Manuel Bravo created the first sports newscast on YouTube, “Cracks”, now the largest and most watched in the history of the platform worldwide. Manu has more than 20 years of experience in traditional media as well as in social media.

How many years have you been a judge?

This is my first year!

What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?

I am very excited to be a part of this important event, it’s an honor.

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

As a writer and reporter at a radio news station. It taught me how to handle pressure, to compete for the news story, and to be careful and precise with information.

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

I am the founder of Cracks. I started alone, without any contacts in the industry, without a budget, and I grew the project to a global level, so it is undoubtedly my greatest source of pride.

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

Constant change, audience demands, fake news, the need to avoid copying others – staying relevant after 10 years hasn’t been easy.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

That all the elements that make it up communicate something, that they reflect the creator’s intention and somehow touch the viewer feelings.

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

I am an on-screen presenter for the largest European football news show on YouTube. I also co-produce the main news program, focusing on the editorial content. In addition, I cover events on location for the channel and social media.

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

I am working on my personal brand as a content creator and storyteller specializing in football-related content, especially in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?

I try to avoid getting stuck doing the same thing all the time. I constantly try to think about how to improve something, even if it’s working well.

What inspired you to pursue your career path?

My family means everything to me, they are the most important thing.

In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?

The biggest change, in my opinion, is the lack of value placed on specialists and expertise. Today, anyone can talk about any topic, and even if they spread lies, they’ll still have a large audience. The speed at which information spreads is also detrimental. People’s difficulty in consuming content that isn’t short is another problem. As content creators, we have to adapt, but without sacrificing accuracy and quality.