Storytelling in video news production – the social media era

Social media has changed how video content is discovered, consumed, and judged, and journalists now compete not only on speed but also for attention, meaning, and trust. A new toolkit on video storytelling aimed at local and regional media has now been translated into six different languages.

Newsrooms operate in a saturated media space, do not control platforms in the same way as before, and face audiences affected by fatigue and constant information overload. This creates a practical challenge for journalists: reporting is no longer enough on its own if the story does not quickly feel relevant, understandable, and emotionally engaging. This does not mean abandoning journalism but ensuring it travels better in the environments where audiences now encounter it

About the author

Ibrahim Ahmaid is a multimedia journalist and IMS Business Viability Advisor with a background that combines journalism, format development, and social media video production. He has worked with BBC, Al Jazeera, KBS World Radio, Yonhap News, KUNA, and Cafebabel, helped build video and social media teams, and focuses on local journalism, audience connection, and storytelling as a tool for trust.