The BBC Academy Podcast

Live social video is everywhere right now. You can’t move these days on social media sites without seeing your followers 'going live' from somewhere - no matter how mundane the subject matter.Broadcasters and brands are getting involved too, with reporters pressing the live button at scenes of breaking news, including the Brussels bombing earlier this year and the Soho vigil in response to the Orlando nightclub shooting.It’s not just serious stories which are popular. Who remembers LadBible’s last lolly standing or Buzzfeed’s exploding watermelon? These days it seems nobody wants to wait for anything. These apps offer a sense of immediacy: watch the news as it happens. In this podcast we find out:What you need to think about before pressing 'go live'. - How you can use 'lives' to drive new stories and content. - Tips and advice on running a successful live broadcast with your smartphone - How best to engage with your audience during the transmission. Sarah Brown is the strategic partnership manager at Facebook. She is a writer, producer and editor with 15 years experience in international journalism and communications, specialising in digital media and with a passion for world news and current events.Andy Dangerfield a social media editor for News at Buzz Feed UK with more than 10 years experience reporting, feature writing and broadcasting. Since joining BuzzFeed News at the start of this year, Andy has been at the forefront of delivering BuzzFeed’s news and political coverage on new platforms. Mark Frankel is the social media editor for BBC News. He has a background in journalism and currently is helping to shape and deliver a 24/7 breaking news operation for the BBC across branded social media accounts.

Even media professionals need to hone their presenting skills. Whether you speak too fast, forget to breathe, get nervous, or just need to put some energy behind your words, you can do lots of simple things to improve how you sound on air.Voice and presentation coach Elspeth Morrison recently visited the BBC Academy podcast team in Birmingham to deliver a coaching session. In this fly-on-the-wall podcast, you can listen as Kris Bramwell, Zayna Shaikh, Jack Burgess, Roxy Ebrahim-Khan and Charles Miller are given the task of re-writing an article in their own style and presenting it to Elspeth as she attempts to develop their voice and help them brush up on their presenting skills. “When presenting a podcast, it should sound like you've just wondered in and are having a chat.” – Elspeth Morrison In this podcast we learn how to:- Mark our scripts ahead of recording - Find our “broadcast self” - Handle our nerves - Write a script to our voiceElspeth Morrison is a voice and presentation specialist who has worked with actors, business people and journalists for more than 15 years.

We’ve all got a smartphone and a story to tell. So technically we could all be mobile journalists, right? Turns out you might need some other bits and pieces too.In this week’s podcast we speak to two journalists who have both tried the mojo (mobile journalism) way to make completely different kinds of films.Dougal Shaw is a business reporter who creates features for BBC News. He recently put himself on what he calls a ‘mojo diet’ - meaning he only reported with his smartphone for a month.Eleanor Mannion is a programme-maker with the Irish state broadcaster RTE. Earlier this year she shot a full-length documentary, The Collectors, entirely on her smartphone, which RTE says is a first for a European broadcaster.They both share their experiences:- The pros and cons of being a mobile journalist - How it’s different to conventional newsgathering and programme-making - What bits of kit you could put in your mojo bag - Apps they’ve found to be useful for filming and editing - Mobile journalism versus traditional filming methods

When it comes to television sitcoms, producer Jon Plowman (OBE) says the reason audiences tune in is simple: “We like the characters and we want to have a good time with them.”Plowman’s CV reads like someone has cherry-picked their favourite comedies and placed them in one dream career. He’s produced The Office, Vicar of Dibley, Absolutely Fabulous, League of Gentleman and Little Britain, to name but a few.“A lot of people think scripts are about jokes,” he adds. “I think they’re about characters.”In this podcast Plowman takes us behind the scenes to provide an insight into how Jennifer Saunders worked on Absolutely Fabulous, as well as telling the story of how BBC Two gave The Office a second chance.

Radio London breakfast show host Vanessa Feltz and her producer Gemma Stevenson explain how they make three hours of live radio five days a week. In this podcast they give advice about:- What kind of callers the show wants - How callers are screened - What topics work best - The importance of regular callers - How the presenter and producer communicate during the show - How much a phone-in presenter needs to share their own life with listenersVanessa has worked at Radio London since 2001. She also has a regular early morning show on Radio 2, and writes a newspaper column. She previously had her own talk show series on television and has appeared as a contestant on both Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing.

Every weekday afternoon Noreen Khan takes to the mic on the BBC Asian Network to present her award-winning “info-tainment” radio show comprising music, entertainment, sport and lots of banter.Hear from producer Anish Shaikh, assistant producer Amrit Matharu and Noreen as they discuss the challenge of making a live radio programme. They cover how to keep up with changes to the way people listen to radio, appealing to a specific target audience, as well as maintaining a positive team environment.Noreen has been presenting for more than 10 years and witnessed the many changes in radio - like the shift to on-demand listening. So how exactly can radio programmes attract new listeners? She discusses the importance of immersing herself in the latest trends, keeping up to date with what her audience want and remaining authentic.In this podcast we discus how to:- build a show like this one - be an engaging presenter - use social media to enhance your radio programme - satisfy your target audience and reach new audiences - build strong relationships within your team

BBC Academy director Joe Godwin sat down with CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor and presenters Sam & Mark to discuss children’s TV and its impact on young children."We’ve all got to learn from a children’s audience before we all lose our audiences. What a nine-year-old is doing now is what a 25-year-old will be doing in 16 years," says Joe.Younger audiences are increasingly turning away from TV in favour of on-demand and portable viewing. The panel talk about how to reach them and the challenges of making children’s TV.Hear from Sam & Mark who both began their careers on reality talent show Pop Idol, went on to present Top of the Pops on CBBC and now boast a 13-year career presenting children’s TV primarily Copycats. In this podcast you’ll find out:What being controller of a TV channel involves How CBBC is meeting young people’s needs How Sam & Mark got started as TV presenters How CBBC fits into the new BBC strand 'Educate'

Stuart Rowson and Neil Hall from BBC Sport explain how mobile phones are key to how audiences consume content.

The technology sector is perceived as predominantly male, with many women feeling tech jobs are ‘not for them’. This lack of diversity will continue to be a problem until the stereotype is challenged.The BBC’s Women in Tech event during London Technology Week aimed to do exactly that by inviting women with tech skills to meet team leaders and hiring managers from across the BBC’s Design and Engineering division.The BBC Academy’s Keeren Flora went along to find out about the different pathways into the industry and what is being done to encourage more women to pursue technology careers.In this podcast you will find out about:pathways into different technology careers, what a software developer does, less technical roles like project manager or business analyst, how to gain experience, the challenges people working in technology may face, why a diverse workforce means a successful business, how more women can be encouraged to take up careers in technology.Graduate software developer Tamsin Green describes how her route into technology included gaining confidence in her skills.Toby Mildon, diversity lead for BBC Design and Engineering, takes us through what is being done to increase the variety of people entering the BBC.Plus, hiring managers Laura Rowley and Pius Bozumbil explain what they look for in a candidate.

Presenting or reporting for television or radio can be both exciting and terrifying in equal measure - and that’s not including how you make it on air in the first place!In this week’s podcast Charles Miller talks to three presenters with varied careers: Rajan Datar, Sarah Cruddas and Lindsey Chapman. Between them they present for TV, radio and online and cover news, travel, science, sport, natural history and the arts.You'll find out: How each of the guests got started on air How to manage a presenting or reporting career Making the best use of your contacts How to work with production teams Is it better to be a specialist or a generalist? Their tips for new starters