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How a TV segment producer turned her social media addiction into a career
Do you spend a massive amount of time browsing through social media sites, from Facebook to Twitter to Instagram and back?
Then comes that feeling of guilt… did you just waste an hour or so of your life on the internet? Has social media become for you, like craving for that soft and creamy, high-fat chocolate ice cream on a hot day--- something that you can’t resist but you know it’s going to be bad for your “balik alindog” program. Have you tried cutting down on your social media use, but fail each time miserably?
That was me a year ago too, until I turned the addiction into a career. I am currently an Online Content Producer for GMA Public Affairs, a job that entails representing different public affairs documentaries on social media.
Television and social media
I was a fresh graduate when I first worked at GMA Network, first for television as a segment producer where I handle a filming team and direct both content and visuals of a given documentary, and now also for the web. I am currently a segment producer for the environmental show Born to be Wild and at the same time handles its social media accounts.
Social media technologies now allow for television programs to be accessed and shared in different ways. Viewers can now actively react to shows. Now, I can know real time if the viewers liked a particular scene more than the others through interactions during our weekly live tweets as the show airs. We then utilize these viewer comments to improve our television content for the next weeks. People may not watch television all day, but smartphones allow for these interactions to occur anytime, anywhere, regardless of television air times. I joined the online crew because I envisioned social media as the unstoppable force shaping television’s future and I didn’t want to be left behind.
GMA News and Public Affairs produces some of the most compelling, most innovative, and most awarded documentary, news magazine, and lifestyle programs on Philippine television, all in the name of “Serbisyong Totoo.”
Among its programs include the Peabody-award-winning documentary shows "I-Witness," "Reel Time," and "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," the country's first wildlife program "Born to be Wild," the investigative programs "Reporter's Notebook" and "Investigative Documentaries," the social realism narrative series "Bayan Ko," the innovative docu-drama "Wagas," and fun lifestyle shows like "Ang Pinaka" and "Pop Talk"– just to name a few.
As an online content producer, I had the opportunity to be the shows’ voice on social media, their counterpart as they serve the public in the world wide web. This involved producing engaging social media content, interacting with viewers/users, and creating content strategies for the shows.
Work remotely
It was a Sunday morning, and I was live tweeting for a GMA Public Affairs show while hearing the violent thunder of waves in San Felipe, Zambales for I went surfing that weekend. And I thought to myself, what a privilege it was to be able to work remotely, to be able to perform work from anywhere as long as internet connection allows it.
Though the position is full-time and based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, it is not required for us to be in the office every day.
A playground for creativity
As an Online Content Producer, we are required to produce multimedia content such as feature articles, photo essays, infographics, and web videos for select TV shows' official web properties. Some of the projects will be assigned to you, but most of the time, you get to pitch what you want to write about.
If you are a person who finds joy in “creation” as I am, be it an article or a video that is shareable and sparks conversation, the freedom to choose my own project got me excited and inspired.
NOTE: GMA Public Affairs is now looking for Online Content Producers who can help its programs reach wider audiences on the web. Fresh graduates with fresh ideas are welcome!
Candidates with one or two years of experience in online journalism, community management, digital marketing, social media strategy, advertising and public relations or publishing have an advantage.
How to Apply:
E-mail your resume, one (1) writing sample in English, and one (1) writing sample in Filipino to gmapasmtrecruitment@gmail.com
Please write the subject of your e-mail as such: APPLICATION OF (YOUR NAME) FOR POSITION OF DIGITAL PRODUCER.
Please include a formal cover letter in the e-mail.
Note: Applications that do not follow the instructions above will not be considered.
Deadline for application: April 30, 2016
