EBU Academy Social Media Week 2025

Overview

Social media remains important to public service media for reaching and engaging audiences but equally the platforms remain challenging to work with.

The tools and algorithms change, competition for attention is fierce and the social companies are now focusing more on the needs of individual content creators rather than established media.

Enter EBU Academy Social Media Week which we have developed in collaboration with colleagues at EBU Digital.

It focuses on specific topics, with strong relevance today to PSM, with interactive Mini Master Classes led by experienced and skilled trainers from within our community. 

Whether you work in entertainment, factual, news or sports, there are sessions to inspire you and help you immediately use social in an even more impactful way.

We will be adding more classes in the coming weeks!

Monday, February 10, 2025

10:00 - 12:00 CET Lessons From the Social Media Success of the ESC

Whether you’re working on big live events or flagship entertainment formats, don’t miss this chance to learn directly from the massive success of the Eurovision Song Contest on social media. For example, in Malmo, TikToks with the hashtag #Eurovision2024 gained an impressive 6.5 billion views! Learn how the ESC has used social to connect powerfully with younger audiences and achieve skyrocketing engagements.

What you’ll learn:

  • How the ESC’s digital team built a strategy to create clear user journeys and increase younger audiences
  • Techniques to engage with talent to create content
  • What social content works and what doesn’t, based on analytics and KPIs.
  • Tools recommended by the team

Faculty Member: Rob Holley, Head of Content, Eurovision Song Contest Digital

14:00 – 16:00 CET Writing for Social News

The visuals are critical for social news videos, you already know this, but it’s time to recognize the value of great writing – finding that killer hook, getting the tone right and the art of an engaging caption. This session led by award-winning and pioneering journalist on TikTok, Sophia Smith Galer puts a focus on creating social-first journalism including the secrets to writing an accessible, credible and engaging script. Its time to level up your writing of social news!

What you’ll learn:

  • The art of hook writing
  • Best practices for proactive and reactive content-making 
  • The key components to a video script
  • The full package of social video; captions, cover images and the video's afterlife online

Faculty Member: Sophia Smith Galer, Reporter, Author and Creator

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

10:00 – 12:00 CET How to create Instagram success for a legacy brand

Big legacy brands often bring with them a trusted reputation and sometimes unfair misconceptions of what they represent, so what opportunities does Instagram give in positioning or re-positioning such properties? This session explores how to create an engaging Instagram account for a legacy brand with a clear identity and personality, based on the work of Anna Doble who’s Digital Editor of the English language BBC World Service.

 What you’ll learn: 

  • Why and how Instagram can help you find a young, diverse audience for your journalism
  • How to identify the content from your existing output that will work twice as hard for you
  • Why listening and responding to your social audience will lead to better commissioning decisions 
  • Who you can identify in your teams to create short-form video to support your radio shows and podcast brands
  • How you can measure Instagram success – reach, engagement and onward journeys

Faculty Member: Anna Doble, Digital Editor, BBC World Service

14:00 – 16:00 CET Standing out with Social Sports Video

Stats demonstrate without question the huge popularity of sports content on social media but how to stand out in a very crowded newsfeed? When every media outlet is reporting on the same event, how can you be different? This session. led by Joel Goldman, Digital Producer at BBC Sport. will fire up your creativity with inspiring examples focusing on football. It also addresses the question, what content strategies work if you’re not a rights holder?

What you’ll learn:

  • What makes a standout idea – From original treatments to new takes on existing trends and answering the question ‘What do I want the audience to take from this?’
  • How to tailor the right idea for the right talent– producing pundits and the public
  • How to ensure the content makes a splash when it lands – where to publish, when to publish and what to publish
  • What to do when you don’t have the rights – Everything but the goal!

Faculty Member: Joel Goldman, Digital Producer, BBC Sport

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

14:00 - 16:00 CET YouTube strategies to engage younger audiences

Young audiences love You Tube but how can public service media win their attention amongst a seemingly endless collection of content and platform choices? Ram Paramanthan, from Germany's public youth brand funk, will share insights into how he successfully identifies and engages its audience on the platform. And, Gina Fuhrmann, ARD’s YouTube Partnership Manager, will explore the challenges PSM face in bridging the gap between teens and thirty/forty somethings. She’ll also outline strategies for adapting existing formats to connect with new audiences and leverage YouTube’s and your own potential.

What you’ll learn:

  • How to get to know your young audiences, by listening and not assuming
  • Ways to fit their needs
  • YouTube strategies for a range of young audiences from teens to 30/40 year olds
  • How to reshape existing formats to fit a different platform, in this case YouTube

Faculty Members: Gina Fuhrmann, You Tube Partnership Manager, ARD and Ram Paramanathan, Creative Producer/Partner Manager, Funk from ARD and ZDF.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

10:00 – 12:00 CET What does it take to be different on social media

In crowded newsfeeds, you need to be distinctive but sometimes its hard to try something new – it takes creativity, bravery and backing from your bosses! BNR’s Digital Editor, Diana Kostova has shaken up the broadcaster’s social content, introducing a video reality podcast that is a viral smash hit and she’s now working with a top Bulgarian influencer. In this interactive session, she shares her learnings, tips and techniques – how do you develop and try new ideas?

