How to be a digital innovator: BBC Trending
An entrepreneurial spirit can allow you to push at formats and produce innovative news content. It is important not to be afraid to try things that might fail, says Mukul Devichand, the creator and series producer of BBC Trending
Coming up with innovative ways to produce and deliver digital news content can require an entrepreneurial spirit, according to Mukul Devichand, creator and series producer of BBC Trending.
Mukul says that the days of developing an idea for a single platform are long gone. Good ideas now have the potential to be adapted for TV, radio, online and social media, to engage with the largest possible audience.
He came up with the idea for BBC Trending when he realised while reporting in China that the most interesting conversations were being had not on the street but on social media. He decided that charting and reporting on discussions around the globe via hashtags could make for a successful new BBC brand.
Mukul says it is important to adopt a strategic approach when pitching ideas. By thinking through how the brand would work for multiple platforms and with existing resources, his idea became attractive to commissioners.
He stresses that it is important for staff to feel they can push the boundaries of established formats and that they receive support when trying something new.