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📱 Meet the team behind CNN’s social media platforms

By Daniel Wine

If you follow CNN on social media, you might not realize that there’s a small but mighty team of journalists behind all of those tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram Stories.

The social publishing producers are part of the Off-Platform and New Audiences team, which also handles our email newsletters along with those notifications you receive on your phones and tablets.

Their job combines news judgment, analytics, creativity and collaboration as they curate all of the great content produced by CNN teams around the world and determine which pieces to share and the best way to present them. 

We caught up with a few members of the social media team recently to learn more about how it all comes together.

From London to New York, here’s what they had to say. 

What’s your favorite social media platform?

Mariam Abdallah: I love Instagram because it’s so versatile. You’re able to share so much more information in so many different ways. We use Reels, galleries, live streams and Stories on our team. You can share one story in 10 different ways. And then personally, you can choose what communities you want to be part of because the algorithm really works.

Sofia Barrett: I was an early adopter of Twitter and Instagram, and I’ve been on the platforms for about 10 years now. Instagram is my favorite. I love being able to spotlight our reporting on such a highly visual platform, whether it be with strong original photos, a viral video or a bespoke graphic from our visuals team. It’s also about the community on Instagram — through the backend you can see how many people shared and how many commented. That's how I found out about Hilda, a Nigerian chef who cooked nonstop for 100 hours.

Jack Hillcox: I work across all platforms, but I do particularly enjoy Twitter just because of my borderline personal addiction. You can use it for such a diverse range of things — for newsgathering or as a news source for yourself. It gives you a very instant connection with your audience. You get to see what they care about and why they care about it, and that informs how you tell certain stories. Twitter is going through an interesting time right now. It can be a quite hostile place, but it can also be a very productive one. 

Last year, Mariam Abdallah traveled to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to cover the Artemis I rocket launch.

How do you decide which stories to promote?

Abdallah: For the Instagram feed, we look for what’s visually appealing and what you’ll stop at when you’re scrolling. Then hopefully you’ll read it or look at the image, the caption, maybe interact in the comments. When it comes to Stories, we focus on what is newsworthy or information that people should know, and we’re able to add our link sticker that allows people to explore more. With Reels, we try to make sure that the video is quick, it looks good, sounds good and is interesting. Those get a ton of likes and views because they’re shared so easily on the app.

Hillcox: Social media is great because you have such a wide array of analytics to look at — who is interested in your story, how much they’re interested and what language works. It can inform which stories you choose to share. Some stories you just know are going to go off. Other stories you really need to work on to hook people’s attention. It’s a balancing act. We use tools and algorithms to help with that decision-making, but it’s very useful to get to know your audience.

What is a typical day like for you?

Barrett: I start by reading my emails with the rundowns and attending the morning meetings to see what our network and digital priorities are and how that can inform my curation of our Instagram feed. I’m looking at our recently published videos and affiliate videos. I’m also on Twitter seeing what people are talking about and what’s trending. All of these elements are part of the big equation running through my mind: Would this be good for Instagram and for our audience? Then I’m collaborating with other teams and looking for the best visuals and strongest headlines.

What are your favorite stories or projects you have worked on?

Abdallah: When there were protests in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, we wanted to show what was really happening there. I produced a social media video that took me about three days to put together because that was a really sensitive topic. It allowed me to use my creative mind along with my skills to delve even more into the story. Then last year I traveled to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to cover the  Artemis rocket launch for Instagram and TikTok. I saw astronauts just walking by like it was nothing, and the scientists and engineers who worked on the rocket. That was a huge moment for me.

Barrett: During Ramadan there was a video of a sheikh leading prayers, and all of a sudden a cat jumped on him. I thought it was one our audience was really going to engage with. When I posted that, it just exploded and became one of our top Reels of all time. Another one that stands out is the protester who ran onto the field during the World Cup wearing a “Save Ukraine” shirt and carrying a rainbow flag. I just covered the Met Gala, which was so exhilarating. I worked with our partners on the style team, and we were able to give people first-person behind-the-scenes video from the red carpet with all the stars walking by. We got an exclusive interview with Billie Eilish and talked to Alexander Skarsgård. We also talked to Kim Kardashian for a moment.

Hillcox: I worked on the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, and that meant looking at a lot of gruesome footage and recounting some horrific events. I collaborated with the international team, the graphics team and colleagues in Ukraine to get it off the ground and to the widest number of people. One of the videos handed the mic over to ordinary Ukrainian civilians, and I think it was quite emotionally impactful. We told the story of the war in a way that resonated with a large audience, and that was a piece I was quite proud of.

Sofia Barrett, pictured, covered the Met Gala this year and worked with CNN Style colleagues to capture big social media moments.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be a social producer?

Abdallah: Learn how to do everything. I took time out during my summers when I was in college. My friends made fun of me for taking extra classes, but I learned how to code and how to use Photoshop. I learned the full Adobe Suite and really fine-tuned my editing skills. That all helped me land a job at CNBC, where I did social media, wrote articles and produced video. Just make yourself extremely indispensable.

Barrett: You really have to be “on” at all times because you never know when news is going to break. Even when I’m not working, I’m on Twitter, TikTok and Reddit. You need to be plugged into what people are talking about online. Social media literacy is important. Knowing how to distinguish what is good for your brand and for your audience is key.

What do you enjoy about your job?

Abdallah: My favorite thing about this team is that everyone is just so smart. You learn something new every day. It’s a blessing to learn from people who have been in this industry for decades. Our leadership really pushes us and are truly supportive, and they allow us to be creative.

Hillcox: One of the cool things about the social team is that the platforms you work on are never finished. Algorithms are constantly changing, and storytelling methods are developed and what resonates with your audience changes. Everyone is working on the same stories, so you have such direct competition and a sense of rivalry. You constantly have to keep on your toes.

👍 You can connect with CNN on these platforms:

The team also works on social media accounts for international news, politics, climate, travel and more.

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📢  before you go

📺  Watch: CNN’s Kaitlan Collins will anchor a new show at 9 p.m. starting in June. On the new evening show, Collins will “showcase why she’s one of the top reporters and interviewers in the game,” said CNN CEO Chris Licht.

🏞️  Explore: A 93-year-old woman and her grandson just completed a journey to all 63 national parks in the United States. Here’s how their adventure got started. 

🚘  Learn: This little-known rule shapes parking in America. Cities are reversing it. 

🎧  Listen: Russia has called out CNN’s Erin Burnett and banned her from entering the country. See what she has to say about that decision. 

✉️  talk to us

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- Edited and produced by Kyle Almond, Tricia Escobedo and Kimberly Richardson