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SEREF ISLER

Leading global newsrooms through breaking moments.

January 2026 - Present

Independent Video Producer & Newsroom Product Developer

  • Writing, filming (DSLR and iPhone) and editing original video content independently, including the ‘Inside the Newsroom’ series for YouTube and social platforms.

  • Producing ‘Dog Walk News’, a daily vertical video series delivering three news stories per episode, applying broadcast editorial standards to a daily, self-shot, self-edited publishing schedule.

  • Adapting content and platform strategy per channel: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok - including captions, packaging and audience-facing presentation.

  • Developing ‘Traffic’, a newsroom production workflow platform designed to track scripting, filming, editing and multi-platform publication across television, radio, digital and social teams.

  • Applying AI-assisted workflows, audience awareness and production automation principles to improve editorial efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and support cross-platform publishing.

  • Embedding analytics data into commissioning decisions, SEO and platform scheduling.

July 2023 – January 2026

Editor

Channel News Asia 🇸🇬

  • Successfully helped lead the international news coverage; taking the initiative to bring more analysts and commission interviews to design more comprehensive news coverage

  • Expanded the scope of TV coverage by strategically planning for more international on-air talent at a time when the channel expanded into the European and North American markets

  • Managed a team of 10 producers to plan and execute compelling content for CNA’s viewership of 8.2 million (3.1 million on television and 5.1 million on digital)

  • Produced packages for television, digital and social media platforms using Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro

  • Worked on cross-media platform projects for the website, social media and TV

  • Used Chartbeat, Parse.ly, and YouTube Analytics to observe audience trends and make editorial decisions

  • As the lead producer for international television bulletins, special programs and breaking news, made quick and accurate decisions under pressure in the newsroom and in the gallery to provide a seamless product for audiences

  • Re-designed the night bulletin “World Tonight” and contributed to the launch of the evening bulletin “East Asia Tonight” which reached 1 million viewers in Singapore and 4.7 million in the region

  • Designed and utilised AI tools to help content creation automation as well as personalisation algorithms

  • Planned and executed special coverage for elections, inaugurations, and other events across multiple broadcast platforms

December 2019 – April 2023

Line Producer

CNBC 🇸🇬

  • Attracted a broader Asian and Middle Eastern audience by creating easier-to-understand business segments in the 3-hour TV bulletins I led; as well as accommodating traditional financial news for investors

  • Championed cross-platform video projects, and posted on the CNBC International X account, engaging 171,000 followers

  • Planned daily coverage, suggested guest ideas, edited scripts and commissioned reporter hits to reach CNBC’s audience of 15.9 million in Asia Pacific (across television, digital and social)

  • Managed a group of 7 producers and trained staff up for a promotion

  • Organised various on-location broadcasts editorially and technically

August 2015 – December 2019

Senior Journalist

BBC World News 🇬🇧

  • Regularly line produced all scheduled programs under time pressure and covered every major story for BBC World News, including contributing to story, production, and guest ideas

  • Served as a producer for off-the-record talks with Saudi officials and as a hostile environment producer during the Turkey coup and Indonesia tsunami

  • Planned and executed comprehensive coverage of the June 2015 Turkish elections, 2016 US election coverage and various EU summits on-location in Brussels

  • Led production teams on BBC World News and proof-read their stories and pitches before these aired on a channel that reaches 300 million households in more than 200 countries

  • Contributed to the development of artificial reality graphics and enhanced on-screen text to improve storytelling

  • Produced video packages for television and used editing software to converted these for use on the website and social media in order to increase audience reach

May 2012 – August 2015

Journalist

BBC World Service 🇬🇧

  • Served as a lead journalist during the coverage of the Gezi protests in Turkey in 2013

  • Managed BBC Turkish social media accounts, reaching an audience of 4.3 million with regular and breaking news.

  • Reported on various BBC radio and television programs, collectively reaching 318 million people

  • Researched, wrote, edited and adapted packages for language television bulletins, extending BBC News content to 60 million viewers in 17 languages

  • Helped streamline gallery operations, reducing operational expenses by 50%

January 2011 – March 2012

Producer

SBS Australia 🇦🇺

  • Conducted numerous telephone and in-person interviews for Turkish radio broadcasts, reaching 1,000 listeners daily

  • Wrote and presented World News Australia Radio web-bulletins in English

  • Produced and presented in studio, as well as on location in Canberra, Alice Springs and Melbourne

  • Launched the SBS Turkish Facebook page, growing its follower base to 5,000

May 2006 – August 2010

Deputy Supervisor

TRT English 🇹🇷

  • Successfully managed a team of 14 people

  • Produced and presented English-language radio bulletins broadcast nationally and internationally

  • Designed and launched news bulletins shown on 10 thousand Turkish Airlines flights in 184 countries

WORK EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Master of Media Arts and Production

University of Technology Sydney (Sydney, Australia)

Graduated:2012

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada)

Graduated: 2006

CERTIFICATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

HEFAT hostile environment certified

SSI advanced-level scuba diver

Trained in AI use for sourcing and standardisation

Trained in news optimisation by LinkedIn

NBC GEM award recipient

ECIS International Understanding Award recipient

Completed a 100-kilometre ultramarathon, showcasing mental endurance

Advanced-level scuba diver adept at decision-making under pressure

Dedicated supporter of homeless animal charities, with two rescued dogs of my own

Volunteer advisor for a Model United Nations student press club

Volunteer computer skills teacher at a program for disadvantaged high schools

SKILLS

  • Editorial leadership and team management

  • Interpersonal and employee engagement

  • Team building

  • Strategic planning

  • Hostile environment and field production

  • AI and GPT programming for production

  • Audience engagement: Chartbeat, Parse.ly, Analytics

  • Drone operation

  • CMS operation and SEO

  • Languages: English, Turkish, German, Malay

  • News software: ENPS, iNews, OpenMedia

  • Editing software: Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, Quantel

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