Sophia Smith Galer

Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist, author, and content creator who pioneers innovative storytelling across digital platforms, from viral TikTok journalism to in-depth investigative reporting. Named one of British Vogue's 25 most influential women in the UK and winner of the 2024 Georgina Henry Award, she has reported for the BBC and VICE News, launched the acclaimed BBC podcast Where To Be A Woman, and published two books, including How to Kill a Language in 2026. Her sessions equip organisations and audiences with practical strategies for navigating generational communication, media innovation, misinformation, and influencer ethics, empowering them to connect authentically across platforms and demographics.

When Sophia Smith Galer was 22, she delivered a speech in Arabic at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, foreshadowing a career that would redefine how journalism reaches and resonates with younger audiences. Winner of the 2024 Georgina Henry Award and recognised in British Vogue as one of the 25 most influential women in the UK, she has built a reputation for pioneering innovative storytelling across platforms, from viral TikTok investigations to in-depth radio documentaries. Her multilingual reporting across Spanish, Arabic, and Italian has enabled her to break stories in English-language media ahead of competitors, including her coverage of a catcalling episode in Madrid that garnered over 25 million views. In 2021, she won a British Journalism Award for Innovation of the Year, cementing her role as a leading voice in newsroom representation for younger audiences and the platforms that matter to them.

Sophia's career began across the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4, and BBC World News, where she built Webby-winning social media channels before joining VICE News as a senior reporter until February 2024. Her journalism has driven tangible change: exclusive reporting on health and technology has led to platform updates on TikTok and the NHS website, whilst her investigations into sexual and reproductive health exposed British anti-abortion funding and the UK government's secret withdrawal of millions of pounds from sex education programmes. She was the first journalist to report the misuse of political ads on TikTok during the 2020 US election, featured in her television documentary The TikTok Election. In March 2024, she launched the podcast Where To Be A Woman for BBC Outlook and Sounds, exploring global wellbeing ideas with co-host Scaachi Koul. Her second book, How to Kill a Language, published in 2026 to critical acclaim, advocates for defending linguistic diversity. As a Visiting Fellow at Brown University's Information Futures Lab since 2023, she has developed resources for combating misinformation and misogyny in British schools, which she delivers personally. She is the only reporter in the UK both HEFAT trained for hostile environments and accredited to deliver sex education.

Sophia equips organisations and audiences with practical strategies for navigating generational communication, media innovation, misinformation, and influencer ethics. Her speaking engagements, from the Royal Festival Hall to Google, offer actionable insights into how to connect authentically across platforms and demographics. She chairs panels at the Cheltenham festivals and Web Summit, and has hosted conversations ranging from the CEO of OnlyFans to trainspotter Francis Bourgeois. Audiences leave her sessions with clear tools to adapt their communication strategies, understand evolving digital landscapes, and engage meaningfully with diverse generations. Through her fellowship launched in 2026, she continues to pay forward her success, supporting emerging journalists whilst demonstrating how rigorous reporting and innovative formats can coexist to create lasting impact.