers — What am I promoting? What is the product? And the product and the promise is that I offers you the day’s information and occasions in a sort means from a secure house. I offers you present political matters that middle [on] your emotional security to be taught. And that’s the north star and the ethos and the boundary and the gutters of each single factor that I make.
I’ve spoken to quite a lot of creators about how they really feel prefer it’s actually vital to discover a area of interest. Do you’re feeling prefer it was that under-the-desk format that gave it a sure angle?
I feel that was a visible illustration of the promise. And as time went on and I gained their belief. I have not really been bodily below the desk in over a 12 months as a result of the vibe continues to be there, the promise continues to be there, below the desk. It was a compulsory visible illustration of what I used to be promising, and I needed to be good on that promise lengthy sufficient to return out of that field. I nonetheless like being below the desk generally, and if one thing’s actually unhappy, then we return below the desk.
When Trump acquired elected, I stated, “OK, I will do the primary 100 days below the desk.” And I did, nevertheless it was really making individuals a little bit unhappy, as a result of they had been like, “Oh, we’re again hiding.”
After I began to be out in public, and I began doing talking gigs or occurring TV or doing totally different stuff, individuals had been actually unnerved by me bodily standing. It will take them some time to regulate. And so I used to be wish to get everybody used to the truth that I’ve a full physique, and that I could possibly be upright, as a result of even the bodily angle is so totally different. So I am glad that now we have come out from below the desk. There’s a lot world that now we have to go to, and I would not be capable of do issues like provides speeches in Springfield, Missouri for queer communities which are by no means seen.
The information cycle is heavy proper now. How are you caring for your self and avoiding burnout as a creator?
I lean on the opposite people who find themselves doing unimaginable information creation. So for example I do not do breaking information, as a result of Aaron Parnas does it each 15 seconds. There is a ability and a bunch of those who need that, however I do not really feel like I’ve to compete with that. We all know there is a 40 % crossover between my viewers and his, that in the event that they acquired that story, I am transferring on.
Earlier than Trump was president, I might report on issues that had been occurring, even when they had been tough. For instance, the autumn of Afghanistan was extremely tough, nevertheless it was occurring, and I might belief that what was being reported from the Pentagon was factual. We might watch it on tv or on social media.
Mashable Development Report
Now, I’ve to listen to what the White Home or the Pentagon has stated, fact-check it towards my sources, after which additionally persuade the viewers that I’m proper. For instance, when Pete Hegseth stated he was sending 700 Marines from Camp Pendleton into Los Angeles, my contact was like, “It is not Camp Pendleton; it is Twentynine Palms, and the civilians could not know, however there is a large distinction between Camp Pendleton, which is primary.”
We’re speaking 17, 18, 19-year-olds. And Twentynine Palms, are Marines, who’re 22, 23, 24, in order that they’re nonetheless younger, however they’re full Marines. So I used to be like, OK, I am like, they are not from Camp Pendleton, they’re from Twentynine Palms, so that is what they’re skilled for, crowd management and riots. And other people had been like, that is not what Hegseth stated. I say I do know, however I additionally know I am proper.
The intent of the Trump administration, oftentimes, is to sow chaos and division and get individuals all labored up about one thing in order that they’ll proceed to push by with issues that are not occurring. So I are inclined to attempt to be like, OK, Donald Trump has signed an government order saying that trans girls should go to male prisons. Effectively, that is already been challenged, and it is really already been gained in courtroom, and it by no means occurred. So let’s be calm on that one.
Do you ever really feel stress between you and the viewers once they’re coming in with a very intense power of panic, and it’s important to de-escalate whereas acknowledging their issues?
So I’ve positively completed this extra. I feel there’s like, being a journalist, after which there’s being a creator, and creators take care of the viewers, the feelings, and ideas. And journalists are supposed not to do this, so it’s totally tough to stroll that line, so I’ll give a little bit little bit of each. So one thing occurs, I will be like, that is really fucked up. In case you really feel prefer it’s fucked up, it is as a result of it’s. And this is what’s prone to come subsequent. After which I can inform the reality that means.
And I’ve to do this much more than I need to, however you do should do it as a result of this concept of objectivity or simply telling the info, properly, they do not present info, so that you really should fill it in with historic proof. Generally I really feel like I do extra historical past than telling them what’s occurring now, in order that we’re all form of caught up.
As a creator, what was your expertise in gaining a following? Was it one video that basically took off, or a sluggish and regular construct?
I began as a culinary creator. So I used to make cheeseburgers, all totally different sorts of loopy cheeseburgers and stuff you would use from stuff in your pantry.
So I used to be like doing that, simply to try to give myself one thing to do within the pandemic. And I acquired a culinary following first. So I used to be like, meals well-known, earlier than I converted to doing the information. I by no means regarded on the follower rely. I at all times regarded for return clients. I feel I used to be skilled for that from a culinary standpoint. It is like once you take a look at what number of covers you could have that night time at a restaurant. We acquired 700 tonight. That is what it means for my workers.
However I would be like, “Oh, Lisa’s gonna be right here tonight. I fucking love her”. So I deal with content material like that. I am at all times on the lookout for my regulars.
At what level did you resolve to cowl the information full-time?
After I acquired laid off from the James Beard Basis. So I acquired furloughed first, and so I actually thought this dream job that I had achieved and spent a lot of my time working in the direction of would come again. And there got here some extent once I realized it wasn’t going to return again. And in addition, it wasn’t the identical anymore, both. I had seen an excessive amount of of how devalued I used to be to them. After which I used to be doing consulting work for meals. I used to be engaged on, like, how we had been gonna get veterans meals delivered whereas they had been unhoused in the course of the pandemic.
It wasn’t till I really acquired requested to be a featured creator at VidCon. I actually did not know what a featured creator was, and I did not have administration or something. I confirmed up right here simply to do a panel or one thing. There have been like 70,000 individuals who got here to that first VidCon I attended. And that is once I began to be, like, it is a job, job.
Daniel from Palette Administration was at my first VidCon. They had been model new at the moment — I do not even know who that they had signed. And he was like, “Hello, we had been hoping to speak to you.”
I used to be like, Okay. And he is like, “The place’s your supervisor? I used to be like, “What do you imply?” And he is like, “Are you right here alone? Oh God, oh no, do not be alone.”
For content material creation instruments, what are the necessities you are utilizing?
Røde Microphones. And I haven’t got a partnership. I do not make any cash off of it. However I spent a lot cash on so many alternative items of kit. So I had all of the several types of lights, from those that go in your cellphone to large pancake lights. Now I’ve a studio gentle. I’ve all these items. I’ve all these various things, and I had all these several types of microphones, and the one ones that ever actually labored had been the like, plug-in earphones
I will purchase a automotive, however I will not purchase, like, a $149 microphone. And Daniel ended up shopping for them for me with my cash. So I began utilizing them, and there was one thing concerning the sound high quality and the way in which that it felt, after which I felt like I owed it to the viewers to present them that superior sound.
