I’m excited to share two recent Open Access reports published in late 2023 thanks to funding from the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN). They may be of interest to anyone researching the social media creator economy, labour, influencers, and/or governance:

Levelling up social media content creator labour
This report examines policy, industry data, and interviews with self-employed content creators in Yorkshire and makes recommendations for actions to support regional diversity and inclusion in the creator economy.

Industry briefing: Levelling up the social media creator economy
The report outlines issues in the social media creator economy. It addresses gaps in policy in efforts to level up, and recommends action in areas that could support regional diversity and inclusion.

I also directed the 52-minute educational documentary Future Content Creators, which was released online by the University of Huddersfield in September 2023. The documentary explores business models, production challenges, monetization strategies, skills, training, career pathways, and working conditions in social media content creation and influencer culture. It brings together prominent participants from various organizations, including YouTube, the BBC and OfCom, and Yorkshire influencer Danny Malin, whose Rate My Takeaway YouTube account has nearly 700k followers. The documentary is based on an event organized in Huddersfield, UK on January 12, 2023.

Above (L–R): Future Content Creators event participants Promise Bakare (Digital Creator); Josh Geddes (Rate My Takeaway’s Manager); Danny Malin/Rate My Takeaway (Social Media Influencer); Professor Cornel Sandvoss (University of Bristol); Dr Errol Salamon (University of Huddersfield)

If you have any questions about this work or would like to arrange a meeting, please get in touch: e.salamon@hud.ac.uk