What you’ll learn:

  • How to define your own goal AND ensure it meets the goals/KPIs of your organization
  • Unlocking new ideas without the “fear factor”
  • What is the value for public media in working with influencers
  • How to distribute your content to different audiences and measure its impact

Faculty Member: Diana Kostova, Digital Editor, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)

14:00 – 16:00 CET A content moderation toolkit for 2025

The days of media using social media purely as a publishing platform are gone but taking on the “social” part of social media can be tough. This session run by RTBF’s social news strategist, Aline De Volder helps those managing social media communities navigate the many challenges they face. Hot questions will be explored including - when is it ok to turn off comments, in-house moderation vs third part, what role AI is playing and how to protect mental health?

What you’ll learn:

  • The key steps in the moderation process 
  • Who are the people in your organization who should do the moderation and how should you coach them
  • What can you do in case of a crisis: which process to apply
  • What are the tools that can help

Faculty Member: Aline De Volder, Social Media Editor, RTBF

Friday, February 14, 2025

10:00 - 12:00 CET How to tackle harassment and hate on social media

8 out of 10 female journalists have reported online hate in the last few years, this is based on research in the Netherlands for PersVeilig, an organization protecting Dutch news workers. Abuse, aggression and threats can be incredibly personal and the same study shows only 40% of victims don’t talk about what they’re facing, not even with their loved ones.  This session led by Selma Ali, a security advisor at PersVeilig arms anyone facing abuse – whether its on air talent, journalists, editors or social media moderators – with practical ways to access support, stay safe and cope psychologically. The class will focus on both harassment punishable by law and wishful thinking statements, which are not illegal but highly stressful and threatening to receive.

What you’ll learn:

  • How abuse is classified.
  • The first steps you must take when you receive hate.
  • What happens when you report to a social media company.
  • How to talk about what’s happening with your boss, friends and family.
  • Ways to cope mentally with the concern and trauma.

Faculty Member, Selma Ali, Security Advisor, PersVeilig.

Meet your faculty

Joel Goldman

Football Digital Video Producer, BBC Sport

Joel is an award-winning former radio Journalist, founding member of the Social Media team at BBC Sport and is now BBC Football’s Digital Video Producer, working on the Corporation’s flagship football programming. He has 20 years’ experience in the media and has covered some of the world’s biggest sporting events including European Football Championships, the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Sophia Smith Galer

Author, Journalist and Content Creator

Sophia is an author, journalist and content creator credited with pioneering journalism on TikTok in the United Kingdom.

Sophia’s investigative reporting for the BBC and VICE News has won her awards around the globe and her videos on TikTok and Instagram have been viewed more than 160 million times. In 2021, she won Innovation of the Year at the British Journalism Awards and in 2022, British Vogue named her one of the 25 most influential women in the UK. 

She is writing her second book, How To Kill A Language, about her journey reporting on the disappearance of languages across four continents.

Aline De Volder

Social Media Editor

Aline De Volder is a seasoned social media strategist and coordinator at RTBF, with over a decade of experience in digital communication within public service media. Specializing in social media management across news, entertainment, societal issues, and corporate channels, she has developed a deep understanding of audience engagement and content strategy, ensuring impactful and responsible online presence.

Anna Doble

Digital Editor

Anna Doble is the digital editor at BBC World Service where she leads on digital strategy, social media, video and podcasts. She also commissions sport content across the network. Anna writes and presents Pick of the World, a weekly radio show on BBC World Service, which zooms in on the most engaging audio as chosen by social and online audiences around the globe. Anna previously ran the online team at Radio 1. Before that she was head of online at Channel 4 News. She is also a music writer and the author of Connection is a Song: Coming Up and Coming Out Through the Music of the '90s, published in May 2024.

Diana Kostova

Digital Editor

Diana Kostova has been passionate about journalism since she was 16. Her journey began with student radio, which inspired her to pursue a BA degree in Media Practices and Mass Communications. During her studies, Diana discovered the magic of daily talk shows and documentaries as powerful forms of journalism. This passion naturally led her to pursue an MA degree in Documentary at the University of Bedfordshire, where she honed her skills in representing reality through film.

Throughout her academic career, Diana kept pace with the rapidly evolving digital world, constantly updating her social media knowledge. After earning her MA in Documentary, she set a new professional goal: to help the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) build a sustainable and engaged young audience.

For the past 12 years, Diana has been an integral part of BNR's journalistic team. She started as a music show host, then worked as a reporter and host of a three-hour late show. She also played a key role in developing BNR's social media presence. Today, she serves as the Editor-in-chief of Digital Programs, the department with the largest and most loyal young audience at BNR. For Diana, Digital Programs represent the necessary step towards the future of BNR, bridging traditional radio with the dynamic digital landscape.

Rob Holley

Head of Content, Eurovision Song Contest Digital

Creativity often thrives in the details – or in the case of Rob Holley, Head of Content for the Eurovision Song Contest, in the thousands of small tasks that collectively shape the Eurovision digital experience.

Rob, along with a dedicated team of content producers, plan, produce and deliver a year-round content strategy that engages new fans, builds online communities and audiences across continents, cultures, and time zones, ensuring that the Eurovision spirit resonates far beyond the confines of the arena.