Sophia Smith-Galer

Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist, writer, speaker, and content creator known for her innovative journalism on TikTok. Recognised by British Vogue as one of the 25 most influential women in the UK and included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2022, she received the British Journalism Award for ‘Innovation of the Year’ in 2021 for her efforts to enhance representation in newsrooms and engage younger audiences.

Sophia began her career at the BBC, reporting for the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4, and BBC World News. She was instrumental in developing Webby-winning social media channels before joining VICE News as a senior reporter, where she worked until February 2024. Her multilingual skills in Spanish, Arabic, and Italian have enabled her to break significant stories, including a viral report on catcalling in Madrid that garnered over 25 million views on TikTok and Instagram.

Sophia has produced and presented a range of content across television, radio, and digital platforms, including documentaries and viral short-form videos. She frequently comments on Sky News and has contributed to BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme, The Blindboy Podcast, and BBC’s Woman’s Hour. In March 2024, she launched her podcast, Where To Be A Woman, co-hosted with Scaachi Koul, exploring global wellbeing ideas for women.

As a columnist for iNews, Sophia has announced her second book, How To Kill A Language, acquired by William Collins. This work addresses linguicide and language loss, advocating for language diversity and a multilingual future. Her reporting on health and technology has driven changes on platforms like TikTok and the NHS website, and she was the first journalist to report on the misuse of political ads on TikTok during the 2020 US election, featured in her documentary, The TikTok Election.

Recognised as an expert in media innovation, sexual health reporting, and TikTok, Sophia has appeared frequently in British news media. She is the only UK reporter trained to handle hostile environments and accredited to deliver sex education, following her acclaimed book, Losing It: Dispelling the Sex Myths that Rule Our Lives, which became a No.1 Amazon bestseller. In 2023, she became a Visiting Fellow at Brown University’s Information Futures Lab, developing resources to combat misinformation and misogyny in British schools.

An experienced speaker, Sophia has addressed topics such as innovation, generational communication, gender equality, and influencer ethics, first speaking at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at age 22. With over 160 million views on her videos, she is developing workshops and AI tools to innovate the media landscape while continuing her work in international media.