Head of Digital Euronews Romania
Silviu Calangiu
Head of Digital Euronews Romania | Romania
Short Bio:
Silviu Calangiu is a Digital Media professional with over two decades of experience in content production, digital identity creation, and team management. He is the Head of Digital at Euronews Romania leading efforts to establish the station’s digital presence and works with Euronews World to reach a global audience of 145 million monthly viewers. Previously, Mr. Calangiu worked at PRO TV for nearly 18 years, producing successful TV segments and special projects such as “100 Years in 100 Days” and “30 Years After.” He played a key role in digital transformation, revamping the stirileprotv.ro website and enhancing the digital presence of “România, Te Iubesc!”.
Event: SDGs Conference 2024 | Date: Sept 25, 2024 |
SPEECH
I began my work as a reporter during my last year of college, and during my shift in 2017, while covering an event in Berlin, I had a small revelation. At that event, a company was showcasing a particular door lock that you can see behind me. At that time, the Internet of Things was still a novelty, and we were eager to discover and explore devices that would become part of our future lives. This particular door lock stood out to me. And do you know why? It was not the technology itself or the innovation behind it, but the simple fact that it didn’t replace your existing mechanical lock; it just fit over it and could be controlled by a smartphone. It hit me then that it’s all about adaptability.
The best way to approach technology is to be able to adapt to whatever comes. As journalists and media professionals, we must be ready to embrace change ourselves and adapt to the evolving digital landscape. We need to be agile and innovative in order to stay relevant and resilient. I come from Romania and have over 20 years of experience in media.
Right now, I am involved in an exciting project called Neuro News Romania. You can also download our report; a little advertising for our network. I work with a very enthusiastic team of young people; I am the one skewing the age average in the office. Here are some of our accomplishments over the past 12 months: I am very proud to share that we have reached 23 million views on YouTube in 2024, and I am even prouder of our 14 million page views in the last year, along with our 3,000 social media members.
To avoid speaking in general about the media, I will focus on the Romanian market. I noticed that many of the distinguished guests here face similar challenges. Romania is unique in that we have an astonishing internet penetration rate of 90%. Nine out of ten Romanians can and do use the internet, with a population of approximately 19 million. However, we have 28 million mobile phones. Consequently, the next step was to create a digital identity: two out of three Romanians have active online personas, which means over 30 million people.
But this comes with a downside. If you look at the low trust statistics, you will see that 46% of the population relies on Facebook for news. Who relies on Facebook for news anymore? 29% depend on social media and influencers, while only 24% look to mainstream news outlets. Overall trust in news, according to the Reuters Digital News Report for 2024, is only 27%, placing Romania at the bottom of the rankings.
Now, let’s examine what we are up against. Misinformation and fake news are prevalent, and we can all agree that the world has changed significantly in the past five years. We have faced COVID-19, various pandemics, and now we find ourselves in the midst of wars. AI has emerged, challenging us to reposition our media strategies.
It’s not just AI that affects our daily work; algorithmic changes are also a frustration. It’s disheartening to create quality content and see it receive only a few hundred or thousand views because an inexplicable algorithm is determining visibility. Financial challenges further complicate matters, starting with low salaries for journalists; this is an issue not only in Romania but also in other content industries.
Streaming platforms are becoming formidable competitors for traditional media outlets. In Europe, for example, the HBO Max platform offers coverage of events like the Olympics with multiple cameras for only $4 a month, allowing viewers to watch any sport at any time. This is indicative of the future, with the streaming industry growing significantly. And, gambling is a serious issue, especially in Eastern Europe.
Even more troubling are the legal and political pressures, including government censorship and repression. I recently learned from our friends in Turkey about the serious situation involving girls accused of connections to the Ismail movement. As we speak, 14 girls aged between 13 and 17 are in court, merely for studying and gathering together. Media coverage of such issues is alarmingly absent. We are also combating public distrust and news fatigue. I often feel like the boy who cried wolf.
To confront these challenges, we must maintain our digital integrity. This begins with a multi-platform content strategy. We are no longer in an era where a single media outlet suffices. With smartphones, we must reach our audience where they are.
Data utilization is essential; you cannot run a newsroom without being data-driven and digital-first. Expanding the use of analytics and predictive tools is crucial. Of course, we need to train our journalists. In Romania, I emphasize to our team that their job doesn’t end once the news is reported. They must consider where else to share it, should it be on the website? Should they create different content tailored to specific social media channels? We also need support from management, who must invest in tools that empower newsrooms and journalists, and work with tech platforms and regulatory bodies, as only journalists understand how to regulate journalism effectively.
I have compiled some strategies that I am attempting to implement in Euro News Romania. I advocate for communicating with our audience transparently; we cannot engage with them as we did 20 years ago. Transparency encompasses both informational and financial aspects; audiences deserve to know where our funding comes from.
I am also committed to understanding consumption habits. Nowadays, no one waits for the 7 PM news anymore. We all use our mobiles. It is a mistake to think you can reach your audience only at that time; you must go where they are, on social media. Additionally, we need to provide value to our consumers. This requires becoming a data-driven organization. We should engage our audience, develop subscription-based content, and seek alternative revenue models.
Small outlets can explore crowdfunding, partnerships with brands, and collaboration with CSR departments in large companies, which often have an interest in sponsoring curated content on quality websites. Even developing a subscription model for a small percentage of your audience is a solid starting point. Lastly, let’s be innovative. Look at what the New York Times is doing with gamification; consider that as a strategy for larger audiences.
I began with a technology event and will conclude in the same manner. Last November, while in Lisbon, I encountered a panel where participants used sticky dots to indicate which industry would be most transformed by generative AI, like ChatGPT. Most chose the media. I wasn’t surprised, but I was intrigued. The following day, I attended a presentation by a former data scientist from Google, who discussed the key skills necessary for the future. She highlighted decision-making, design, creativity, communication, problem-solving, engineering, social skills, interpersonal collaboration, trust, and adaptability. How many of these skills are essential for being a good journalist? I would argue nearly all of them, if not all.