By Dr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
October 2, 2025
Analysts at Emarketer say YouTube is on pace to have more paid subscribers that any cable television service in about two years - Copyright AFP Lionel BONAVENTURE
Social media’s influence extends far and wide. Sometimes it is a force for good and other times it is a force for misinformation or spreading malice. One area on the plus side of the equation is education and a specific area of education that receives considerable attention is science and technology.
To mark the contribution of educators to social media, the organisation World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP) has announced an event titled Congress ’25, which is to take place this December 8-11 in Rio de Janeiro.
WCSFP is a not-for-profit, member-driven organisation where science, history and natural history content creators and executives can share, explore and reveal how advancements within these industries are communicated to the world. This includes using digital technology and forms of new media to communicate content designed to educate and to entertain.
Evolution of factual storytelling
Congress ’25 promises is a convention designed to provide opportunities for producers, broadcasters, and digital innovators to explore new markets, connect and collaborate, and experiment with fresh formats. This includes charting the evolution of factual storytelling as well as exploring the growing intersections between television, film, and digital platforms.
Included in the lineup is Dr. Derek Muller, creator of Veritasium, one of the world’s largest and most influential science YouTube channels. With almost 19 million subscribers and billions of views, Muller has transformed the way audiences worldwide engage with science. Muller’s keynote speech will set the stage for Congress ’25, spotlighting how creators are reshaping factual storytelling and audience engagement.
Muller is well-suited to the task; his doctoral thesis was titled Designing Effective Multimedia for Physics Education.
Another speaker, from Los Angeles, is Kevin Allocca, Global Director of Culture and Trends at YouTube, whose role places him at the heart of understanding what drives billions of video views daily. His perspective is important in the context of platforms and audience habits are shifting rapidly, creating new opportunities for factual producers worldwide.
Allocca’s TED Talk on “Why Videos Go Viral” has been watched over 3 million times
The third person to be announced is Mariana van Zeller – journalist, host, and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning National Geographic series Trafficked. van Zeller will share first-hand insight into the risks and rewards of immersive investigative reporting.
Trafficked: Underworlds is a documentary television series about trafficking and black markets. The series covers topics like drugs, human organs, guns, surgery, and stolen cars, among others.
In a statement sent to Digital Journal, Paul Lewis, Conference Director of WCSFP says: “These extraordinary voices reflect the breadth of our programming this year – from digital innovation and global audience trends to bold, innovative storytelling. Their insights will help set the tone for a dynamic program that brings together the very best of our international community in Rio.”
Participants at the event include National Geographic, Warner Bros. Discovery, NHK, CBC/Radio-Canada, BBC Studios Science Unit, BBC History Unit, ITV Studios, ZDF/3sat, ORF, SVT, Autentic, WGBH NOVA, France Télévisions, WNET Nature, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, CuriosityStream, and, from Brazil, executives from Globo and TV Brazil.
Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.
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